Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Sought the more (mallon ezhtoun). Imperfect active of zhtew, graphic picture of increased and untiring effort "to kill him" (auton apokteinai, first aorist active, to kill him off and be done with him). John repeats this clause "they sought to kill him" in John 7:1, John 7:19, John 7:25; John 8:37, John 8:40. Their own blood was up on this Sabbath issue and they bend every energy to put Jesus to death. If this is a passover, this bitter anger, murderous wrath, will go on and grow for two years.
Not only brake the Sabbath (ou monon elue to sabbaton). Imperfect active of luw. He was now a common and regular Sabbath-breaker. Luw means to loosen, to set at naught. The papyri give examples of luw in this sense like luein ta penqh (to break the period of mourning). This was the first grudge against Jesus, but his defence had made the offence worse and had given them a far graver charge.
But also called God his own Father (alla kai patera idion elege ton qeon). "His own" (idion) in a sense not true of others. That is precisely what Jesus meant by "My Father." See Romans 8:32 for o idiov uiov, "his own Son."
Making himself equal with God (ison eauton poiwn tw qew). Isov is an old common adjective (in papyri also) and means
equal. In Philippians 2:6 Paul calls the Pre-incarnate Christ isa qew, "equal to God" (plural isa, attributes of God). Bernard thinks that Jesus would not claim to be isov qew because in John 14:28 he says: "The Father is greater than I." And yet he says in John 14:7 that the one who sees him sees in him the Father. Certainly the Jews understood Jesus to claim equality with the Father in nature and privilege and power as also in John 10:33; John 19:7. Besides, if the Jews misunderstood Jesus on this point, it was open and easy for him to deny it and to clear up the misapprehension. This is precisely what he does not do. On the contrary Jesus gives a powerful apologetic in defence of his claim to equality with the Father (verses John 5:19-47).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 5:18:
Mark 2:4
Luke 6:11
John 5:19
John 7:1
John 7:19
John 7:20
John 7:21
John 7:25
John 8:53
John 9:16
John 10:30
John 10:31
John 10:33
John 10:36
John 11:53
John 19:7
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