On the Greek phrase “the Jews” translated Jewish authorities see Appendix I. In many languages the closest equivalent is “the officials among the Jews.” In some, however, the best translation is “the leaders among the Jews.”
The use of the Greek imperfect tense for told (literally “were telling”) may be either a reflection of John’s narrative style or an attempt to emphasize the fact that the Jewish authorities kept repeating this statement to the man who had been healed. The force of the imperfect tense may be indicated in some languages by translating “insistently told the man”
The Jews had very strict laws concerning what could or could not be done on the Sabbath, and it was a breach of their law for a man to carry his sleeping mat on that day. It may be helpful to note the logic (or lack of it) in the present situation. According to Jewish teaching, certain situations demanded that the Sabbath law be overridden. For example a male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth, even if the eighth day fell on a Sabbath. If a person’s life were in immediate danger, measures to save it could be taken on the Sabbath. However, here was a man who had been sick for 38 years and whose life was obviously not in immediate danger. Therefore, to heal him on the Sabbath was considered to be a breach of the Sabbath law. But from Jesus’ point of view the making of a sick man whole had priority over the law of the Sabbath, even though the man’s life was not in immediate danger. Still another factor is involved. It is mentioned later by Jesus in his controversy with the Jews: God does his works of goodness even on the Sabbath, and for that reason the Son must also heal people on that day.
It is against our law is literally “it is not lawful.” The reference is not to the Mosaic Law as such but to the rabbinic interpretation of the Mosaic law. It is against our Law for you to carry your mat may be rendered in some languages “our laws say that you must not carry your mat” or “our laws contain these words, ‘You must not carry your mat on the rest day.’ ”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .