5:11a

But: The word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as But introduces what the man said to defend his action. He said that it was not his fault or responsibility. In some languages it is more natural not to use a conjunction here. For example:

He replied, “The man who healed me said to me, ‘Pick up your sleeping mat and walk.’ ” (New Living Translation (2004))

he answered: The pronoun he refers to the man whom Jesus had healed. In some languages it is more natural not to use a pronoun. For example:

the man
-or-
the man who was healed

5:11b

The man who made me well: This expression refers to Jesus. However, the man who had been healed at this point did not know his name. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

the man who cured me (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the man who made me strong

well: See note on 5:9a. The verb well is the same Greek word as in 5:9a.

5:11c

Pick up your mat and walk: See the note on 5:8b and try to use the same terms here.

General Comment on 5:11

This verse contains an embedded quotation, a quotation inside another quotation. In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for Jesus’ words. For example:

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk.” (Contemporary English Version)

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