John 5 - NKJV Woman's Study Bible

5:2 Sheep Gate is one of the entrances carved into Jerusalem’s city wall. Pools were reservoirs, often cut from stone, that collected rainwater for drinking and other purposes. Water was a valuable and precious resource in the arid Middle East. These pools were usually deep enough for swimming. The pool at Bethesda was a famous place where the handicapped and sick gathered because of its reputed healing properties.

5:10 The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week, the day God rested from creating the world (Ge 2:2–3). It was a holy day of rest for all Jews, as well as foreigners, slaves and even animals (see chart, The Principle of the Sabbath). Desecration of the Sabbath could be punished by death. The prohibition against carrying one’s bed on the Sabbath was just one of the numerous oral laws (a part of the tradition of the elders) that had grown from the Law of Moses.