The Feast of John 5:1

Which particular "feast" is referenced in John 5:1?

       In John 5:1, the evangelist informs the reader that sometime after the events of chapter 4, Jesus returned to Jerusalem, because, "there was a  feast of the Jews" (Jhn 5:1). But what "feast" John has in view, is uncertain. NT scholar D. A. Carson notes, "​John repeatedly ties his narrative to various Jewish feasts: cf. Jhn. 2:13 (Passover); Jhn. 6:4 (Passover); Jhn. 7:2 (Tabernacles); Jhn. 10:22 (Dedication); Jhn. 11:55 (Passover). This is the only one that is not identified more precisely."[1] Carson concludes, "If the other feasts are named, it is because the context in each case finds Jesus doing or saying something that picks up a theme related to it. By implication, if the feast in John 5 is not named, it is probably because the material in John 5 is not meant to be thematically related to it."[2] 
​
     If the feast in John 5:1 refers to a Passover, then Jesus had a four-year public ministry instead of three year ministry (cf. John 2:13, 23; 6:4: 12:1). It is traditionally held that Jesus had a three-year public ministry after John's baptism. Concerning which feast John has in mind here, Frederick Dale Bruner notes, "The two main candidates have been (1) Pentecost (Chrysostom, Erasmus, Calvin, Beza, Maldonatus, Bengel, Schnackenburg, and Beasley-Murray) and (2) Passover (Irenaeus, Luther, Bernard, and Bultmann)."[3] Those who argue that the feast John had in mind was the Passover Feast do so on the basis of textual variants that include the definite article before "feast," thus rendering it "the feast of the Jews." If the article was original to John, then it would almost certainly refer to Passover. However, most scholars agree that the anarthrous reading (lacking the article) has better support. Also, in observing intertextual evidence against Passover, the NET notes, "The incidental note in Jhn. 5:3, that the sick were lying outside in the porticoes of the pool, makes Passover an unlikely time because it fell toward the end of winter and the weather would not have been warm."[4] NT scholar Craig Keener observes, "it is probable that the “feast” is simply an explanation for why Jesus has returned to Jerusalem, since he makes the journey to Jerusalem only for the feasts (cf. also Jhn. 2:13; 10:22–23; 12:12)."[5]

       Jesus as a Jewish male was required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the three annual feast days: (1) Passover, (2) Pentecost, (3) and Tabernacles. The NET notes, "If the first is ruled out because of the time of year, the last is not as likely because it forms the central setting for chap. 7 (where there are many indications in the context that Tabernacles is the feast in view.) This leaves the feast of Pentecost, which at some point prior to this time in Jewish tradition (as reflected in Jewish intertestamental literature and later post-Christian rabbinic writings) became identified with the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Such an association might explain Jesus’ reference to Moses in Jhn. 5:45–46."[6] While this may be the case, again, one cannot be certain. 

​​

Concerning the textual variants, the data is as follows:
(1) The article ἡ (the)  before ἑορτή (feast) is found in  א C L Δ Ψ f1 33 892 1424 pm
(2) The article is lacking in {𝔓66, 75 A B D T Ws Θ f13 565 579 700 1241 pm}. ​

---

​Footnotes

• [1] D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 240.
• [2] Ibid., 241.
• [3] Frederick Dale Bruner, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI;Cambridge, U.K.: Eerdmans, 2012), 302. 
• [4] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005). 
• [5] Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary & 2, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), 635.​
• ​[6] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005). ​