The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured,.... When they saw him, either at the place, or as he walked through the streets, with his bed on his back:it is the sabbath day: do not you know it? surely you forget yourself, or you would never be guilty of such an action as this;it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
It was forbid by the law, to carry any burden on the sabbath day; see Ne 13:15; for"carrying out and bringing in anything, from one place to another, is said to be work, and one of the principal works;''and therefore forbid by the law, which says, "thou shall not do any work"; and one of the traditions of the elders is this ,"whoever carries anything out (i.
e. on the sabbath day), whether in his right hand, or in his left, in his bosom, or wpytk le, "on his shoulder", is guilty; for so carried the Kohathites.''And particularly it is said , that"he that rolls up a bed of the brasiers or tinkers (i.
e. on the sabbath day) is bound to a sin offering.''Which was a fold up bed, such as tinkers, and those that went from city to city to work, had; and who carried their beds with them, as the gloss observes; and were so far from being lawful to be carried by them, on the sabbath, that they might not fold them up.
Maimon. Hilchot Sabbat, c. 12. sect. 6. Misn. Sabbat, c. 10. sect. 3. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 47. 1. & 138.