John 5:18

Therefore Better, For this cause. See on John 5:16; John 6:65; John 7:21-22; John 8:47; John 9:23; John 10:17; John 12:39; John 13:11; John 15:19; John 16:15.

the more Shewing that the persecution spoken of in John 5:16 included attempts to compass His death. Comp. Mark 3:6. This -seeking to kill" is the blood-red thread which runs through the whole of this section of the Gospel: comp. John 7:1; John 7:19; John 7:25; John 8:37; John 8:40; John 8:59; John 10:31; John 11:53; John 12:10.

had broken Literally, was loosingor relaxing; i.e. making less binding. As in John 5:15, the A. V. puts pluperfect for imperfect.

making himself equal They fully understand the force of the parallel statements, -My Father is working; I am working also." -Behold," says Augustine, -the Jews understand what the Arians fail to understand." If Arian or Unitarian views were right, would not Christ at once have explained that what they imputed to Him as blasphemy was not in His mind at all? But instead of explaining that He by no means claims equality with the Father, He goes on to reaffirm this equality from other points of view: see especially John 5:23.