John 5:2

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep [market] a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

Now {G1161} there is {G2076} at {G1722} Jerusalem {G2414} by {G1909} the sheep {G4262} market a pool {G2861}, which {G3588} is called {G1951} in the Hebrew tongue {G1447} Bethesda {G964}, having {G2192} five {G4002} porches {G4745}.

In Yerushalayim, by the Sheep Gate, is a pool called in Aramaic, Beit-Zata,

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheepgatea pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches.

John 5:2 introduces the setting for one of Jesus' significant miracles in Jerusalem, providing crucial geographical and structural details that set the stage for the narrative that follows. The verse specifies a particular location known to its original audience, highlighting John's eyewitness precision.

Context

This verse places the reader in ancient Jerusalem, near the "sheep [market]" or more accurately, the "Sheep Gate" (as referenced in Nehemiah 3:1), which was likely the entrance through which sheep designated for temple sacrifices were brought into the city. This proximity to the Temple area underscores the religious significance of the location. The pool, known as Bethesda, was a prominent landmark, recognized for its five "porches" or colonnades, which provided shelter for the many sick and infirm who gathered there, hoping for healing as described in the subsequent verses of John chapter 5.

Key Themes

  • Setting the Scene for Miracles: John meticulously details the location, emphasizing the reality and historical grounding of Jesus' ministry. This specific description builds anticipation for the divine intervention that is about to occur.
  • A Place of Human Need: The mention of "five porches" suggests ample space for a multitude of people, hinting at the vast number of suffering individuals who congregated there, embodying the human condition of helplessness and longing for relief.
  • Jerusalem's Significance: The city of Jerusalem continually serves as a backdrop for Jesus' work, symbolizing both the center of Jewish worship and the place where divine revelation unfolds.

Linguistic Insights

The name of the pool, "Bethesda," is specified as being "in the Hebrew tongue." This term, Bethesda (Βηθεσδά in Greek, from Hebrew), is commonly understood to mean "house of mercy" or "house of grace." This etymology is highly significant, creating a profound irony: a place filled with suffering and often unfulfilled hope for healing, yet named after mercy. It foreshadows the true source of mercy and grace – Jesus Christ – who is about to enter this very place and bring genuine healing.

Practical Application

John 5:2 reminds us that God often meets us in our places of greatest need and suffering. The Pool of Bethesda, despite its name, offered only limited and uncertain hope. However, when Jesus arrived, true mercy and grace were made available, not through a ritualistic stirring of water, but through His direct divine power. This verse sets up the powerful truth that Jesus is the ultimate source of healing and compassion, capable of reaching into the most desperate situations. It challenges us to look beyond conventional or limited sources of help and to seek the true "House of Mercy" found in Christ, who offers spiritual and often physical restoration. His presence transformed a place of waiting into a place of immediate deliverance, as seen in the healing of the paralytic man immediately following this descriptive verse.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Nehemiah 12:39

    And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

  • Nehemiah 3:1

    ¶ Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

  • Nehemiah 3:32

    And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

  • Isaiah 22:11

    Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

  • John 19:13

    When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

  • John 19:17

    And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called [the place] of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

  • John 20:16

    Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

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