John 5:2

Sheep market. Gr. probatike, an adjective referring to something having to do with sheep. Interpreters differ as to whether it should be understood here as meaning “sheep market,” “sheep pool,” or “sheep gate,” all of which are possible interpretations. In favor of taking the words “sheep” and “pool” together and reading, “Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep pool [a place] called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,” is the fact that all Christian writers until the 13th century who consider the passage understand it this way. On the other hand, if “sheep” and “pool” are not taken together, and “sheep” is understood to be an abbreviated name for a certain locality in Jerusalem, the “sheep gate” (Neh. 3:1; 12:39) seems to be a probable identification.

Pool. Although there is still some discussion as to the location of this pool, its generally accepted identification with a double pool at the Church of St. Anne, just north of the present Via Dolorosa, is valid. Origen, in the 3d century, described this pool as being surrounded by four porticoes with a fifth bisecting it, which corresponds with the record of John. As it exists today, it is 55 by 12 ft. (16.7 by 3.6 m.) and lies many feet below the surface of the ground, for the ground level is now higher than in ancient times. It is covered by five arches, which support the floor of the ancient Christian church that was subsequently built above it.

Bethesda. The name of this place appears variously in the manuscripts as Bethesda, Bethzatha, Belzetha, and Bethsaida, and the textual evidence for each of these readings is not without importance. Although a final decision on this question cannot be made, it seems probable that the original reading was Bethzatha, or something similar, inasmuch as the northeastern section of the city, in which this pool appears to have been situated (see above under “Pool”), was named Bezetha (see Josephus War ii. 19. 4 [530]; 4. 2 [151]), which could easily be a variant of Bethzatha.

The name Bethesda appears to be from the Aramaic (here called “Hebrew,” as elsewhere in John; see chs. 19:13, 17; 20:16) beth chesda’, “house of mercy.” It may have been introduced into later manuscripts because it was a fitting name for a place where Jesus healed the sick. However, inasmuch as John makes no attempt to interpret the meaning here, he obviously did not intend to make a point of the meaning of the word, and modern interpreters will do well to follow his example by refraining from allegorizing the name.

Five porches. See above under “Pool.”