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The Pool of Bethesda
…2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.3Onthese walkwayslaya great numberof thesick,the blind,the lame,and the paralyzed.…

Treasury of Scripture

In these lay a great multitude of weak folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

of blind.

Matthew 15:30
And great multitudes came unto him, having with themthose that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

Luke 7:22
Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

withered.

1 Kings 13:4
And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

Zechariah 11:17
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the swordshall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

Mark 3:1-4
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand…

waiting.

Proverbs 8:34
Blessedis the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Lamentations 3:26
It is good thata man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for that we see not,then do we with patience wait forit.

AilingAwaitingBlindBodiesDifferentDisabledDiseasesDoorwaysFolkGreatHaltImpotentLayMovingMultitudeParalyzedPersonsPowerSickUnableUsedWaitingWalkingWastedWaterWatersWitheredAilingAwaitingBlindBodiesDifferentDisabledDiseasesDoorwaysFolkGreatHaltImpotentLayMovingMultitudeParalyzedPersonsPowerSickUnableUsedWaitingWalkingWastedWaterWatersWithered1.Jesus on the Sabbath day cures him who was diseased thirty-eight years.
10.The Jews therefore object, and persecute him for it.
17.He answers for himself, and reproves them, showing by the testimony of his Father,
31.of John,
36.of his works,
39.and of the Scriptures, who he is.

On these walkways
The setting is the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, a place known for its healing waters. Archaeological discoveries have confirmed the existence of this pool, which had five porticoes or covered walkways. These walkways provided shelter for those seeking healing, indicating a place of hope and desperation. The location near the Sheep Gate suggests a connection to sacrificial practices, symbolizing the need for spiritual cleansing.

lay a great number of the sick
The presence of a large number of sick individuals highlights the widespread suffering and need for healing in society. This scene reflects the brokenness of humanity and the longing for restoration. It also sets the stage for Jesus' ministry, which often focused on healing as a sign of the coming Kingdom of God. The multitude of sick people underscores the compassion of Jesus, who often ministered to those marginalized by society.

the blind
Blindness in biblical times was not only a physical ailment but also carried social and spiritual implications. The blind were often marginalized and seen as cursed or sinful. Jesus' healing of the blind throughout the Gospels serves as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment and the removal of spiritual blindness. It fulfills prophecies such asIsaiah 35:5, which speaks of the eyes of the blind being opened in the Messianic age.

the lame
The lame, unable to walk, represent those hindered in their journey through life. In the Old Testament, lameness often symbolized spiritual weakness or imperfection. Jesus' healing of the lame, as seen in other Gospel accounts, demonstrates His power to restore both physical and spiritual wholeness. It also fulfills Messianic prophecies, such asIsaiah 35:6, where the lame will leap like a deer.

and the paralyzed
Paralysis, a condition of complete immobility, symbolizes total helplessness and dependence on others. In the cultural context, the paralyzed were often seen as burdens and were socially isolated. Jesus' interaction with the paralyzed, such as in the healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof (Mark 2:1-12), emphasizes His authority to forgive sins and His compassion for those in desperate need. This act of healing serves as a type of spiritual awakening, where Jesus brings life and movement to those spiritually paralyzed by sin.

1.The Pool of Bethesda
A pool in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, known for its healing properties. It was surrounded by five covered colonnades.

2.The Sick, Blind, Lame, and Paralyzed
A diverse group of individuals suffering from various physical ailments, gathered at the pool in hope of healing.

3.Jesus
Although not mentioned directly in this verse, Jesus is the central figure in the surrounding account, who later heals a man who had been an invalid for 38 years.

4.The Jewish Leaders
They play a role in the broader account, often challenging Jesus' actions, especially when they occur on the Sabbath.

5.The Angel (as per some manuscripts)
Some traditions and manuscripts suggest an angel would stir the waters, leading to healing for the first person to enter.Faith and Hope in Healing
The multitude gathered at Bethesda represents the universal human longing for healing and restoration. Believers are encouraged to place their hope in Christ, the ultimate healer.

Compassion for the Afflicted
Jesus' interaction with the sick at Bethesda exemplifies His compassion. Christians are called to show empathy and support for those suffering physically and spiritually.

The Power of Jesus Over Tradition
Jesus' healing on the Sabbath challenges traditional interpretations of the law, emphasizing mercy over ritual. Believers should prioritize love and compassion over legalism.

Spiritual Paralysis
The physical ailments at Bethesda can symbolize spiritual paralysis. Christians are encouraged to seek Jesus for spiritual renewal and strength to overcome sin and stagnation.1.What is the meaning of John 5:3?

2.How does John 5:3 illustrate the need for compassion in our lives today?

3.What can we learn from the "multitude of the sick" in John 5:3?

4.How does John 5:3 connect to Jesus' healing ministry throughout the Gospels?

5.In what ways can we support those who are "blind, lame, and paralyzed"?

6.How can John 5:3 inspire us to serve those in need around us?

7.Why does John 5:3 mention the sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed gathered at Bethesda's pool?

8.What historical evidence supports the existence of the pool of Bethesda in John 5:3?

9.How does John 5:3 reflect the theme of hope and healing in the Bible?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 5?

11.Does the omitted verse about an angel stirring the water (John 5:3–4 in some manuscripts) undermine the text’s reliability and consistency?

12.What was Jesus' purpose on Earth?

13.What does 1 John 5:3 mean about commandments?

14.In John 3:5, what does being born of water and the Spirit mean, and is there historical proof that first-century listeners understood this uniquely?On these walkways

• John sets the scene at the pool of Bethesda, a real location in Jerusalem with “five covered walkways” (John 5:2).

• Covered areas sheltered the needy from sun and rain, underscoring God’s providence even before the miracle.

• Similar colonnades show up later when Jesus walks in “Solomon’s Colonnade” (John 10:23) and when the healed beggar clings to Peter in the “portico called Solomon’s” (Acts 3:11), linking places of waiting with moments of divine intervention.

• The physical setting reminds us that God steps into ordinary spaces to accomplish extraordinary works.

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lay a great number

• Scripture highlights the crowd to stress both the magnitude of human need and the breadth of Christ’s compassion.

• Scenes likeMark 6:56—“they laid the sick in the marketplaces”—mirror the mass of sufferers here, showing that multitudes repeatedly sought relief wherever Jesus might be found.

• The vastness of the need magnifies the sufficiency of the Savior who soon enters the narrative.

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of the sick

• “Sick” is the broad term covering every kind of physical weakness.

• Jesus later states, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31), confirming that He came for those who know their need.

• Physical illness illustrates the deeper spiritual malady of sin that only Christ can heal (cf.Psalm 103:3).

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the blind

• Physical blindness appears throughout the Gospels as a picture of spiritual darkness; yet the Lord heals both.

• “As Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1). That man received sight, foreshadowing new creation light for all who believe.

• Isaiah had promised, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened” (Isaiah 35:5), andJohn 5 shows those promises converging in Christ.

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the lame

• Lameness limits movement and independence, echoing humanity’s inability to walk in God’s ways apart from grace.

• Jesus identifies His messianic mission with the testimony, “the lame walk” (Matthew 11:5).

• Prophecy again aligns with fulfillment: “Then the lame will leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:6).

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and the paralyzed

• Paralysis pictures total helplessness. The paralyzed cannot move toward help; help must come to them.

•Luke 5:18–25 recounts friends lowering a paralyzed man through a roof; Jesus both forgives and heals, proving authority over body and soul.

• By noting the paralyzed here, John prepares us to see the complete power of Christ over every form of human incapacity.

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summary

John 5:3 paints a vivid tableau of misery gathered under the covered walkways of Bethesda—sick, blind, lame, paralyzed—each plight crying out for a Savior. The setting is historical and literal, yet richly symbolic: a microcosm of a fallen world awaiting redemption. Into that multitude Jesus walks, proving that no condition—physical or spiritual—lies beyond His reach.

(3)In these lay a great multitude.--The word "great" before multitude, and the latter clause of the verse "waiting for the moving of the water," and the whole ofJohn 5:4, is omitted by most of the oldest MSS., including the Sinaitic and the Vatican, and is judged to be no part of the original text by a consensus of modern editors, including Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, and Westcott and Hort. It is interesting to note how a gloss like this has found its way into the narrative, and, for ninety-nine out of every hundred readers, is now regarded as an integral part of St. John's Gospel. We meet with it very early. It is found in the Alexandrian MS., and in the Latin and early Syrian versions. Tertullian refers to it. This points to a wide acceptance from the second century downwards, and points doubtless to the popular interpretation of that day. It explains the man's own view inJohn 5:7, and the fact of the multitude assembled round the pool (John 5:3). The bubbling water moving as it were with life, and in its healing power seeming to convey new energy to blind and halt and lame, was to them as the presence of a living messenger of God. They knew not its constituent elements, and could not trace the law of its action, but they knew the Source of all good, who gave intellect to man and healing influence to matter, effect to the remedy and skill to the physician, and they accepted the gift as direct from Him. Scientists of the present century will smile at these Christians of the second century. The Biblical critic is glad that he can remove these words from the record, and cannot be called upon to explain them. But it may be fairly asked, which is most truly scientific--to grasp the Ultimate Cause of all, even without the knowledge of intermediate links; or to trace these links, and express them in so-called laws, and make these abstract laws lifeless representatives of the living God? There is avia media which, here as elsewhere, wisdom will seek rather than either extreme. All true theology must be, in the best sense, scientific; and all true science must be, in the best sense, religious.

Verses 3, 4. -In these (porches)lay a multitude of sick folk, blind, lame,withered, [waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel went down season by season into the pool, and troubled the waters: he then that first stepped in after the troublingof the water became whole of whatsoever disease he had]. The interesting gloss discussed below conveys the idea of magical cure, without moral significance, and attributes such cure to angelic ministry. This is the natural and popular explanation of the Bethesda healings, and would easily occur to a copyist who has not taken pains to use New Testament diction. Wunsche quotes from 'Chullin,' fol. 105,b, a testimony that "deadly qualities of water were attributed to demons, and healing ones to the angels." The crowds which gather in all countries round medicinal and intermittent springs are still unable to explain their curative quality by scientific analogies; and there is nothing more likely to have suggested itself to the mind of a copyist than the intervention of an angel. The absence from Scripture elsewhere of non-moral miracles is powerful internal reason for the lack of authenticity for the poetic gloss. The text. when deprived of this dubious gloss, loses all character that is inconsistent with the authenticity of the narrative. The close of ver. 3, "waiting for the moving of the waters," is far better attested than ver. 4, and, moreover, is consistent with John's manner, and with well ascertained matters of fact; and the clause would give authentic ground for the gloss that fellows. Hoffmann and Hengstenberg defend the passage, and believe that the angel at "the waters" in the Apocalypse betrays the same hand. But there can be no fair comparison between an historical fact and a symbolical figure.

Parallel Commentaries ...


On
ἐν(en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

these [ walkways ]
ταύταις(tautais)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.

lay
κατέκειτο(katekeito)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2621:From kata and keimai; to lie down, i.e. be sick; specially, to recline at a meal.

a great number
πλῆθος(plēthos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4128:A multitude, crowd, great number, assemblage. From pletho; a fulness, i.e. A large number, throng, populace.

of the
τῶν(tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sick,
ἀσθενούντων(asthenountōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 770:To be weak (physically: then morally), To be sick. From asthenes; to be feeble.

[the] blind,
τυφλῶν(typhlōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5185:Blind, physically or mentally. From, tuphoo; opaque, i.e. blind.

[the] lame,
χωλῶν(chōlōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5560:Lame, deprived of a foot, limping. Apparently a primary word; 'halt', i.e. Limping.

[and the] paralyzed.
ξηρῶν(xērōn)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3584:Dry, withered; noun: dry land. From the base of xestes; arid; by implication, shrunken, earth.


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NT Gospels: John 5:3 In these lay a great multitude (Jhn Jo Jn)