Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights not just a physical place but its intended purpose: "Bethesda" means "House of Mercy." This name reveals that the pool wasn't just a body of water, but a recognized center for healing and divine compassion, underscoring the depth of need and the hope present even before Jesus arrived.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just healed a royal official's son in Galilee and is now traveling to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. Upon arriving in the city, John directs our attention to a specific pool near the Sheep Gate, known for its five covered porticoes where many sick and disabled people gathered, waiting for a miraculous healing.
Why does John the Gospel writer pinpoint this specific pool in Jerusalem? It's more than just geography; it's about setting the stage for a divine encounter.
John is incredibly precise in his details, and the location of Bethesda is no exception. The text mentions it's by the 'Sheep Gate' (or 'Sheep Market' in some translations), a place that would have been familiar to those involved with the Temple sacrifices. This proximity isn't accidental.
A Place of Sacrifice and Suffering
Think about it: sheep were brought through this gate for sacrifice. Right near this hub of ritual purity and atonement stood a place where the suffering and brokenness of humanity were on full display. It highlights a stark contrast: the ritual cleansing meant for animals versus the desperate need for healing among people.
Geographical Clues
While the exact location is debated, scholars generally agree it was on the eastern side of Jerusalem, near the Temple. The descriptions of its multiple 'porches' or colonnades suggest it was a structured place, likely a kind of infirmary or hospice, designed to shelter the many afflicted people who gathered there.
The name 'Bethesda' itself speaks volumes. What profound truth is hidden in this ancient Aramaic word, and how does it frame the event that unfolds?
The name Bethesda is often translated as 'House of Mercy' or 'House of Grace.' This isn't just a label; it's a theological statement!
A Place of Divine Kindness
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Imagine a place specifically called the 'House of Mercy.' It was a place where the desperate, the sick, and the suffering gathered, hoping for a touch of God's kindness. Yet, the text implies that the 'mercy' often failed to arrive for many, highlighting their prolonged suffering.
A Preview of Christ's Ministry
When Jesus arrives at this place, He embodies the very name of the location. He brings the true, active, and salvific mercy that the pool's name only hinted at. His presence there transforms the physical 'house of mercy' into a demonstration of God's ultimate mercy extended through His Son.
Five colonnades. Why mention the architecture? This detail subtly points to a deeper reality about gathering and waiting.
The description of the pool having 'five roofed colonnades' (or porches) isn't just about the building's structure. It speaks to how people organized themselves and waited for help.
Sheltering the Suffering
These colonnades provided shelter from the sun and the elements for the multitude of sick and disabled people lying there. It was a place of waiting, a temporary home for those in constant pain, looking for a miraculous intervention.
Waiting for a Divine Touch
These five sections symbolize different groups of sufferers, all gathered in one place, all dependent on the same, often elusive, healing power. It sets the scene for Jesus' dramatic entrance, where He bypasses the 'rules' of the pool and offers immediate, complete healing to one man, demonstrating a mercy far greater than that offered by the waters.
Understand the original words
kolumbethra · Greek Noun
A place or body of water intended for ritual washing or healing; in this context, it is associated with traditional beliefs about supernatural intervention.
Bethesda · Aramaic/Greek Noun
A term derived from Aramaic meaning 'House of Mercy,' reflecting the hope associated with the location as a place where divine compassion was sought.
c. 444 BC
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
Nehemiah Oversees the reconstruction of Jerusalem's walls, during which the Sheep Gate (and its vicinity) is specifically mentioned. This establishes the gate's geographical and administrative importance.
Late 1st Century BC - Early 1st Century AD— this verse
Construction of the Pool of Bethesda
Likely built during the Second Temple period, the pool and its five porticoes are constructed in Jerusalem, possibly as a charitable institution or healing center.
c. AD 25-35
Jesus' Ministry in Jerusalem
During one of Jesus' visits to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival, he encounters a man who has been an invalid for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman army under Titus destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple. While the city is devastated, the pool of Bethesda, being outside the main temple complex, may have survived or been rebuilt.
This passage describes the Sheep Gate, which is the location of the pool Bethesda mentioned in John 5:2, establishing the geographical context.
Isaiah 8:6This verse mentions the waters of Shiloah (Siloam) which flowed softly. Some scholars link this to the intermittent waters of Bethesda, suggesting a connection between these bodies of water and their perceived healing properties.
1 Kings 17:9This verse recounts Elijah being sent to a widow in Zarephath. It can be seen as a parallel to God's provision of healing in unexpected places, similar to the miraculous healing associated with Bethesda.
Mark 5:25-34This passage details the woman with a hemorrhage who was healed by touching Jesus' cloak. Her persistent faith in seeking healing, despite societal barriers, mirrors the desperate hope of those gathered at Bethesda, highlighting the power of faith in receiving healing.
Luke 7:11-17This narrative describes Jesus raising the widow's son at Nain. It serves as another example of Jesus demonstrating compassion and divine power over death and suffering, expanding on the theme of divine intervention for the afflicted, which was the hope at Bethesda.
ellicottJohn 5:2: "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches."
(2) Now there is at Jerusalem. —We have no certain knowledge of the time referred to in the last, nor of the place referred to in this, verse. For “sheep-market,” we should read with the margin, sheep-gate ( Nehemiah 3:1 ; Nehemiah 3:32 ; Nehemiah 12:39 ). This gate was known well enough to fix the locality of the pool, but is itself now unknown. St. Stephen’s Ga…
vincentJohn 5:2: "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches."
Sheep-market (τῇ προβατικῇ)The word is an adjective pertaining to sheep, which requires to be completed with another word, not with ἀγορᾷ, market, but with πύλῆ, gate. This gate was near the temple on the east of the city. See Nehemiah 3:1, Nehemiah 3:32; Nehemiah 12:39. Some editors join the adjective with the following κολυμβήθρα, pool, making the lat…
The verse highlights not just a physical place but its intended purpose: "Bethesda" means "House of Mercy." This name reveals that the pool wasn't just a body of water, but a recognized center for healing and divine compassion, underscoring the depth of need and the hope present even before Jesus arrived.
Jesus has just healed a royal official's son in Galilee and is now traveling to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. Upon arriving in the city, John directs our attention to a specific pool near the Sheep Gate, known for its five covered porticoes where many sick and disabled people gathered, waiting for a miraculous healing.
Jesus has just healed a royal official's son in Galilee and is now traveling to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. Upon arriving in the city, John directs our attention to a specific pool near the Sheep Gate, known for its five covered porticoes where many sick and disabled people gathered, waiting for a miraculous healing.
"Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades." — The verse highlights not just a physical place but its intended purpose: "Bethesda" means "House of Mercy." This name reveals that the pool wasn't just a body of water, but a recognized center for he…
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Last reviewed October 2026