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Joh 5:2. Ἔστι, there is) John wrote before the destruction of the city. There is, saith he, not there was, a pool. Even then there was remaining with His hearers a recollection of the treasury, a place in the temple: ch. Joh 8:20, “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the temple.” In agreement with this are those of the ancients, who set down this book as edited 30, 31, or 32 years after the ascension of our Lord.-ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ) Many understand πύλῃ: and indeed ἡ πύλη ἡ προβατική occurs, Neh 3:1; Neh 3:32; Neh 12:39. But though frequent mention is made in the books of the Old Testament of the gates of Jerusalem, and in Roman history of the gates of Rome, yet nowhere or seldom is the noun πύλη, gate, omitted. Nonnus has ἐν ἐνύδρῳ προβατικῇ, with the penultima lengthened, is equivalent to a substantive. Camerarius understands χώρᾳ, or some such word. So Chrysostom, in B. ii. concerning the Priesthood, ch. iv., § 120, uses τὴν ποιμαντικήν, which we express by Das Pastorat Germ., [the Pastorate]. It is credible, that near the sheep-gate was the pool, equally by itself called from the sheep; for often sheep bathe in a pool: Son 4:2, “Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep-shorn, which came up from the washing.” Thus κολυμβήθρα ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ, which the Greek Text has [97][98][99][100]. But many MSS. of the Vulgate have probatica piscina, in nomin. and without super; so Æthiop. Version, Euseb. Athanas. Chrysost. also προβατική], the order of the words being elegantly varied, is equivalent to ΚΟΛΥΜΒΉΘΡΑ ΠΡΟΒΑΤΙΚΉ, as the Versions and Fathers explain it. In our language the former would be ein Teich bey der Schaefferey [a pond near a sheep-fold]; the latter, ein Schaf-Teich [a sheep-pond].-κολυμβήθρα, a pool) About baths there is frequently the Θεῖον, something of divine help vouchsafed.-ἙΒΡΑΪΣΤΊ, in the Hebrew tongue) This book, therefore, was not written in Hebrew; otherwise this adverb would be redundant. They were therefore Hellenists,[101] for whose sake John wrote in Greek, and perhaps sent this book from Jerusalem to Asia [Minor]. Comp. ch. Joh 1:38; Joh 1:41-42, ch. Joh 9:7 [in which four passages Greek explanations are given of Hebr. words].-ΣΤΟΆς, porches) built by [i.e. by direction of] the impotent, or on their account, near the pool.
[97] the Alexandrine MS.: in Brit. Museum: fifth century: publ. by Woide, 1786-1819: O. and N. Test. defective.
[98] the Vatican MS., 1209: in Vat. Iibr., Rome: fourth cent.: O. and N. Test. def.
[99] Ephræmi Rescriptus: Royal libr., Paris: fifth or sixth cent.: publ. by Tisch. 1843: O. and N. T. def.
[100] Bezæ, or Cantabrig.: Univ. libr., Cambridge: fifth cent.: publ. by Kipling, 1793: Gospels, Acts, and some Epp. def.
[101] Greek-speaking Jews, who clothed Hebraistic idioms with Greek words.-E. and T.