Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - John 5:2 - 5:2

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - John 5:2 - 5:2


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

2. ἔστιν. The present tense is no evidence that this Gospel was written before the destruction of Jerusalem. S. John might easily write of the place as he remembered it. Even if the building were destroyed the pool would remain; and such a building, being of the nature of a hospital, would possibly be spared. See on Joh 11:18.

ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κ.τ.λ. Reading and interpretation are somewhat uncertain: κολυμβήθρα is preferable to κολυμβήθρᾳ, ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη to τὸ λεγόμενον, and Βηθζαθά to Βηθεσδά or Βηθσαϊδά. It is better to supply πύλῃ rather than ἀγορᾷ with προβατικῇ, although the ellipse of πύλῃ occurs nowhere else; for we know from Neh 3:1; Neh 3:32; Neh 12:39, that there was a sheep-gate. It was near the Temple, for by it sacrifices probably entered the Temple. There is evidence, however, that there were two pools at this place, and so we may translate, Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep-pool, the pool (or, reading τὸ λεγ., the place) called, &c. We cannot be sure from ἐπιλεγομένη (‘surnamed’) that the pool had some other name as well. ‘The pool’ might be the name, Bethzatha the surname. Beth-esda = ‘House of Mercy,’ or (-Aschada) ‘of outpouring,’ or (estâu) ‘of the Portico.’ Bethzatha may mean ‘House of the Olive.’ The traditional identification with Birket Israel is not commonly advocated now. The ‘Fountain of the Virgin’ is an attractive identification, as the water is intermittent to this day. This fountain is connected with the pool of Siloam, and some think that Siloam is Bethesda. That S. John speaks of Bethesda here and Siloam in Joh 9:7, is not conclusive against this: for Bethesda might be the name of the building and Siloam of the pool, which would agree with ἐπιλεγομένη, as above.

Ἑβραϊστί. In Aramaic, the language spoken at the time, not the old Hebrew of the Scriptures. See on Joh 20:16. The word occurs only in this Gospel (Joh 19:13; Joh 19:17; Joh 19:20, Joh 20:16) and in Revelation (Joh 9:11, Joh 16:16). See on Joh 1:14, Joh 4:6, Joh 7:30, Joh 11:44, Joh 15:20, Joh 9:37, Joh 20:16.

στοάς. Colonnades or cloisters. These would shelter the sick. The place seems to have been a kind of charitable institution, and Jesus, we may suppose, had come to heal this patient.