John 5:3
New International Version
Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

New Living Translation
Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.

English Standard Version
In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

Berean Standard Bible
On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

Berean Literal Bible
In these were lying a multitude of those ailing, blind, lame, paralyzed.

King James Bible
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

New King James Version
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

New American Standard Bible
In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed.

NASB 1995
In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters;

NASB 1977
In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;

Legacy Standard Bible
In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;

Amplified Bible
In these porticoes lay a great number of people who were sick, blind, lame, withered, [waiting for the stirring of the water;

Christian Standard Bible
Within these lay a large number of the disabled—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed —waiting for the moving of the water,

American Standard Version
In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And in these many people were lying who were ill, blind, crippled, cancerous, and they were awaiting the moving of the water;

Douay-Rheims Bible
In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water.

English Revised Version
In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Under these porches a large number of sick people-people who were blind, lame, or paralyzed-used to lie.

Good News Translation
A large crowd of sick people were lying on the porches--the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

International Standard Version
and under these a large number of sick people were lying—blind, lame, or paralyzed—waiting for the movement of the water.

Literal Standard Version
in these were lying a great multitude of the ailing, blind, lame, withered, [[waiting for the moving of the water,

Majority Standard Bible
On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed, awaiting the moving of the water.

New American Bible
In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. [

NET Bible
A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways.

New Revised Standard Version
In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.

New Heart English Bible
In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed.

Webster's Bible Translation
In these lay a great multitude of impotent persons, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

Weymouth New Testament
In these there used to lie a great number of sick persons, and of people who were blind or lame or paralyzed.

World English Bible
In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water;

Young's Literal Translation
in these were lying a great multitude of the ailing, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the moving of the water,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
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. 3On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.

Cross References
Matthew 4:24
News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed--and He healed them.

John 5:2
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.

John 5:4
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.


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 them those 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 sword shall 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
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

Lamentations 3:26
It is good that a 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 for it.

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Ailing Awaiting Blind Bodies Different Disabled Diseases Doorways Folk Great Halt Impotent Lay Moving Multitude Paralyzed Persons Power Sick Unable Used Waiting Walking Wasted Water Waters Withered
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Ailing Awaiting Blind Bodies Different Disabled Diseases Doorways Folk Great Halt Impotent Lay Moving Multitude Paralyzed Persons Power Sick Unable Used Waiting Walking Wasted Water Waters Withered
John 5
1. 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.














(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 of John 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 in John 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 a via 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 troubling of 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 ...


Greek
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)
John 5:2
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