InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEUT JOB YEHO (JOS) HERO (JDG) RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG YOEL (JOEL) MIC ISA ZEP HAB YIR (JER) LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBAD DAN EZEK EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL 2 PS WIS TOB MAN BAR G DAN G ESD L ESD ESG JDT 3 MAC SIR 1 MAC 2 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL LAOD PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
InterlinearVerse Yhn C1 C2 C3 C4 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 5 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47
Places tagged in the matching LV passage: Jerusalem
Dictionary: Jerusalem
OET-LV And there_is a_pool in the Hierousalaʸm at the sheep_gate, which being_called Baʸthsaida In_Hebraios, having five porticos.
In this section Jesus healed a lame man who was lying by a pool of water. Because Jesus healed him on a Sabbath day, the Jewish leaders became angry. They believed that healing a person was work and that Jews should not work on the Sabbath.
The man who was healed did not know who had healed him. Then Jesus met this man in the temple. He told him that he should not sin anymore. The healed man went to the Jewish leaders and told them that it was Jesus who had healed him.
Here are some other possibilities for a section heading:
Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath.
Jewish leaders criticized Jesus for healing a man on the holy/rest day.
This paragraph introduces the story of how Jesus healed a lame man near the Bethesda pool.
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool
In Jerusalem there is a pool near the Sheep Gate
There is a pool in Jerusalem next to the Sheep Gate.
Near the gate in the wall of Jerusalem called the Sheep Gate there is a pool/bath,
Now: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as Now introduces some background information about the city of Jerusalem. It is not a time word. In some languages it is more natural to leave this conjunction untranslated. For example:
Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate (NLT)
In Jerusalem there is a pool (NCV)
near the Sheep Gate: The Greek text that the BSB translates as the Sheep Gate is more literally just “the sheep.” There are several possibilities as to what should be supplied here:
the word Gate. For example:
near the Sheep Gate (NIV) (BSB, NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, REB, NET, GW, GNT, NLT, CEV, NCV)
the word “Pool.” For example:
next to the Sheep Pool (NJB)
the word “market.” For example:
by the sheep market (KJV)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most English translations. A Sheep Gate is also mentioned in Nehemiah 3:1, 32.
This was a gate or door in the northeast wall of the city. It was probably named Sheep Gate because it was the gate where the sheep entered the city. After they entered the city, they went to the market where people bought them for sacrifices. This place was quite close to the Temple, where the priests sacrificed the sheep.
Sheep: See the note explaining this animal in 2:14a. Also see how you translated the word there.
a pool: Next to the Sheep Gate there was a pool. The Greek word that the BSB translates as pool refers to a large container of water where one can bathe or swim. The water in this pool was probably used for washing the sheep. This pool was not natural; people had built it. Here is another way to translate pool:
bath
with five covered colonnades
and it has five porches.
Five shaded areas surround this pool.
The pool/bath is surrounded by five porches, whose roofs are held up by poles.
with five covered colonnades: The word with starts a phrase that refers to the pool in 5:2a. This pool was surrounded by five covered colonnades. In some languages it may be natural to start a new sentence here. For example:
This pool is surrounded by five porticoes.
Around the pool are five porticoes.
colonnades: The Greek word that the BSB translates as colonnades refers to open spaces under roofs supported by pillars or poles. A portico is like a porch on a house, the section outside the door that has a roof but no outside walls. See the picture below, although you can only see the columns or pillars and not the roof. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
roofed buildings
huts for shade
porches
which in Hebrew is called Bethesda.
In the Aramaic language this pool is called Bethesda.
This pool is called Bethesda in the Jewish language.
Hebrew speakers call this pool Bethesda.
which in Hebrew is called Bethesda: There is a textual problem here. There is more than one way to write the name of the pool:
Some Greek manuscripts say Bethesda. For example:
is called Bethesda (NIV) (BSB, KJV, NASB, ESV, REB, GW, NLT, NJB, NIV)
Some Greek manuscripts say Bethzatha. For example:
called Bethzatha (NET) (NRSV, NET, GNT, CEV, NCV)
Other Greek manuscripts say Bethsaida, but no major English translation follows that reading.
Both options (1) and (2) have strong support. It is recommended that you follow option (1) and say Bethesda.This reading is supported by the Hebrew form of the name in one of the Qumran scrolls. See D. A. Carson, p. 241, who says that the name Bethesda “is almost certainly right.” It is also possible to follow the reading of the local major-language translation.The UBS Greek New Testament supports the reading Bethzatha, but gives it a D rating, which indicates that it is very uncertain.
in Hebrew: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Hebrew can refer to either Hebrew or Aramaic. (Hebrew was the language of the Old Testament; Aramaic was the related language spoken by most Jews in Jesus’ time.) Here it refers to Aramaic. When translating this word you may:
Use “Aramaic” in the text. For example:
in Aramaic (ESV)
You could then supply a footnote saying that the word is more literally “Hebrew.”
Use Hebrew in the text. For example:
in Hebrew (GNT)
in the Hebrew language
You could then supply a footnote saying that here the word refers to Aramaic, a language related to Hebrew.
Refer to the language without naming it. For example:
in the Jewish language (NCV)
in the language that the Jews spoke
You may follow any of the above examples. Or you may want to follow the national or major language translation used in your area.
is called: This verb is passive. There are several ways to translate it.
Use a passive verb. For example:
is called Bethesda (BSB, NIV)
Use an active verb. For example:
a pool that people/they call Bethesda
whose Hebrew name is Bethesda (REB)
Do not use a verb. For example:
the pool of Bethesda (NLT)
In some languages it may be natural to reorder the information in this verse. For example:
2a,cIn Jerusalem there is a pool with five covered porches. 2bThis pool is called Bethesda in the Jewish language. 2aIt is near the Sheep Gate.
κολυμβήθρα
˓a˒_pool
This pool was a large manmade hole in the ground that people filled with water and used for bathing. Sometimes they lined these pools with tiles or stones.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
Ἑβραϊστὶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐστίν Δέ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπί τῇ Προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστί Βηθσαϊδά πέντε στοάς ἔχουσα)
When John says in Hebrew in his Gospel, he refers to the language spoken by the Jews during his time. This language is now called Jewish Aramaic. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [in Jewish Aramaic]
Note 2 topic: translate-names
Βηθζαθά
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐστίν Δέ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπί τῇ Προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστί Βηθσαϊδά πέντε στοάς ἔχουσα)
Bethesda is the name of a place.
στοὰς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐστίν Δέ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπί τῇ Προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστί Βηθσαϊδά πέντε στοάς ἔχουσα)
These porches were structures with roofs that had at least one wall missing and were attached to the sides of buildings.
OET-LV And there_is a_pool in the Hierousalaʸm at the sheep_gate, which being_called Baʸthsaida In_Hebraios, having five porticos.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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