YHN 5:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, in Hebrew being called Bethesda, having five roofed porches.

UST There is a place called the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, which is one of the gates going into the city. There is a pool beside that gate which people called Bethesda in the language used by the Jews. Next to the pool are five porches with roofs.

BSB Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew[fn] is called Bethesda.[fn]

BLB Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, having five porches.

AICNT {[Now there is in Jerusalem][fn] By the Sheep Gate there is a pool},[fn] which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.

5:2, Now there is in Jerusalem: Absent from some manuscripts. Latin(b)

5:2, Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool: ℵ(01) reads “In a certain place in Jerusalem, there is a sheep pool.”

OEB There is in Jerusalem, near the sheep-gate, a bath with five colonnades round it. It is called in Hebrew “Bethesda.”

LSB Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.

WEBBE Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool called Bethzatha in Aramaic, which has five covered walkways.

LSV and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep-[gate] a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches,

FBV Now near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem is a pool called Bethzatha in Hebrew, with five porches beside it.

TCNT Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called [fn]Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five porticoes.

5:2 Bethesda 97.1% ¦ Bethzatha NA WH 0.2%

T4T At one of the gates into the city called the Sheep Gate, there is a pool. In our language we call it Bethzatha. Around the pool were five open areas with roofs over them.

LEB Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool called in Aramaic Bethzatha,[fn] which has five porticoes.

5:2 The majority of later manuscripts read “Bethesda,” while other early manuscripts read “Bethsaida”

BBE Now in Jerusalem near the sheep-market there is a public bath which in Hebrew is named Beth-zatha. It has five doorways.

Moff Now in Jerusalem there is a bath beside the sheep-pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethzatha; it has five porticoes,

Wymth Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, called in Hebrew `Bethesda.' It has five arcades.

ASV Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches.

DRA Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, having five porches.

YLT and there is in Jerusalem by the sheep -[gate] a pool that is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches,

Drby Now there is in Jerusalem, at the sheepgate, a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

RV Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches.
(Now there is in Yerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. )

SLT And there is in Jerusalem, at the sheep place a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, having five porches.

Wbstr Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches.

KJB-1769 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
(Now there is at Yerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. )

KJB-1611 Now there is at Hierusalem by the sheepe [fn]market, a poole, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, hauing fiue porches.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

5:2 Or, gate.

Bshps And there is at Hierusalem by the sheepe market, a poole, which is called in the Hebrue tonge Bethesda, hauyng fyue porches.
(And there is at Yerusalem by the sheep market, a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.)

Gnva And there is at Hierusalem by the place of the sheepe, a poole called in Ebrew Bethesda, hauing fiue porches:
(And there is at Yerusalem by the place of the sheep, a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches: )

Cvdl There is at Ierusalem by the slaughter house a pole, which in Hebrue is called Bethseda, & hath fyue porches,
(There is at Yerusalem by the slaughter house a pole, which in Hebrew is called Bethseda, and hath/has five porches,)

TNT And ther is at Ierusalem by the slaughterhousse a pole called in the Ebrue tonge Bethseda havinge five porches
(And there is at Yerusalem by the slaughterhousse a pole called in the Ebrue tongue Bethseda having five porches )

Wycl And in Jerusalem is a waissynge place, that in Ebrew is named Bethsaida, and hath fyue porchis.
(And in Yerusalem is a waissing place, that in Hebrew is named Bethsaida, and hath/has five porches.)

Luth Es ist aber zu Jerusalem bei dem Schafhause ein Teich, der heißt auf ebräisch Bethesda und hat fünf Hallen,
(It is but to/for Yerusalem at/in to_him sheephause a Teich, the/of_the is_called on/in/to ebräisch Bethesda and has five halls,)

ClVg Est autem Jerosolymis probatica piscina, quæ cognominatur hebraice Bethsaida, quinque porticus habens.
(It_is however Yerosolymis approvesica piscina, which cogis_named hebrew Bethsaida, five porch having. )

UGNT ἔστιν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ Προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα, ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστὶ, Βηθζαθά, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα.
(estin de en tois Hierosolumois epi taʸ Probatikaʸ kolumbaʸthra, haʸ epilegomenaʸ Hebraisti, Baʸthzatha, pente stoas eⱪousa.)

SBL-GNT ἔστιν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστὶ ⸀Βηθεσδά, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα·
(estin de en tois Hierosolumois epi taʸ probatikaʸ kolumbaʸthra haʸ epilegomenaʸ Hebraisti ⸀Baʸthesda, pente stoas eⱪousa;)

RP-GNT Ἔστιν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα, ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστὶ Βηθεσδά, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα.
(Estin de en tois Hierosolumois epi taʸ probatikaʸ kolumbaʸthra, haʸ epilegomenaʸ Hebraisti Baʸthesda, pente stoas eⱪousa.)

TC-GNT Ἔστι δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπὶ τῇ προβατικῇ κολυμβήθρα, ἡ ἐπιλεγομένη Ἑβραϊστὶ [fn]Βηθεσδά, πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα.
(Esti de en tois Hierosolumois epi taʸ probatikaʸ kolumbaʸthra, haʸ epilegomenaʸ Hebraisti Baʸthesda, pente stoas eⱪousa. )

5:2 βηθεσδα 97.1% ¦ βηθζαθα NA WH 0.2%

Key for above GNTs: red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–18: Jesus healed a lame man by a pool on the Sabbath

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.

Paragraph 5:1–4

This paragraph introduces the story of how Jesus healed a lame man near the Bethesda pool.

5:2a

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

5:2b

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

5:2c

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.

General Comment on 5:2a–c

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.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

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

Bethesda is the name of a place.

στοὰς

These porches were structures with roofs that had at least one wall missing and were attached to the sides of buildings.

BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:

Map

Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem

Much like the difficulties of discerning the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land (see here), the task of reconciling the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem into one coherent itinerary has proven very challenging for Bible scholars. As with many other events during Jesus’ ministry, the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels) present a noticeably similar account of Jesus’ final travels, while John’s Gospel presents an itinerary that is markedly different from the others. In general, the Synoptic Gospels present Jesus as making a single journey to Jerusalem, beginning in Capernaum (Luke 9:51), passing through Perea (Matthew 19:1-2; Mark 10:1) and Jericho (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-19:10), and ending at Bethany and Bethphage, where he enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44). John, on the other hand, mentions several trips to Jerusalem by Jesus (John 2:13-17; 5:1-15; 7:1-13; 10:22-23), followed by a trip to Perea across the Jordan River (John 10:40-42), a return to Bethany where he raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11), a withdrawal to the village of Ephraim for a few months (John 11:54), and a return trip to Bethany, where he then enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey (John 12:1-19). The differences between the Synoptics’ and John’s accounts are noteworthy, but they are not irreconcilable. The Synoptics, after noting that Jesus began his trip at Capernaum, likely condensed their accounts (as occurs elsewhere in the Gospels) to omit Jesus’ initial arrival in Jerusalem and appearance at the Festival of Dedication, thus picking up with Jesus in Perea (stage 2 of John’s itinerary). Then all the Gospels recount Jesus’ trip (back) to Bethany and Jerusalem, passing through Jericho along the way. Likewise, the Synoptics must have simply omitted the few months Jesus spent in Ephraim to escape the Jewish leaders (stage 4 of John’s itinerary) and rejoined John’s account where Jesus is preparing to enter Jerusalem on a donkey.