John 5:3 kjv
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5:3 nkjv
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
John 5:3 niv
Here a great number of disabled people used to lie?the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
John 5:3 esv
In these lay a multitude of invalids ? blind, lame, and paralyzed.
John 5:3 nlt
Crowds of sick people ? blind, lame, or paralyzed ? lay on the porches.
John 5 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 5:3 | sick ... waiting for the moving of the water | John 5:3 |
| Luke 7:22 | Go and report to John what you have seen: the blind receive their sight | Luke 7:22 |
| Isaiah 35:5 | Then will the eyes of the blind be opened | Isaiah 35:5 |
| Isaiah 35:6 | and the ears of the deaf be unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer | Isaiah 35:6 |
| Matthew 11:5 | blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear | Matthew 11:5 |
| Mark 2:3 | paralyzed man lying on a mat | Mark 2:3 |
| Acts 3:2 | a man crippled from birth | Acts 3:2 |
| Acts 14:8 | crippled from birth, who had never walked | Acts 14:8 |
| 1 Corinthians 12:12 | as the body is one and has many parts... | 1 Corinthians 12:12 |
| Romans 12:4 | just as each part of the body has its own function | Romans 12:4 |
| John 9:1 | As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. | John 9:1 |
| Luke 13:11 | spirit that had kept her bent over for eighteen years | Luke 13:11 |
| John 5:1 | feast of the Jews | John 5:1 |
| John 5:2 | pool called Bethesda | John 5:2 |
| John 5:4 | angel went down into the pool at certain seasons and stirred up the water | John 5:4 (popular belief) |
| Acts 10:38 | Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. | Acts 10:38 |
| Galatians 3:28 | neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. | Galatians 3:28 |
| Revelation 21:4 | He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain | Revelation 21:4 |
| Psalm 103:3 | who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases | Psalm 103:3 |
| Jeremiah 17:14 | Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved | Jeremiah 17:14 |
| Zechariah 14:8 | living water will flow from Jerusalem | Zechariah 14:8 |
John 5 verses
John 5 3 Meaning
John 5:3 describes a multitude of disabled people lying by the pool of Bethesda. These individuals suffered from various afflictions: blindness, lameness, and paralysis. They were waiting, passively hoping for the water to stir, believing it held healing properties. This scene depicts a state of prolonged suffering and expectation within a community defined by their physical ailments.
John 5 3 Context
This verse is situated within the Gospel of John, chapter 5, which recounts a significant encounter between Jesus and a man at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. The setting is during a Jewish festival, implying a significant gathering of people. The pool itself, Bethesda, means "house of mercy" or "house of grace." The pool was renowned in popular belief for its therapeutic qualities, particularly when an angel was thought to stir the waters. This created an atmosphere of desperate hope and desperate longing for healing among the large number of invalids gathered there. The passage immediately preceding this verse (John 5:1-2) establishes this scene, noting Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem and directing the reader to the pool where the afflicted were waiting.
John 5 3 Word Analysis
- καὶ (kai): And. A conjunctive particle, often linking verses or ideas, continuing the narrative flow from the previous verse.
- ἐκεῖ (ekei): there. Indicates the location, emphasizing the presence of the crowd at the pool.
- ἦν (ēn): was. The imperfect tense of the verb "to be," signifying a continuous state or condition in the past.
- πλῆθος (plēthos): a multitude, a great number. Highlights the large size of the crowd, stressing the widespread need.
- ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn): of men, of people. Specifies that it was a human gathering.
- τυφλῶν (typhlōn): of the blind. Refers to those who were visually impaired, unable to see.
- χωλῶν (cholōn): of the lame. Refers to those who were unable to walk or had crippled limbs.
- ξηρῶν (xērōn): of the withered, of the dry. This term can refer to limbs that have lost strength, vitality, or the ability to move. It suggests a condition of atrophy or paralysis where limbs are not functional.
- προσδεχομένων (prosdechomenōn): waiting for, expecting. This is a present participle, indicating an ongoing action. They were actively looking for or anticipating something to happen.
- τὴν (tēn): the. Definite article, specifying "the movement."
- κίνησιν (kinēsin): movement, stirring. The specific event they were waiting for – the stirring of the waters. This connects to the popular belief about the angel.
- τοῦ (tou): of the. Genitive case marker for "water."
- ὕδατος (hydatos): of the water. The substance believed to possess healing power.
Words-group analysis
- "a multitude of people": This phrase, using "plēthos," paints a vivid picture of a large, diverse group of individuals unified by their suffering.
- "blind, lame, and withered": These three categories represent a comprehensive spectrum of physical disabilities, showcasing the pervasive helplessness and brokenness present.
- "waiting for the movement of the water": This emphasizes their passive hope. Their expectation is directed towards an external, possibly supernatural event, rather than any action they themselves can take. The imperfect tense "ēn" for "was" suggests this was a recurring or prolonged situation.
John 5 3 Bonus Section
The popular belief concerning the angel stirring the waters is mentioned in John 5:4 (though this verse is absent in some older manuscripts and the text within it may have been a later addition or annotation reflecting popular tradition). Even if the belief was not scripturally rooted, its presence among the people at Bethesda demonstrates how religious customs and folklore often intertwined with genuine desires for healing in the ancient world. The limitations of this belief system are evident; only the first person to enter the pool after the stirring could be healed, creating competition and potentially exacerbating despair among those unable to reach the water quickly. Jesus bypasses this entire ritualistic system, offering direct, unconditional healing to one man who, by his own admission, had no one to help him into the pool. This highlights Jesus as the true source of healing, surpassing the limitations of human systems and traditions.
John 5 3 Commentary
John 5:3 sets the stage for Jesus' miraculous healing at the pool of Bethesda. The verse details the debilitating conditions of the people gathered: blindness, lameness, and a general state of physical decay ("withered"). Their collective posture is one of passive expectation, waiting for a periodic disturbance of the water, attributed to an angel’s descent, believing this would impart healing. This scene contrasts sharply with the active power of Jesus, who would soon demonstrate that true healing comes not from a stirred pool but from Him. The mention of various disabilities highlights the widespread human need for restoration and wholeness, a need that the rituals and beliefs of the time, though perhaps well-intentioned, failed to comprehensively address.