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.
An angel would come down to this pool at certain times and stir up the water. Whoever jumped in first after the water started moving would be completely healed from whatever was wrong with them.
God set up a healing system where timing and quick action could change everything.
📚 Historical Context
In the first-century Jewish culture of Jerusalem, the Pool of Bethesda was a site where people gathered, believing that its waters had miraculous healing powers due to an angel stirring them at certain times, and the first person to enter after the stirring would be cured of their illness. This verse provides background for the biblical narrative in John 5, where Jesus encounters a man who had waited years for this supposed healing. It reflects the superstitions and hopes of that era, though some early manuscripts of John's Gospel do not include this verse.
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