The Angel of Bethesda

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Greek angelos (“messenger”); the figure is unnamed and functions as a reported divine agent.
• Period/Era: Second Temple Period (Roman Imperial Context)
• Main References: John 5:1–9 (notably John 5:3b–4 in some manuscripts)
• Key Connections: The pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem; the healing account involving Jesus and a long-term invalid

Who was The Angel of Bethesda?

The “angel of Bethesda” is mentioned in some later manuscripts of John as an angel who stirred the water of the pool.
This description appears as a textual variant and is absent from many early Greek witnesses, so modern editions often bracket or omit it.
In the narrative setting, it reflects a healing tradition associated with the pool near Jerusalem.
The passage’s focus in John 5 remains Jesus’ healing action rather than angelic activity.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: The pool at Bethesda is associated with a belief that water agitation signaled healing (John 5:3b–4, textual variant).
• Event 2: An invalid describes the lack of help to enter the water when it is stirred (John 5:7).
• Event 3: Jesus heals the man by command, apart from the pool’s reported mechanism (John 5:8–9).

Life Lesson & Legacy

John 5 presents Jesus’ authority to heal as central, even where popular traditions about intermediaries or sacred places existed.

Key Verse

"Jesus said to him, 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk.' And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked." — John 5:8–9, ESV