For an Angel Went Down at a Certain Season into the Pool (John 5:4)

2023-09-09

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. (John 5:4)

This is a controversial verse, in that many translations and manuscripts have this verse missing and sometimes a portion of John 5:3 as well. However, the verse was known by the early church.

What was done, then, that they who could not be healed in the porches might be healed in that water after being troubled? For on a sudden the water was seen troubled, and that by which it was troubled was not seen. You may believe that this was wont to be done by angelic virtue, yet not without some mystery being implied. After the water was troubled, the one who was able cast himself in, and he alone was healed: whoever went in after that one, did so in vain. -Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John, 17.

Therefore, after the waters have been in a manner endued with medicinal virtue through the intervention of the angel, the spirit is corporeally washed in the waters, and the flesh is in the same spiritually cleansed... Lest any think it too hard far belief that a holy angel of God should grant his presence to waters, to temper them to man’s salvation; while the evil angel holds frequent profane commerce with the selfsame element to man’s ruin. If it seems a novelty for an angel to be present in waters, an example of what was to come to pass has forerun. An angel, by his intervention, was wont to stir the pool at Bethsaida. They who were complaining of ill-health used to watch for him; for whoever had been the first to descend into them, after his washing, ceased to complain. This figure of corporeal healing sang of a spiritual healing, according to the rule by which things carnal are always antecedent as figurative of things spiritual. And thus, when the grace of God advanced to higher degrees among men, an accession of efficacy was granted to the waters and to the angel. -Tertullian, On Baptism, Chapters 4 and 5.

And “an Angel came down and troubled the water,” and endued it with a healing power, that the Jews might learn that much more could the Lord of Angels heal the diseases of the soul. -John Chrysostom, Homily 36 on the Gospel of John.

Ambrose of Milan may have alluded to this as well in the work, On the Holy Spirit, Book 1, Chapter 7.

These predate or are contemporary with some of the oldest Greek manuscripts, Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus.

Some have said John 5:4 was interpolated later to explain John 5:7: “The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me” (John 5:7). But when would this interpolation have happened? The verse was known by Tertullian in the early third century. These other ancients also knew of it.

It is unclear the motive why this was edited out. There is no real threat to doctrine about it. In modern times, it may be controversial because we do not think of angels doing these sorts of things, and why the angel would only limit to one healing per stirring. Considering the evidence that the verse was a part of the original manuscripts, we do not have to pry into the definite reasons why. We can infer that though the healing of these Bethesda waters was quite limited, the healing and saving of our Lord Jesus Christ is superior in that He grants us eternal life. One day, at the resurrection, physical ailment will end forever.

Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. (John 5:8-9)