John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool , etc.] This angel is not to be understood of a messenger sent from the sanhedrim, or by the priests, as Dr. Hammond thinks; who has a strange conceit, that this pool was used for the washing of the entrails of the sacrifices; and which at the passover being very numerous, the water in it mixed with the blood of the entrails, was possessed of an healing virtue; and which being stirred by a messenger sent from the sanhedrim for that purpose, whoever went in directly received a cure: but this angel was an angel of the Lord, as the Vulgate Latin, and two of Bezas copies read; and so the Ethiopic version reads, an angel of God; who either in a visible form came down from heaven, and went into the pool, the Ethiopic version very wrongly renders it, was washed in the pool; or it was concluded by the people, from the unusual agitation of the water, and the miraculous virtue which ensued upon it, that an angel did descend into it; and this was not at all times, but at a certain time; either once a year, as Tertullian thought, at the time of the feast of the passover, or every sabbath, as this was now the sabbath day; or it may be there was no fixed period for it, but at some times and seasons in the year so it was, which kept the people continually waiting for it: and troubled the water ; agitated and moved it to and fro, caused it to swell and rise, to bubble and boil up, and to roll about, and be as in a ferment.
The Jews have a notion of spirits troubling waters; they speak of a certain fountain where a spirit resided, and an evil spirit attempted to come in his room; upon which a contest arose, and they saw ayymd ayybwbr[ , the waters troubled, and think drops of blood upon them f230 : the Syriac f231 writers have a tradition, that because the body of Isaiah the prophet was hid in Siloah, therefore an angel descended and moved the waters. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the waters stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had ; from whence it seems, that only one person at a season received a cure, by going in first into the water, so Tertullian thought f232 : the Jews ascribe an healing virtue to the well of Miriam; they say, a certain ulcerous person went to dip himself in the sea of Tiberias, and it happened at that time, that the well of Miriam flowed, and he washed, ystyaw , and was healed f233 .
Now this angel may represent a minister of the Gospel, for such are called angels, ( Revelation 1:20); being called of God, and sent by him, with messages of grace to the sons of men; and the preaching of the Gospel by such, may be aptly signified by the troubling of the waters, as it is by the shaking of heaven, earth, and sea; (see Haggai 2:6,7), compared with ( Hebrews 12:25,26); especially when attended with the Spirit of God, who moved upon the face of the waters in the first creation; and who, in and by the ministry of the word, troubles the minds of men, and whilst the prophet prophesies, causes a shaking among the dry bones, which is done at certain seasons; for as there are certain seasons for the preaching of the Gospel, so there is more especially a fixed, settled, and appointed one, for the conversion of Gods elect; who are called according to purpose, and at the time the Lord has appointed: and whoever now, upon the preaching of the Gospel, are enabled to step forth and come to Christ, and believe in him, are cured of all their soul maladies and diseases, be they what they will; all their inquiries are pardoned, their persons justified, and they are saved in Christ, with an everlasting salvation: and as this cure was not owing to any natural virtue in the water, nor even to the angels troubling it, but to a supernatural power; so the conversion of a sinner is owing to ministers, and to the word and ordinances as administered by them, but to the superior power of the grace of God; and which is exerted in his time, and on whom he pleases.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - We are all by nature impotent folk in spiritual things, blind, halt and withered; but full provision is made for our cure, if we attend to it. An angel went down, and troubled the water; and what disease soeve it was, this water cured it, but only he that first stepped in ha benefit. This teaches us to be careful, that we let not a season sli which may never return. The man had lost the use of his limb thirty-eight years. Shall we, who perhaps for many years have scarcel known what it has been to be a day sick, complain of one wearisom night, when many others, better than we, have scarcely known what it has been to be a day well? Christ singled this one out from the rest Those long in affliction, may comfort themselves that God keeps accoun how long. Observe, this man speaks of the unkindness of those abou him, without any peevish reflections. As we should be thankful, so we should be patient. Our Lord Jesus cures him, though he neither aske nor thought of it. Arise, and walk. God's command, Turn and live; Make ye a new heart; no more supposes power in us without the grace of God his distinguishing grace, than this command supposed such power in the impotent man: it was by the power of Christ, and he must have all the glory. What a joyful surprise to the poor cripple, to find himself of sudden so easy, so strong, so able to help himself! The proof of spiritual cure, is our rising and walking. Has Christ healed ou spiritual diseases, let us go wherever he sends us, and take u whatever he lays upon us; and walk before him.
Greek Textus Receptus
αγγελος 32 N-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ κατα 2596 PREP καιρον 2540 N-ASM κατεβαινεν 2597 5707 V-IAI-3S εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF κολυμβηθρα 2861 N-DSF και 2532 CONJ εταρασσεν 5015 5707 V-IAI-3S το 3588 T-ASN υδωρ 5204 N-ASN ο 3588 T-NSM ουν 3767 CONJ πρωτος 4413 A-NSM εμβας 1684 5631 V-2AAP-NSM μετα 3326 PREP την 3588 T-ASF ταραχην 5016 N-ASF του 3588 T-GSN υδατος 5204 N-GSN υγιης 5199 A-NSM εγινετο 1096 5711 V-INI-3S ω 3739 R-DSN δηποτε 1221 PRT κατειχετο 2722 5712 V-IPI-3S νοσηματι 3553 N-DSN
