Ἄγγελος γὰρ κατὰ καιρὸν κατέβαινεν ἐν τῇ κολυμβήθρᾳ, καὶ ἐταράσσετο τὸ ὕδωρ· ὁ οὖν πρῶτος ἐμβὰς μετὰ τὴν ταραχὴν τοῦ ὕδατος ὑγιὴς ἐγίνετο ᾧ δήποτε κατείχετο νοσήματι. (John 5:4)
For an angel would come down at a certain time into the pool, and the water would be stirred. Then the first who stepped in after the stirring of the water would become healthy, whatever disease he was held by.
A Verse in Question
John 5:4, though absent from the earliest manuscripts, reflects a well-known tradition about the pool of Bethesda: an angel would periodically descend, stir the waters, and the first person to enter would be healed. While the textual history is debated, the grammar of the verse offers a vivid portrait of expectation, timing, and divine initiative. The interplay of imperfect verbs, participles, and temporal clauses dramatizes the scene.
The Imperfect of Habitual Action: κατέβαινεν… ἐταράσσετο
– κατέβαινεν — imperfect active indicative, 3rd singular of καταβαίνω, “was descending / used to descend.”
The imperfect suggests repeated, customary action — the angel descended “from time to time.”
– ἐταράσσετο — imperfect passive (deponent-like) indicative, 3rd singular of ταράσσω, “was being stirred.”
The passive emphasizes the effect on the water, not the agent. The waters were stirred continually when the angel came.
The grammar keeps the event in the imperfective aspect, presenting it as an ongoing pattern rather than a single episode.
The Temporal Participle: ὁ… ἐμβὰς
– ἐμβὰς — aorist active participle, nominative masculine singular of ἐμβαίνω, “having entered.”
– ὁ οὖν πρῶτος ἐμβὰς — “the first one who had entered.”
The aorist participle conveys completed action prior to the main verb: the healing occurs after the act of entering, not during.
Main Result Clause: ὑγιὴς ἐγίνετο
– ἐγίνετο — imperfect middle/passive indicative, 3rd singular of γίνομαι, “would become.”
– With ὑγιὴς (“whole, healthy”), the verb portrays the resulting state: the one who entered was continually becoming well.
The imperfect again stresses the pattern — each time the waters stirred, the same outcome recurred.
Relative Clause of Condition: ᾧ δήποτε κατείχετο νοσήματι
– ᾧ — dative relative pronoun, “with whatever…”
– δήποτε — an enclitic particle meaning “ever” or “whatever may be.”
– κατείχετο — imperfect passive indicative of κατέχω, “was held / afflicted.”
– νοσήματι — dative of respect, “by (with) disease.”
The sense: “whatever disease held him, he was healed.” The clause universalizes the effect: no illness was too strong when divine initiative stirred the waters.
Table: Grammatical Features of John 5:4
| Greek Form | Parsing | Function | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| κατέβαινεν | Imperfect active | Customary descent of the angel | Repeated event, not once-for-all |
| ἐταράσσετο | Imperfect passive | Effect on the waters | Highlights the stirred state |
| ἐμβὰς | Aorist participle | Condition for healing | Completed action prior to result |
| ἐγίνετο | Imperfect middle/passive | Healing result | Habitual effect: “would become well” |
| κατείχετο | Imperfect passive | State of affliction | Describes condition before healing |
Waters Stirred, Faith Awakened
The grammar paints the scene as cyclical:
– The angel used to descend (κατέβαινεν),
– The water was stirred (ἐταράσσετο),
– The first having entered (ἐμβὰς)
– Would become whole (ἐγίνετο),
– No matter the disease that held him (κατείχετο).
Every verb contributes to the drama of expectation and grace. Whether or not this verse belonged to the autograph of John, it captures a theology of hope: when heaven touches earth, even the waters move, and no sickness remains unconquered.
