κολυμβήθρα
a pool, swimming-place
Definition
κολυμβήθρα refers specifically to a pool or reservoir of water, often man-made, used for bathing, swimming, or ritual washing. In the New Testament, it consistently denotes a pool in Jerusalem associated with healing, as seen in John 5:2 (the Pool of Bethesda) and John 9:7 (the Pool of Siloam). The term implies a place where one could immerse or plunge into the water, fitting its use in narratives of physical and spiritual cleansing.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Gospel of John, appearing five times in two healing miracle stories. It describes two specific Jerusalem pools: the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2, 5:4, 5:7), where a paralyzed man is healed, and the Pool of Siloam (John 9:7, 9:11), where a man born blind is sent to wash and receives his sight. The usage pattern ties the word directly to sites of Jesus' miraculous, compassionate acts.
Etymology
Derived from the verb κολυμβάω (kolymbaō, G2860), meaning 'to dive, swim, or plunge.' The noun κολυμβήθρα literally means 'a place for diving or immersion,' highlighting its function as a deep, plunge-able body of water rather than a shallow basin.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it anchors two of Jesus' healing miracles, demonstrating His authority over sickness and His role as the source of living water (John 4:10, 7:38). The pools, sites of hoped-for healing, become the setting where Jesus directly grants wholeness, shifting focus from the location's supposed magical properties (John 5:4 in some manuscripts) to the power of Christ's word and command. Understanding it as a 'plunge pool' enriches the symbolism of cleansing and new birth.
In first-century Jerusalem, such pools were civic structures, often connected to water systems like the Gihon Spring (Siloam) or considered to have therapeutic qualities (Bethesda). They served practical and, in some Jewish traditions, ritual purposes. The cultural expectation at Bethesda—that an angel would stir the water for healing (John 5:4)—contrasts with the Gospel's presentation of Jesus as the true and direct agent of healing.
λίμνη (limnē, G3041) — a general term for a lake or large pond, like the Sea of Galilee; πηγή (pēgē, G4077) — a spring or fountain, a natural source of flowing water.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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