John 5:3-4
John 5:3-4
(KJV) In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. {4} 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.
(1611 KJV) In these lay a great multitude of impotent folke, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the mouing of the water. {4}For an Angel went downe at a certaine season into the poole, and troubled the water: whosoeuer then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoeuer disease he had.
(1526 Tyndale) n which laye a greate multitude of sicke folke of blinde halt and wyddered waytinge for the movinge of the water. {4} For an angell wet doune at a certayne ceason into ye pole and troubled ye water. Whosoever then fyrst after the steringe of the water stepped in was made whoale of what soever disease he had.
(1382 Wycliffe) In these lay a greet multitude of sike men, blynde, crokid, and drie, abidynge the mouyng of the watir. {4} For the aungel `of the Lord cam doun certeyne tymes in to the watir, and the watir was moued; and he that first cam doun in to the sisterne aftir the mouynge of the watir, was maad hool of what euer sijknesse he was
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) Within these lay a large number of the disabled—blind, lame, and paralyzed. {4} Omitted
(NIV) Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed
(NASB) In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; {4} for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
(NLT) Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches.
(ESV) In these lay a multitude of invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed.
(CEV) Many sick, blind, lame, and crippled people were lying close to the pool.
(HCSB) Within these lay a multitude of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, 4 because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had] .
(TNIV) Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
(NCV) Many sick people were lying on the porches beside the pool. Some were blind, some were crippled, and some were paralyzed.
(RSV) In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) In these a multitude of the sick, blind, lame and those with withered members, was lying down.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
John 5:3 εν ταυταις κατεκειτο πληθος πολυ των ασθενουντων τυφλων χωλων ξηρων εκδεχομενων την του υδατος κινησιν [4] αγγελος γαρ κατα καιρον κατεβαινεν εν τη κολυμβηθρα και εταρασσεν το υδωρ ο ουν πρωτος εμβας μετα την ταραχην του υδατος υγιης εγινετο ω δηποτε κατειχετο νοσηματι
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
John 5:3 εν ταυταις κατεκειτο πληθος των ασθενουντων τυφλων χωλων ξηρων    5:4 - omitted
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
These verses are corrupted in the following manuscripts:
 
John 5:3
Omits “waiting for the moving of the water”
P 66 - circa 200 AD
P 75 - Third century
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century (original)
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century (original)
L 019 - Eighth century
 
John 5:4
Omits entire verse
P 66 - circa 200 AD
P 75 - Third century
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century (original)
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
G 012 - Ninth century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
33 (Miniscule) - Ninth Century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus
Contains “waiting for the moving of the water”
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century (corrected)
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century (corrected)
K 017 - Ninth century
Gamma 036 - Ninth or Tenth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
 
Contains verse Four
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century (corrected)
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century (corrected)
K 017 - Ninth century
L 019 - Eighth century
Gamma 036 - Ninth or Tenth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “waiting for the moving of the water” in verse 3
Greisbach, Johann - 1805 (in brackets or margin)
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Omits Verse Four
Greisbach, Johann - 1805 (in brackets or margin)
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
The removal of this verse is one of the most blatant denials of the doctrine of angels. When you add the fact that an angel came down and stirred the water so the first one who stepped in would become well. The corruption of these verses goes back as far as 200 AD which means that the Gnostic corruption is still adhered to today. These two verses are the prelude to the real focus of this section and that is the healing of the sick man of 38 years by the Lord Jesus Christ. These two verses are needed to lay the ground work for the miracle that the Lord Jesus Christ was going to do. These two verses are in Tatian’s Diatesseron, dated about 175 AD, which predates the corruption. It was also found in the Old Latin Vulgate dated between 90-150 AD which also predates the corruption. Tertullian in 200 AD also referred to these two passages which means that these verses were intentionally corrupted to destroy the continuity of the message of the miracle which the Lord performed.
 
Others who confirmed the authenticity are: Gregory of Nazianzus 390 A.D.; Ambrose (340-397 A.D.), Chrysostom 390 A.D. and Didymus 379 A.D, Ammonius (Third Century), Hilary (Fourth century), Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306-373 A.D.), Nilus (died c. 430 A.D.), Jerome (347-420 A.D.), Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 376-444 A.D), Augustine (354-430 A.D.), and Theodorus Studita (759-826 A.D.) Other Bible translations which include the two verses in full are Wycliffe 1384, Tyndale 1526, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible of 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1560 & 1599, Wesley’s New Testament 1755, The modern versions continue to hold to the Gnostic corruption but the King James delivers the truth without any hesitation simply because it is God’s preserved Word.

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