Matthew Poole and continuators on John 5:4

4 For an Angel went down at a certain season into the Pool, and troubled the water : whosoever first after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever Disease he had .

This water had not always in it this Healing Vertue, but onely when it was troubled, and this was at a certain season, how often, the Scripture hath not determined (some will have it to be onely at their great Feasts, of the Passeover, and Pentecost, &c. but the S[illegible: 1 letter]ripture saith no such thing.) None must think that the Angel appeared in any visible shape, but the roiling or troubling of the water was a certain sign, that that was the time when alone they were Medicinal

nor were many healed at one time, but onely one Person, that could first get into this water, he was Healed, let his Disease be what it would. The waters not being constantly Medicinal, but at a certain time, when they were ro[illegible: 1 letter]led; and then, 2. not for all, but onely to h[illegible: 1 letter]m who could first get in. And 3. for any Disease, of what sort, or kind soever his Disease was, sufficiently confuteth the Opinion of those who fancy that the Waters derived this Healing Vertue from the Entrails of the Beasts Offered in Sacrifice, being washed there, for besides that this is denied by some, who say, those Entrails were washed in a Room on purpose for that use within the Temple; if they had derived their Healing Vertue from thence in a Natural Rational way, they would have exerted their Vertue upon more than him who first stepped in, and that not at the time onely when they were roiled, nor would their Vertue have extended to all kind of Diseases. Of what ever use this Pool therefore was before, certain it is at this time God made use of the Water in it to heal, and so as men might see that it healed not by any Natural, but a Miraculous Operation. The Scriptures of the O d Testament make no mention of it. And it is observed by those who are ve[illegible: 1 letter]sed in the Iewish Rabbins, that neither do they make the least mention of it: Which makes it very probable, that they had this Vertue, not from the time of the building of the Sheep-gate by Shallum, Nehem. 3.15. Nor from the time when the Asmon[illegible: 1 letter]an Family was extinct; or the rebui[illegible: 1 letter]ding, or further building and adorning the Temple by Herod, but a little before the Birth of Christ, as a Figure of him being now coming, who, Zech. 13.1. was a Fountain opened for the House of David, and the Inhabitants of Hierusalem; and from whom is both our cleansing, and our healing, as these Waters, which before had a cleansing, and now received also an healing Vertue.