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Bethesda

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A pool in Jerusalem where Jesus healed a paralyzed man, associated with angelic stirring.

Detailed Definition
Bethesda (John 5) represents hope amid chronic suffering and divine interruption of despair. In poetry, it symbolizes waiting, healing, and the intersection of ritual expectation with unexpected grace, often used in reflections on illness and redemption.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bethesda—pool of healing in Jerusalem—fuels poetry on waiting: “Thirty-eight years by Bethesda’s porches, hoping for the angel’s stir”; A modern parallel: “Our Bethesda is the clinic, the inbox, the silent phone—waiting for breakthrough”; In a poem on grace: “Jesus saw the man no one else noticed at Bethesda”; Historical verse: “Bethesda means ‘house of mercy’—and mercy found him there.”
Additional Notes
Bethesda (John 5:2–9) is a Jerusalem pool where Jesus healed a paralyzed man. Traditionally associated with angelic stirring of waters, it reflects folk beliefs about healing. In poetic terms, Bethesda embodies hope in stagnation, the intersection of ritual and miracle, and the vulnerability of the chronically ill seeking divine intervention.
Also Known As
Bethzatha
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