Sheep Market
Summary
A location in Jerusalem mentioned in John 5:2, more accurately translated as 'sheep gate' rather than 'sheep market,' near the pool of Bethesda.
☩Translation Issue
The phrase 'sheep market' in John 5:2 is an interpolation by translators—the word 'market' does not appear in the Greek text. The original reads simply 'epi te probatike' (by the sheep...), to which 'gate' (Greek 'pyle') should probably be supplied rather than 'market.' This sheep gate is the same one mentioned in Nehemiah's account of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. The Vulgate took a different approach, connecting the term with the pool itself, reading 'Probatica piscina' (sheep pool).
Key verses:John 5:2Nehemiah 3:1Nehemiah 3:32
Related Verses1 mention
John· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Sheep Market," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. IX (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Sheep Market," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).