STUDY / LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE / HYMNS

Here at Bethesda’s pool, the poor The pool of Bethesda. Jn 5:2-4 See also Book 3, Hymn 7

John Newton printed it in 1779 in Olney Hymns, Book I, no. 113, under John 5:2–4.

WRITTEN BY

John Newton 1725–1807

PRINTED

1779 Olney Hymns · no. 113

METRE

Common Metre 8.6.8.6 · 8 stanzas

WRITTEN ON

John 5:2–4 the verse printed above it

The hymn, and the Scripture in it

All 8 stanzas as Newton printed them, with the verses their lines echo beside them. Point at a line to join it to its verse; click to read the passage.

SHARED WORDSthe verse shares the line's wording ECHOproposed by an AI model, confirmed by a separate check Not the author's own notes

AMONG THE SCRIPTURES

The stanzas at the centre; around them, every book its heading and its echoes come from, Old Testament on the left and New on the right. Choose a stanza or a book.

a line echoes this verse its heading or an echo comes from here

STANZA I

Here at Bethesda’s pool, the poor

Here at Bethesda’s pool, the poor,

The withered, halt, and blind;

With waiting hearts expect a cure,

And free admittance find.

Where Newton found it

Newton printed the hymn under John 5:2–4. The line that comes closest to it is marked.

2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda. 3On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. JOHN 5:2–4 · BEREAN STANDARD BIBLE READ JOHN 5

Here at Bethesda’s pool, the poor, The withered, halt, and blind; With waiting hearts expect a cure, And free admittance find. STANZA I

Its place in the book

Book I of Olney Hymns walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one hymn per passage: 141 hymns. This is number 113. Point at a tick to see the hymn; click it to open that hymn.

NO. 113 · JOHN NEWTON · THIS HYMN Here at Bethesda’s pool, the poor

Rooted in Scripture. Open for discovery.

A place to read slowly, ask deeply, and follow the connections. Scripture, study and the voices of Christian history, brought together for a lifetime of learning.

SPEND TIME IN THE WORD

  • Open the reader
  • Books & reading progress
  • Compare Scripture editions
  • Find a passage

FOLLOW YOUR QUESTIONS

  • Study collections
  • People & places
  • Faith & apologetics
  • Stories of faith

A library with a paper trail.

Meet the authors. Explore the collection. Trace each work to its source.

Download the code.

Open source on GitHub.