Bethesda
/bɪˈθɛz.də/noun
A place name used for a biblical pool in Jerusalem and, by extension, a name for places of healing or rest.
Did you know?Bethesda is a biblical toponym from Aramaic/Hebrew, and the New Testament pool was associated with healing waters—one of the oldest examples of a place-name carrying spiritual power.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew / Aramaic
Semitic
beth ḥesdāʾ
“house of mercy; house of kindness”
Greek New Testament
Greek
Βηθεσδά (Bēthesdá)
“the pool/place called Bethesda”
Late Latin
Latin
Bethesda
“a biblical place name preserved in Christian tradition”
Middle English
English
Bethesda
“the biblical pool name, later used as a place name”
Modern English
English
Bethesda
“a place name, especially the biblical pool in Jerusalem or modern places named after it”