John 5:4 (in some manuscripts) describes an angel troubling the pool of Bethesda: 'whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease (νοσήματος) he had.' The term denotes illness or malady in general, whether physical or mental. Classical Greek extends the metaphor to societal ills—political disorder, moral vice, or the sickness of a state. Though the verse's textual basis is disputed (it's absent from the oldest manuscripts), the language reflects the popular belief that the pool had healing properties. Whether John records folklore or fact, the story sets up Jesus' authoritative healing: he doesn't need magical waters or angelic intervention. His word alone brings wholeness to the man paralyzed for 38 years.