Lexical Summary stoa: Portico, Colonnade Original Word: στοά Strong's Exhaustive Concordance porch, colonnadeProbably from histemi; a colonnade or interior piazza -- porch. see GREEK histemi HELPS Word-studies 4745 stoá – a pillar, supporting a covered-colonnade (like in the Temple precinct); a portico, usually open on one side so people could congregate and talk. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a portico NASB Translation portico (3), porticoes (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4745: στοάστοά, στοάς, ἡ, a portico, a covered colonnade where people can stand or walk protected from the weather and the heat of the sun: John 5:2; στοά Σολομῶνος, a porch or portico built by Solomon in the eastern part of the temple (which in the temple's destruction by the Babylonians was left uninjured, and remained down to the times of king Agrippa, to whom the care of the temple was intrusted by the emperor Claudius, and who on account of its antiquity did not dare to demolish and build it anew; so Josephus relates, Antiquities 20, 9, 7; (but on 'Solomon's Porch' cf. B. D., under the word Topical Lexicon Architectural Background In the Greco-Roman world a stoa was a roofed, colonnaded walk that opened onto a public space. Herod the Great incorporated several into his expansion of the Second Temple complex (circa 20–10 B.C.), the most celebrated being the eastern arcade popularly called “Solomon’s Colonnade.” Though Solomon did not build it, tradition held that its foundations reached back to his era, and the name carried connotations of wisdom, legitimacy, and Davidic hope. Josephus praised the Temple porticoes for their massive stones, soaring cedar-roof spans, and gleaming white marble—features that made them natural gathering places for teaching, commerce, and justice. Smaller porticoes ringed public pools as well; the Bethesda complex north of the Temple mount displayed “five covered colonnades,” providing shade and shelter for the infirm. Occurrences in the New Testament John 5:2—Bethesda’s five colonnades house a multitude waiting for healing. John 10:23—“And Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade.” Acts 3:11—A healed man clings to Peter and John, and the crowd assembles “in the portico called Solomon’s.” Acts 5:12—“The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people, and with one accord the believers gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade.” The four passages group around two sites—Bethesda and Solomon’s Colonnade—placing these covered walks at the heart of both Christ’s and the early church’s public witness. Solomon’s Colonnade in the Ministry of Jesus John sets Jesus in the portico during the winter Feast of Dedication. The sheltered arcade offered warmth and accommodated the flow of pilgrims, but its greater significance lay in its name. Here the One greater than Solomon revealed Himself as the Good Shepherd, declaring, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The sturdy columns that had weathered centuries became a silent testimony to the permanence of His promise: “no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). Solomon’s Colonnade and the Early Church Luke twice singles out the same eastern portico as the first public meeting place of the Jerusalem believers. After the healing at the Beautiful Gate a crowd rushes to Peter and John in Solomon’s Colonnade, where Peter proclaims the resurrection (Acts 3). Later, “with one accord” the disciples regroup there, performing signs and wonders (Acts 5:12). The location is deliberate: the new covenant community ministers on ground long associated with Israel’s covenant worship, illustrating continuity and fulfillment. The arcade’s openness also makes the miracles undeniable; “great fear came upon the whole church” (Acts 5:11), and yet “more than ever, believers were added to the Lord” (Acts 5:14). Five Colonnades of Bethesda and the Mercy of Christ Bethesda—“house of mercy”—served as a hospice under the arches surrounding its twin pools. Jesus’ choice to heal a man disabled for thirty-eight years (John 5) transforms a place of waiting into a stage for sovereign grace. He bypasses superstition about stirred water and commands, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8). The porticoes bear witness that true healing flows from the authoritative word of the Son, not from ritual or myth. Theological and Pastoral Themes 1. Public proclamation: Christ and His apostles selected visible yet sheltered venues for preaching and healing, modeling bold engagement with the wider culture. Historical and Archaeological Evidence Excavations north of the Temple Mount have uncovered a double-basin pool bordered by column bases, matching John’s description of Bethesda. Along the eastern wall of the Temple platform Herodian stones likely served as the substructure for Solomon’s Colonnade. These finds affirm the geographical precision of John and Luke and encourage confidence in their historical reliability. Applications for the Church Today • Seek strategic public places—campuses, marketplaces, digital forums—where the gospel can be voiced clearly and compassionately. Forms and Transliterations εστοίβασεν εστοιβασμένη στοα στοά στοᾷ στοαί στοας στοάς στοὰς στοιβάσατέ στοιβάσει στοιβάσουσι stoa stoā̂i stoas stoàsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance John 5:2 N-AFPGRK: Βηθζαθά πέντε στοὰς ἔχουσα NAS: having five porticoes. KJV: having five porches. INT: Bethesda five porches having John 10:23 N-DFS Acts 3:11 N-DFS Acts 5:12 N-DFS |
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