{
  "id": "dict_004520",
  "term": "Pool",
  "slug": "pool",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "geographic_term",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A pool is a gathered body of water, natural or man-made, mentioned in Scripture as a place for water supply, washing, or, in some narratives, healing.",
  "simple_one_line": "A biblical pool is a collected body of water, often important as a location rather than as a doctrine.",
  "tooltip_text": "In Scripture, pools are usually geographic features or city water sources; some become important because of events that happened there.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Bethesda (Pool of Bethesda)",
    "Siloam (Pool of Siloam)",
    "Jerusalem",
    "cistern",
    "washing"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Water",
    "Healing",
    "Jerusalem",
    "Bethesda",
    "Siloam"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "In the Bible, a pool is a body of collected water, either natural or constructed, that serves ordinary practical needs and sometimes becomes the setting for significant events.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A gathered body of water, often used for storage, washing, or access within a city or settlement.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Usually a geographic or practical term, not a doctrinal one.",
    "Several named pools appear in Scripture, especially in and around Jerusalem.",
    "Some Gospel accounts connect pools with healing and faith-obedience.",
    "The term should be read in context, since it may refer to a specific location or a general water feature."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "In biblical usage, a pool is a collected body of water, natural or man-made, often associated with practical urban needs such as storage, washing, or access. Scripture sometimes names specific pools as locations of important events, especially in Jerusalem. The term itself is primarily descriptive and geographic, though passages involving particular pools may carry theological significance.",
  "description_academic_full": "In the Bible, a pool is a gathered body of water, whether formed naturally or constructed for use in a town or city. Such pools served ordinary purposes like water storage, washing, irrigation support, and local access. Several biblical narratives mention specific pools, especially in Jerusalem, where water systems were important for daily life. In the New Testament, the Pool of Bethesda and the Pool of Siloam are especially well known because of events in Jesus’ ministry. The word pool itself is not a major theological category; rather, its significance comes from the biblical account connected with a particular location.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Scripture uses pools as real locations in narrative settings. They appear in city life, travel, cleansing, and healing accounts, and they are often mentioned by name when a specific event occurred there.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient world, cities depended on reservoirs, channels, cisterns, and pools to collect and preserve water. In a dry climate, such structures were essential for everyday life, defense, and public use.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Jewish life, especially in and around Jerusalem, depended heavily on managed water supplies. Pools could be connected with cleansing, public access, and the practical needs of a growing city, and some locations became familiar landmarks in biblical memory.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "John 5:2-9",
    "John 9:7, 11",
    "Nehemiah 2:14",
    "Isaiah 7:3"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "John 5:2",
    "John 9:7",
    "John 9:11"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The English word pool translates the idea of gathered or collected water; the biblical wording varies by context and language, and the term is usually descriptive rather than technical.",
  "theological_significance": "The word pool itself does not define doctrine, but specific pool narratives can highlight Christ’s healing power, the importance of obedient response, and God’s use of ordinary places for extraordinary acts.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "A pool is a concrete, physical feature. Biblically, its significance is contextual: the place matters because of what God does there, not because the water or location has inherent spiritual power.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not turn every pool into a symbol with hidden meanings. Read each passage in its narrative setting, and distinguish the common noun from named locations such as Bethesda and Siloam.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters treat pool as a straightforward geographic or practical term. Theological discussion centers on the events associated with particular pools, not on the term itself.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "No doctrine is established by the noun pool alone. Any theological conclusion must come from the surrounding passage, not from the water feature as such.",
  "practical_significance": "The term reminds readers that God’s redemptive work often unfolds in ordinary places. It also helps readers pay attention to geography, setting, and narrative detail in Scripture.",
  "meta_description": "Biblical pools are gathered bodies of water used for storage, washing, and access, with some named pools serving as important locations in Scripture.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/pool/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/pool.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}