John4
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2(although Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples),
3he left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
4And he must needs pass through Samaria.
5So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:
6and Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
9The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:
18for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.
22Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.
26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?
28So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,
29Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?
30They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not.
33The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest.
36He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.
39And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that ever I did.
40So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days.
41And many more believed because of his word;
42and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
43And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee.
44For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
45So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.
48Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe.
49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.
51And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived.
52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judaea into Galilee.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for John 4.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Christ's departure into Galilee. (1–3). His discourse with the Samaritan woman. (4–26). The effects of Christ's conversation with the woman of Samaria. (27–42). Christ heals the nobleman's son. (43–54).
vv1-3
Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the more excellent, 1Co 1:17, than to baptism. He would put honour upon his disciples, by employing them to baptize. He teaches us that the benefit of sacraments depends not on the hand that administers them.
vv4-26
There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also, he was a poor man, and went all his journeys on foot. Being wearied, he sat thus on the well; he had no couch to rest upon. He sat thus, as people wearied with travelling sit. Surely, we ought readily to submit to be like the Son of God in such things as these. Christ asked a woman for water. She was surprised because he did not show the anger of his own nation against the Samaritans. Moderate men of all sides are men wondered at. Christ took the occasion to teach her Divine things: he converted this woman, by showing her ignorance and sinfulness, and her need of a Saviour. By this living water is meant the Spirit. Under this comparison the blessing of the Messiah had been promised in the Old Testament. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity. What Jesus spake figuratively, she took literally. Christ shows that the water of Jacob's well yielded a very short satisfaction. Of whatever waters of comfort we drink, we shall thirst again. But whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the gospel, shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal ends. Give it me, saith she, not that I may have everlasting life, which Christ proposed, but that I come not hither to draw. The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, and keeping them from fastening. But how closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her conscience! He severely reproved her present state of life. The woman acknowledged Christ to be a prophet. The power of his word in searching the heart, and convincing the conscience of secret things, is a proof of Divine authority. It should cool our contests, to think that the things we are striving about are passing away. The object of worship will continue still the same, God, as a Father; but an end shall be put to all differences about the place of worship. Reason teaches us to consult decency and convenience in the places of our worship; but religion gives no preference to one place above another, in respect of holiness and approval with God. The Jews were certainly in the right. Those who by the Scriptures have obtained some knowledge of God, know whom they worship. The word of salvation was of the Jews. It came to other nations through them. Christ justly preferred the Jewish worship before the Samaritan, yet here he speaks of the former as soon to be done away. God was about to be revealed as the Father of all believers in every nation. The spirit or the soul of man, as influenced by the Holy Spirit, must worship God, and have communion with him. Spiritual affections, as shown in fervent prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, form the worship of an upright heart, in which God delights and is glorified. The woman was disposed to leave the matter undecided, till the coming of the Messiah. But Christ told her, I that speak to thee, am He. She was an alien and a hostile Samaritan, merely speaking to her was thought to disgrace our Lord Jesus. Yet to this woman did our Lord reveal himself more fully than as yet he had done to any of his disciples. No past sins can bar our acceptance with him, if we humble ourselves before him, believing in him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
vv27-42
The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of his word. He told her secret sins with power. She fastened upon that part of Christ's discourse, many would think she would have been most shy of repeating; but the knowledge of Christ, into which we are led by conviction of sin, is most likely to be sound and saving. They came to him: those who would know Christ, must meet him where he records his name. Our Master has left us an example, that we may learn to do the will of God as he did; with diligence, as those that make a business of it; with delight and pleasure in it. Christ compares his work to harvest-work. The harvest is appointed and looked for before it comes; so was the gospel. Harvest-time is busy time; all must be then at work. Harvest-time is a short time, and harvest-work must be done then, or not at all; so the time of the gospel is a season, which if once past, cannot be recalled. God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work. Our Saviour, by teaching one poor woman, spread knowledge to a whole town. Blessed are those who are not offended at Christ. Those taught of God, are truly desirous to learn more. It adds much to the praise of our love to Christ and his word, if it conquers prejudices. Their faith grew. In the matter of it: they believed him to be the Saviour, not only of the Jews but of the world. In the certainty of it: we know that this is indeed the Christ. And in the ground of it, for we have heard him ourselves.
Key Words
οὖν (oûn): (adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly
ὡς (hōs): which how, i.e. in that manner (very variously used, as follows)
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
γινώσκω (ginṓskō): to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed)
ὅτι (hóti): demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaîos): a separatist, i.e. exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary
ἀκούω (akoúō): to hear (in various senses)
ποιέω (poiéō): to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
βαπτίζω (baptízō): to immerse, submerge; to make whelmed (i.e. fully wet); used only (in the New Testament) of ceremonial ablution, especially (technically) of the ordinance of Christian baptism
Cross References
John 4Jesus clarifies the 'living water' as the Holy Spirit, satisfying the deep thirst of the soul.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jesus shows omniscience regarding the woman's five husbands, bringing direct conviction of her secret life.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Identifies the historical parcel of ground in Shechem given by Jacob to his son Joseph.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Synoptic parallel to Jesus' proverb that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explicitly connects back to Cana of Galilee, where Jesus performed his first sign of turning water to wine.
Supported by Matthew Poole, Matthew Henry
Parallels Paul's practice of preaching over baptizing, highlighting that baptismal efficacy is not tied to the administrator.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Prophetic fulfillment of worldwide spiritual worship of Yahweh, transcending Jerusalem and Samaria's mountains.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Traces the origin of the Samaritans' syncretistic worship ('they know not what') from Assyrian resettlement.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Old Testament promise of the coming Prophet/Messiah who will declare all things to the people.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Underscores Christ's mission to do the will of Him who sent Him, not His own.
Supported by John Calvin
Connects Jesus' physical weariness at the well to His genuine, sympathetic human nature.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Illuminates the deep-seated national and religious antipathy between Jews and Samaritans.
Supported by JFB
Illustrates the typical pattern in John where physical listeners (like Nicodemus) mistake spiritual statements literally.
Supported by John Calvin
Parallel harvest metaphor where Jesus exhorts disciples to look at the ready fields.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel healing at a distance by Christ's spoken word, demanding immediate faith.
Supported by Matthew Poole