John4
New Living Translation
1Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John
2(though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did).
3So he left Judea and returned to Galilee.
4He had to go through Samaria on the way.
5Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
6Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime.
7Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
8He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.
9The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?”
10Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
11“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?
12And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.
14But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
15“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her.
17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—
18for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
19“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet.
20So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”
21Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
22You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews.
23But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.
24For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
25The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”
27Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”
28The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,
29“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”
30So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
31Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”
33“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.
34Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
35You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
36The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!
37You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.
38I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
39Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”
40When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days,
41long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.
42Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
43At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.
44He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.
45Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.
47When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
48Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
49The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”
50Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
51While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.
52He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”
53Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.
54This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
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