Introductory remarks:
"Following this initial influential ministry in Judea, Christ withdraws to begin an extensive ministry in Galilee. There were two specific reasons for this change of place of ministry. First, Christ knew of the conflict, which the Pharisees were seeking to stir up between His disciples and those of John the Baptist. Since Jesus and John were part of the same program and engaged in the same ministry, Jesus did not want them to be divided. In order to prevent a division, Jesus withdrew to Galilee where John had not ministered, although he no doubt had many disciples who lived there. The second reason Christ went to Galilee arose from Herod's imprisonment of John. This was tantamount to rejecting Him, for He and John preached the same messages. The imprisonment of John was a repudiation of his call for righteousness. It also was a rejection of his announcement that a kingdom was near. The rejection of John thus made it expedient for Jesus to leave the territory over which Herod ruled. There seem to have been several reasons for John's imprisonment. Herod's personal reason for imprisoning John arose from the fact that Herod had married Herodias, his brother's wife. John had denounced this union, arousing the ire of Herod. The second reason was political. Herod feared that John, with such great influence over the people, might lead a revolt against himself and the authority of Rome. Hence Herod imprisoned John
Luke succinctly gave a third reason why Jesus withdrew to Galilee. Jesus did so because He was controlled by the Spirit of God (Luke 4:14). The reference to the Pharisees in John 4:1 may indicate a fourth reason why Jesus went to Galilee. Disturbed by Jesus' success in uniting the people behind Him, the Pharisees may have publicly announced their determination to get rid of Him. Since the time had not yet come for Him to die, He withdrew from the center of their sphere of influence. Thus we find Jesus transferring His ministry from Judea to Galilee" (The Words and Works of Jesus Christ - J. Dwight Pentecost).
Jesus and the Woman of Samaria
Verse 1, "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,"
LGT "When therefore Jesus [the Lord] knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John,"
The apostle John is making reference here to 3:22-26 where John the Baptist's disciples tried to get some jealousy aroused in him, about how the Lord, whom John had announced, was attracting a bigger crowd than he was. 'John never alludes to the Sadducees by name. The Pharisees represented the opposition to Jesus, the most powerful and dangerous of the Jewish sects' (Vincent). 'Made' and 'baptized' are both in the present tense and is better read, 'is making and baptizing' (LGT).
Verse 2, ("Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples"),
LGT " - Although indeed Jesus Himself did baptized not but His disciples "
The report brought to John the Baptist by his disciples in 3:22-26 is now corrected. Christ was not in the practice of baptizing, and logic alone can tell us why. If Christ had baptized there would be those after His resurrection and ascension who would brag about it and even claim special authority because the Lord baptized them. The other reason is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the salvation of the soul. For if Christ had baptized, it would be misconstrued as necessary for salvation, as a lot of sects believe to this day. The early church 'fathers' such as Augustine, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, and some of the reformers in the sixteenth century, such as, Luther, Calvin and Melancthon, believed baptism was a necessary act. "The Baptism of preparation for the Kingdom could not have been administered by Christ Who opened the Kingdom of Heaven" (Edersheim).
Verse 3, "He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee."
LGT "He left Judaea and went into Galilee."
Jesus would not permit a wedge to be driven between He and the Baptist, so He withdrew back to Galilee, His original headquarters.
Verse 4, "And He must needs go through Samaria."
LGT "And it was necessary that He proceeded through Samaria."
The most direct route from Judea to Galilee is to pass through Samaria (see the map on page IV of the introduction), and although the Judeans preferred to cross over the Jordan and pass through Perea, because of their hatred for the Samaritans.
"The shorter road from Judea to Galilee led through Samaria (Josephus, Life 52); and this, if we may credit Josephus (Antiquities 20.6.1), was generally taken by the Galileans on their way to the capital. On the other hand, the Judeans seem chiefly to have made a detour through Perea, in order to avoid hostile and impure Samaria. It lay not within the scope of our Lord to extend His personal Ministry, especially at its commencement, beyond the boundaries of Israel (Matt. 10:5), and the expression, 'He must needs go through Samaria', can only refer to the advisability in the circumstances of taking the most direct road, or else to the wish of avoiding Perea as the seat of Herod's government. Such prejudices in regard to Samaria, as those which affected the ordinary Judean devotee, would of course, not influence the conduct of Jesus" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim, page 273).
Regarding "must needs' Vincent writes: "Because this was the natural route from Jerusalem to Galilee. Possibly with a suggestion of the necessity arising from the Father's will. John does not put this as a mission undertaken to the Samaritans. Jesus observed the law which He imposed on the disciples, 'These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter not." Robertson notes: "It was only necessary ('must needs') to pass through Samaria in going directly north from Judea to Galilee. In coming south from Galilee travelers usually crossed over the Jordan and came down through Perea to avoid the hostility of the Samaritans towards the people who passed through their land to go to Jerusalem."
Verse 5, "Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph."
LGT "He comes therefore into a city of the Samaritans called Sychar nearby a field which Jacob gave to Joseph his son."
"Near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph."
This is the record of this event: "Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. And he bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money" (Genesis 33:18,19). And, "Then Jacob said to Joseph, 'Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers. And I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow" (Genesis 48:21,22).
Verse 6, "Now Jacob's well was there, Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour."
LGT "Now was Jacob's spring there, Jesus therefore being wearied from the journey was sitting at the spring; (the) hour was about (the) sixth."
"Now Jacob's well was there,"
"The Greek word here translated 'well' is 'pege', meaning 'spring' or 'fountain'; in verses 11 and 12 the word used is 'phrear', which denotes a dug-out well or cistern. Both words are appropriate to Jacob's well; it was dug, indeed, but it is fed by an underground stream, which rarely gives out" (The Holy Places of the Gospels, C.Kopp. Quoted by Bruce).
"There is no mention of Jacob's Well in the Old Testament. The traditional well still remains. 'At the mouth of the valley of Schechem two slight breaks are visible in the midst of the vast plain of corn - one a white Mussulman (Moslem) chapel; the other a few fragments of stone. The first of these covers the alleged tomb of Joseph, . . . the second marks the undisputed site of the well, now neglected and choked up by the ruins which have fallen into it; but still with every claim to be considered the original well' (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine). Dr. Thompson says: 'I could see nothing like a well - nothing but a low, modern wall, much broken down, and never, apparently, more than ten feet high. The area enclosed by it is fifty-six paces from east to west, and sixty-five from north to south. The surface is covered by a confused mass of shapeless rubbish, overgrown with weeds and nettles . . . The well is near the southwestern corner of the area, and, to reach the mouth of it, one must let himself down, with some risk, about ten feet into a low vault' (Land and Book). Dr. Thompson also remarks upon the great discrepancy in the measurements of the well by different tourists, owing to the accumulations of stones and debris from the ruins of the buildings, which formerly covered it. 'All confirm the saying of the Samaritan woman that the well is deep.' Manundrell, in 1697, makes the depth one hundred and five feet, with fifteen feet of water. Mr. Calhoun, in 1838, found nearly the same depth of water. Dr. Wilson, found the depth only seventy-five feet, which is confirmed by the later measurements of Captain Anderson in 1866, and of Lieutenant Conder in 1875" (Vincent's Word Studies in the NT).
"Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well."
Jesus is wearied from the toil of the journey and sits down on the curb of the well to rest. John describes the human side of Jesus showing that He was truly 'human' as well as divine. John had the human side of the Savior in his mind as well as the divine side at all times (Godet rightly asks what, in view of this, becomes of the supposed Docetism which, according to the Tubingen school, is one of the characteristics of the fourth Gospel?) [The Tubingen school was started in the seventeenth century in Germany, as the first of the seminaries for rationalism; a school that would turn out critics to prove the Bible to be a book of pure natural theology]. God came down and took the form of human flesh and dwelt among us (1:14), and this is one more example of the humanity of Christ, 'He wearied.'
"And it was about the sixth hour."
If you compute from the Jewish time it was noon; but if you compute from Roman time it was six in the evening, the time for drawing water.
"The sixth hour, reckoned from sunrise, would be noon - a natural time of day for a weary traveler to seek rest and refreshment. While our Evangelist insists that it was the divine Word that became flesh in Jesus, he insists at the same time that what the divine Word became was flesh. He emphasizes those traits, which attest our Lord's genuine humanity; this is no impassible visitant from another realm, untouched by our ordinary infirmities. The description of Jesus tired after His journey and sitting down for rest has inspired one of the immortal lines of the Dies Irae: 'Seeking me thou sat'st there weary' (quaerens me sedisti lassus)'" (The Gospel of John F.F. Bruce).
Verses 7, 8: "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink."(His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy food)."
LGT "A woman coming out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saying to her, Give me a drink; For His disciples had gone away into the city in order to purchase food."
"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water:"
The woman came alone. It was the practice for the women to come in groups to draw water, possibly in a cooler time of the day, but on this occasion, she came alone, suggests that she was a woman of ill repute, and she didn't want to listen to the jeers and taunts of the proper women (Bruce).
"Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink."
Jesus is very polite to this Samaritan woman. Notice in His dialogue with this woman Jesus speaks with her differently than He did Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews.
"The request: 'Give Me to drink,' was natural on the part of the thirsty traveler, when the woman had come to draw water, and they who usually ministered to Him were away. Even if He had not spoken, the woman would have recognized the Jew by His appearance (according to the testimony of travelers the Samaritans, with the exception of the High Priestly family, have not the common, well-known type of Jewish face and features) and dress, if, as seems likely, He wore the fringes on the border of His garment" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
"(For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat)."
"It is noon and His disciples have gone to the city to buy food. The fact that they were buying the Samaritan's food also reveals Jesus' total rejection of the Jewish prejudice which considered Samaritan food unclean, even as swine's flesh" (McGee).
Verse 9, "Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
LGT "Therefore the woman the Samaritan saying to Him, How (is it) you being a Jew from me to be asking a Samaritan woman a drink? For (the) Jews do not associate with Samaritans."
"The woman of Samaria"
The Samaritans were a mixture by intermarriage of the Jews left in the land (II Chron. 30:6, 10; 34:9) with the colonists from Babylon and other regions sent by Shalmaneser. They had had a temple of their own on Mt. Gerizim and still worshipped there (Robertson).
"How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?"
"Twice she refuses His request. She's rude here, and insolent, impudent, and impertinent - she tosses her pert and saucy head. She makes this racial distinction. It is said that the Samaritans would sell to the Jews, but they wouldn't drink from the same vessel with them" (McGee). It is easy to see the woman's amazement with Jesus' request when you know a little of the animosity that was built up between these two sects. "Race antipathy was all the keener because the Samaritans were half Jews" (Robertson).
"For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
The Greek word for 'dealings' is 'sunchrontai' a middle indicative, meaning 'to have no familiar or friendly intercourse with (Vincent).
"The Jews treated the Samaritans with every mark of contempt, and accused them of falsehood, folly, and irreligion. The Samaritans sold Jews into slavery when they had them in their power, lighted spurious signals for the beacon-fires kindled to announce the beginning of months, and waylaid and kindled pilgrims on their road to Jerusalem" (Word Studies in the NT - Vincent).
"The expression, 'the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans', finds its exact counterpart (Megill. 2.) in this: 'May I never set eyes on a Samaritan;' or else, 'May I never be thrown into company with him!' A Rabbi in Caesarea explains, as the cause of these changes of opinion, that formerly the Samaritans had been observant of the Law, which they no longer were; a statement repeated in another form to the effect, that their observance of it lasted as long as they were in their own cities (Jer. Abhod. Zar. 5.4). Matters proceeded so far, that they were entirely excluded from fellowship (Chull. 6a). The extreme limit of this direction (Shebhyith 8.10), if indeed, the statement applies to the Samaritans (the statement literally applies to idolaters), is marked by the declaration, that to partake of their bread was like eating swine's flesh. This is further improved upon in a later Rabbinic work (Yalkut 2, p. 36d), which gives a detailed story of how the Samaritans had conspired against Ezra and Nehemiah, and the ban laid upon them, so that now not only was all intercourse with them forbidden, but their bread declared like swine's flesh; proselytes were not to be received from them" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah - Edersheim).
The Lord casts away every ethnic or religious prejudice that had been conjured up by the Rabbis of previous generations down to His own, and deals with this woman very sympathetically. 'He doesn't give her a lecture on integration or civil rights. He isn't a candidate for some office. He appeals to her woman curiosity. He creates an interest and a thirst" (McGee).
Verse 10, "Jesus 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 the living water."
LGT "Jesus answered and said to her, If you had known the gift of God and who is the One saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you water living (water which is living)."
"If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink;"
Jesus' statement here has more to it than would at first appear to this woman. Jesus answers her snotty attitude with a courteous response. The fact that He even speaks with her is proof that He came into the world to save sinners, and that whosoever will may come. Here was a prostitute, and He spends more time speaking with her than He did the religious leaders in Judea. The 'gift of God' is reference to 3:16. She only knew He was a Jew, not the Messiah.
"For what was there in this wretched woman, that, from being a prostitute, she suddenly became a disciple of the Son of God? Though in all of us He has displayed similar instance of His compassion. All the women, indeed, are not prostitutes, nor are all the men stained by some heinous crime; but what excellence can any of us plead as a reason why He deigned to bestow on us the heavenly doctrine, and the honor of being admitted into His family? Nor was it by accident that the conversation with such a person occurred" (John Calvin's Comm. on The Gospel of John).
"Thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."
The type of water as 'living' is a present participle 'hudor to zon' meaning living water or life giving water. The description Jesus is giving of 'living water' is a truth to arouse this woman's curiosity and induce her to ask more.
Verse 11, "The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
LGT "Saying to Him (the woman), Sir, you are having nothing to draw with and the well is deep: where therefore are you having the water the living?"
The woman now addresses Jesus as 'Sir', which she left out in the previous conversation. The Gentleness and courtesy of our Lord is starting to have an effect on this woman. However, her thoughts have still not run any deeper than the water in the well, and how this Jew was going to get water from it. John uses the article before 'living water' to show that the woman was making reference to the water the Lord had just commented about. However she is only thinking of the well water, probably fed by a spring (Bruce).
Verse 12, "Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?"
LGT "Surely you are not greater (than) our father Jacob, which gave us the well and drank from it and his sons and his cattle?"
"She immediately identifies herself with Jacob; as racially the Samaritans were Jacob's descendants who had intermarried with peoples from the north following the Assyrian captivity of Israel in 721 B.C." (McGee). "Surely you are not'; the interrogative particle indicates that a negative answer is expected from the Lord (Vincent). The woman is thinking surely this Jew is not going to claim superiority.
"The woman's failure to comprehend Jesus' words about living water is comparable to Nicodemus's failure to comprehend his words about the new birth (John 3:4). Any one who could make and fulfill such a promise must indeed be greater than Jacob, and this the woman thought unlikely. (Her question, introduced by the negative particle 'me', implies the answer 'No'). Jacob had with much trouble dug this well (phrear) for his family and descendants. There is no reference to the digging of the well in the OT narrative of Jacob; it probably belongs to the context of Genesis 33:18-20. The question indeed arises why it was necessary to dig at all in a neighborhood so well provided with springs. Probably strained relations with people who lived in the vicinity made it advisable for him to secure a separate water supply; we may compare his father Isaac's trouble in this matter with the tribes of the Negev (Gen. 26:15-33). The Evangelist no doubt discerns a deeper significance in the woman's words; the descendants of Jacob, whether Samaritans or Jews, were still content with spiritual refreshment inferior to that bestowed by Jesus" (The Gospel and Epistles of John, F.F. Bruce).
Verse 13, "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:"
LGT "Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks out of this water will thirst again:"
Jesus is pointing to the well, making a comparison to the water He will offer, the 'living water.'
Verse 14, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
LGT "But whoever drinks out of the water that I will give to him, will by no means thirst forever, but the water that I will give to him will come to be in him a fountain of water leaping up into eternal life."
"But whoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him"
Jesus is making a contrast to the physical thirst and water that from Jacob's well to the living water of his eternal Word, that He will be giving that leads to eternal life. Jesus answers the woman's question about His being superior to Jacob by implication in the next phrase (Robertson).
"Shall never thirst"
Jesus uses the double negation here, and in the NT Greek it means 'by no means' or 'may it never be.' The one who drinks from the 'Fountain of Truth' will never ever thirst again. It is obvious that Christ is speaking of eternal life here, and not that the believer will never thirst for the things of this life. Whoever accepts the Lord Jesus Christ, as Savior will have no need to thirst again, that is seek for another way to eternal life.
But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
As I just pointed out, the water Jesus is offering is the water of life eternal that will satisfy even the hungriest soul. There will never be a need to go to another fountain, for the water of life Christ gives, is eternal life, that is, eternal life without end. The Lord Jesus Christ will point out throughout His earthly ministry that eternal life is appropriated by believing in Him; and that He is who He says He is, the only-begotten Son of God. Jesus has now excited the woman's curiosity as to how she may get some of this new kind of water (Robertson)
Verse 15, "The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
LGT "The woman saying to Him, Sir, give to me this the water, in order that I may not thirst neither come to this place to be drawing."
"Sir, give me this water,"
The woman hasn't yet the faith to call Jesus 'Lord,' here it is still 'Sir.' Her request is that Jesus might give her this particular kind of water. In verse fourteen Jesus wets her appetite for 'living water unto eternal life'; but here in verse fifteen her mind reverts back to the physical water of the well (Bruce).
"That I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
These two negatives are very pronounced; that I will not thirst again neither will I have to come to this well twice a day.
Verse 16, "Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither."
LGT "Saying to her, Go call your husband and come here."
It seems as though Jesus has changed the subject very abruptly, however, we are not sure that all of His conversation is here recorded. One thing we must keep in mind is that the Gospel record of this event is not only applicable to the Samaritan woman, but also for generations to come, and until He comes back to take us home and set up His Eternal Kingdom. Jesus used the first approach of offering living water, and now He is going to hit her in her conscience. Before the woman can take the water of Life, she must sense her need, and that is why the Lord is now going to become very personal, on a very touchy subject to her, and she will again become flippant (McGee).
Verse 17, "The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:"
LGT "The woman answered and said to Him, I have not a husband. Jesus said to her, well (aptly or truly) you have said that 'I have not a husband."
"I have no husband."
The Greek word for 'husband' is 'aner' and it means either a 'man' or a 'husband.' This woman had her man, but she did not have a husband (Robertson). How much that sounds like our society today; women live with a man outside of the divine institution of marriage, and think nothing of it, as a matter of fact, it is looked upon by the liberals as a woman's right, and a man's right to disdain the moral obligation of making a commitment for life with one partner through marriage.
"Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband."
Jesus saw through her double use of the language 'husband' and read her heart (Robertson). The woman was not living with a husband; she was living in adultery with a man. The woman soon found that trying to mislead this Stranger with her double meaning answers was futile.
"The woman was taken aback by the abrupt change of subject, the more so because the Stranger touched on a phase of her life about which she was naturally sensitive. Still, He was only a Stranger and would not know her history, so she could put Him off with a bare statement of her position: 'I have no husband'. But the Stranger obviously knew much more about her than she suspected: He knew that her statement was the truth so far as it went, but that it was not the whole truth, so He proceeded to let her understand just how much He did know about her" (The Gospel and Epistles of John, F.F. Bruce).
Verse 18, "For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly."
LGT "For you have had five husbands and now whom you have is not your husband; this you have truly spoken."
"For thou hast had five husbands;"
For you have had five men; and you are speaking the truth when you say 'you have no husband'. McGee said 'One of the reason she was unpopular with women of the town, was that she was so popular with the men of the town'.
"And he who whom thou hast is not thy husband: in that saidest thou truly."
Jesus acknowledges that she spoke the truth, even though that was not her intention; she fully intended on misleading the Lord. I am sure that this woman is now shocked into reality. What sort of a Jew is this?
Verse 19, "The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet."
LGT "The woman saying to Him, Sir, I perceive that a prophet are you."
I imagine she did think He was a prophet by this time; here was a Jew who could tell her all about what she is trying to hide from Him. She is now trying to change the subject and make it a religious argument; she is thinking maybe she might be able to hold her own in this one.
Verse 20, "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
LGT "Our fathers in this mountain worshipped; and you are saying that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to be worshipping."
"Our fathers worshipped"
"Probably meaning the ancestors of the Samaritans, as far back as the building of the temple on Mount Gerizim in the time of Nehemiah. This temple had been destroyed by John Hyrcanus, 129 B.C., but the place remained holy, and to this day the Samaritans yearly celebrate there the feast of the Passover" (Vincent's Word Studies in the NT).
"In this mountain;"
"Gerizim, at the foot of which lies the well (Jacob's). Here according to the Samaritan tradition, Abraham sacrificed Isaac, and met Melchisedek. By some convulsion of nature, the central range of mountains running north and south was cleft open to its base at right angles to its own line of extension, and the deep fissure thus made is the vale of Nablus, as it appears to one coming up the plain of El Mukhna from Jerusalem. The valley is at least eighteen hundred feet above the level of the sea, and the mountains on either hand tower to an elevation of about one thousand feet more. Mount Ebal is on the north, Gerizim on the south, and the city between. Near the eastern end the vale is not more than sixty rods wide; and there, I suppose, the tribes assembled to hear the 'blessings and cursings' read by the Levites (Deut. Xxvii., xxviii.). The panorama seen from the top of Gerizim is about the most extensive and imposing in all Palestine. The summit is a small level plateau. In the midst of the southern end is a sloping rock, said by the Samaritans to be the site of the altar of their temple, and on approaching which they remove their shoes. At the eastern edge of the plateau, a small cavity in the rock is shown as the place on which Abraham offered up Isaac. Ebal is three thousand and seventy-nine feet above sea level, and more than two hundred and thirty feet higher than Gerizim" (Condensed from Dr. Thompson's 'Central Palestine and Phoenicia,' in 'The Land and the Book.' Quoted by Vincent).
"And ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
The woman uses the plural 'you' (humeis) meaning you Jews that are not Samaritans say that all Jews, 'ought' (dei) it is necessary, to be worshipping in Jerusalem. Robertson says, "The woman felt that by raising this theological wrangle she would turn the attention of Jesus away from herself and perhaps get some light on the famous controversy". Edersheim writes of the reverence the Jews had (and still have) for their beloved city Jerusalem:
"For, deepest of all convictions was that of their common center; strongest of all feelings was the love which bound them to Palestine and to Jerusalem, the city of God, the joy of all the earth, the glory of His people Israel. 'If I forgot thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning: let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.' Hellenist and Eastern equally realized this. As the soil of this native land, the deeds of His people, or the graves of his fathers draw the far-off wanderer to the home of his childhood, or fill the mountaineer in his exile with irrepressible longing, so the sounds which the Jew heard in his Synagogue, and the observances which he kept. Nor was it with him merely a matter of patriotism, of history, or of association. It was a religious principle, a spiritual hope. No truth more firmly rooted in the consciousness of all, than that in Jerusalem alone men could worship. As Daniel of old had in his hour of worship turned towards the Holy City, so in the Synagogue and in his prayers every Jew turned towards Jerusalem; and anything that might imply want of reverence, when looking in that direction, was considered a grievous sin. From every Synagogue in the Diaspora the annual Temple-tribute went up to Jerusalem, no doubt often accompanied by rich votive offerings. Few, who could undertake or afford the journey, but had at some time or other gone up to the Holy City to attend one of the great feasts (The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
Verse 21, "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem, worship the Father."
LGT "Jesus saying to her, You believe Me woman, that an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father."
"Woman, believe Me,"
The Lord uses an imperative 'Believe' (pisteue moi) meaning 'you must believe Me'. This is a unique phrase in place of His common use of 'verily, verily' (Robertson).
"The hour cometh
Notice in my LGT 'hour' does not have the article so it should read 'an hour' is coming, or is on its way. Without the article it means an unspecified period and could refer to a complete age, and not a specific time period.
"When ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father."
The Lord is not saying that the people will not worship the Father; just that they will not be concerned with the place they worship in as a religious ceremony and ritual. Our modern denominations today are making a huge mistake in how they set up their Sunday services in an attempt to emulate the OT Sanctuary and Synagogue. The Bible School Mother and I attended in Canada called their main sanctuary the 'Prairie Tabernacle.' Jesus teaches us in verse 23 that we should worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth, without regard to where and how. The early Church met in private homes (see III John) and wherever two or more believers gathered to study God's Word. Today Church is not an assembly of believers meeting to study God's Word, but a congregation of people of all sorts, believers and un-believers alike, meeting to listen to their gifted pastor-teacher instructing them in how they might feel good about themselves, and how to get along with their fellow-man. The Church today is not influencing the world; the world is influencing the Church. The Church has opened their doors inviting un-believers into their family and have adopted the world's methods of being successful, that is, how to raise the maximum amount of money.
Verse 22, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews."
LGT "You (are) worshipping that which you know not: we (are) worshipping that which we know, because the salvation is out of the Jews."
"Ye worship ye know not what:"
Jesus uses the neuter plural 'ye know not what', for the Samaritans were ignorant of the revelations of the Prophets and the true temple worship. The Samaritans had the Pentateuch but were ignorant of the prophecies and the typology of the temple that informed the people of the coming Messiah. Robertson writes, "You know whom to worship, but you do not know Him. The Samaritans rejected the prophets and the Psalms and so cut themselves off from the fuller knowledge of God."
"We know what we worship:"
Jesus uses the inclusive 'we' including Himself with the Jews. The Jews of Jerusalem had the fuller revelation of God, as stated above, and many of them accepted this revelation, although the vast majority of Jews rejected God's revelation. "Jesus here identifies Himself with the Jewish people. The essence of the true worship is represented by Him" (Vincent).
"For salvation is of the Jews."
Notice in my LGT the phrase 'is out of the Jews' as God's chosen nation. "The salvation, the Messianic salvation which had long been the hope and guiding star of the chosen people (Luke 1:69, 71, 77; Acts 13:26, 47). It was for the whole world (John 3:17), but it comes 'out of' (ek) the Jews. This tremendous fact should never be forgotten, however unworthy the Jews may have proved of their privilege. The Messiah, God's Son, was a Jew" (Robertson).
The word 'salvation' means deliverance, and it can have a variety of meanings as to being delivered from an enemy, or delivered from sickness, or from a natural disaster; but when it is used with the article 'the' it particularizes it to mean the specific salvation promised and realized in Christ. "This passage illustrates John's habit of confirming the divine authority of the Old Testament revelation, and showing its fulfillment in Christ" (Vincent).
Verse 23, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him."
LGT "But an hour is coming and now is, when the ones truly worshipping will be worshipping the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father also is seeking this kind who will worship Him."
"But the hour cometh, and now is,"
The hour is coming, and now is, is the fulfillment in Christ. All the OT symbols and Types pointed to Christ who is now present. Any worship of God that does not include Christ is false worship. The question that is answered here is not where we worship but how we worship; all true worship is in spirit and truth. I believe that all true worship is centered in the study of God's Word, which is spiritual. Vincent says that 'and now is' is added by Jesus in order that the woman would not seek a dwelling in Jerusalem. Jesus had already around Him some who were worshipping Him.
"When the true worshippers"
The Greek word for 'worshippers' is 'proskunetai' meaning 'to bow the knee' (Robertson) or to pay divine homage (AGL), and this is the only place it is found in the NT. All worshipping of the Father must come through Jesus Christ. The time has come, now that Jesus is here, to worship the Father truly; for Christ is the One all the OT worship of the Father was made possible.
"Shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth."
In the OT worship of the Father was a ceremonial worship that pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the purpose He came, and now is the time all ceremony is being fulfilled. Then a part of the worship was physical, and now it is all done in 'spirit and truth', that is, from the regenerated spirit of man to the Holy Spirit of God.
"The spirit (pneuma) is the highest, deepest, noblest part of our humanity, the point of contact between God and man (Rom. 1:9); while soul (psuche) is the principle of individuality, the seat of personal impressions, having a side in contact with the material element of humanity as well as with the spiritual element, and being thus the mediating element between the spirit and the body. The phrase in spirit and in truth describes the two essential characteristics of true worship: in spirit, as distinguished from place or form or other sensual limitations (verse 21); in truth, as distinguished from the false conceptions resulting from imperfect knowledge (verse 22). True worship includes a spiritual sense of the object worshipped, and a spiritual communion with it; the manifestation of the moral consciousness in feelings, motions of the will, 'moods of elevation, excitements,' etc. It includes also a truthful conception of the object. In Jesus the Father is seen (John 14:9) and known (Luke 10:22). Thus the truthful conception is gained. He is the Truth (John 14:6). Likewise through Him we come to the Father, and spiritually commune with Him. No man can come in any other way (John 14:6). To worship in truth is not merely to worship in sincerity, but with a worship corresponding to the nature of its object (and this can only be achieved by studying the Word of God) [Word Studies in the NT - Vincent].
"For the Father seeketh such to worship Him."
The Father seeks 'such' as worship Him in spirit and in truth, that is, true worshippers. Not everyone you see on TV is worshipping the Father in spirit and truth, even though they may be able to mouth as much. In order to worship the Father, you have to know the Father; I am not talking about being saved, I am saying that the only way we can know the Father, or the Son, is through His Holy Revelation, the 'Word of God.' We must work hard at learning who God is, and what He has done for us, in order to truly appreciate Him; and then and only then are we able to praise Him, for this is true worship. Lighting a few candles, or giving a big offering at church is not worship; or standing up and telling the crowd how much you love Jesus, that is, giving your personal 'brag-a-mony': this is all emotionalism and will eventually leave you high and dry and confused; I speak from experience, 'I been there and done that kids.'
Verse 24, "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth."
LGT "The God (is) Spirit, and the ones worshipping Him in spirit and truth it is necessary to be worshipping."
Notice in my LGT 'God' has the article, so it is referring to God the Father. God is love, God is light, God is Truth, and God is Spirit. These are all part of His divine essence we all need to learn, not only mentally, but also spiritually. The emphatic word for 'must' in Greek is 'dei' meaning, absolutely necessary; it is not just a suggestion being offered, Jesus is saying you are not worshipping the Father if you try to worship in any other way than what He is personally prescribing in spirit and in truth.
Verse 25, "The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things."
LGT "The woman saying to Him, I am knowing that Messias is coming the One being called Christ: Whenever that One comes, He will announce fully to us all things."
"I know that Messias cometh."
Everything that Jesus had said to this woman so far could only be possible in the One and Only Messiah. The Samaritans were familiar, as noted above, with the Pentateuch (The first five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), so they expected Messiah to come. Everyone knows that Jesus is coming, but they are afraid to say so, for they will be condemning themselves. Unbelievers will often go to church or read a book by some Christian author that speaks of the second coming of Christ, with the intention of being a critic, so that they may argue their case of pretending to be an atheist with their Christian 'friends.' The Jews make jokes today about the second advent of Christ; I am sure they do so in order to hide the fact that they will be in deep trouble when He comes. I believe one of the reasons the unbeliever is so vocal about their pretense of being an atheist is that down deep in their hearts they know Christ is coming again, and when He does, they will be lost, but that does not change their unbelief, because men love darkness, rather than light, because they love their evil deeds.
"The woman uses the Jewish name, which was known in Samaria. The Samaritans also expected the Messiah, basing their hopes on such Scripture as Gen.3:15; 49:10; Num. 24:17; Deut. 18:15. They looked for Him to restore the Kingdom of Israel and to re-establish the worship on Gerizim, where they supposed that the tabernacle was hidden. They called Him Hushab or Hathab, meaning the Converter, or, according to some, The Returning One. The Samaritan idea was less worldly and political than the Jewish" (Word Studies in The NT - Vincent).
"Which is called Christ"
John the Evangelist adds the Greek name, 'which is called Christ' Vincent.
"When He is come, He will tell us all things."
The woman acknowledges that she understands as only through the types of the OT now; but she has the confidence that when the Messiah does come, he will teach her all she needs to know. This is quite an interesting statement coming from one who is face to face with the Savior. The Greek word for 'tell' is anangelie future indicative lit., to proclaim or announce. Vincent points that the preposition used in 'ana -angelie' 'signifies throughout, from the bottom to top', in other words, Christ will proclaim all that is necessary (in the Word of God), and that there will be no need to have teachers add to His words. Calvin has a very good point in his commentary on this point of adding to the 'Words of Christ:' "From whence was the religion of the Pope and Mohamed collected but from the wicked additions, by which they imagined that they brought the doctrine of the Gospel to a state of perfection? As if it would have been incomplete without such fooleries. But whoever shall be well taught in the school of Christ will ask no other instructors, and indeed will not receive them." Every false cult from Mormonism, with Joseph Smith receiving the added 'pseudo-golden tablets, supposedly Aramaic and Egyptian Hieroglyphics, in reality gibberish, for no one else could possibly have translated them, and of course their hidden (translated by him into the modern day 'Book of Mormon), and the Russellites, modern day 'Jehovah Witnesses', with their 'New World Translation', Greek Translation [corruption], of the NT. Whenever some false profit [spelled this way on purpose] adds to the Word of God it is invariably done for monetary gain, and is made possible only because of the ignorance of the followers of the Truth. Another reason this gullibility is made possible is that the congregations are taught that the Pastor has a Spiritual Gift, and this adds to the confusion, because they believe everything a pastor teacher tells them; I am not insinuating that all pastors are leading false cults, I am just saying that by not teaching the whole council of God, the people are let alone to their own imaginations, and many times they chose what appeals to their emotions, and are not led by the Spirit of the Word of God.
Verse, 26, "Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He."
LGT "Jesus speaking to her, I am [He] the One who is speaking to you."
Jesus began the conversation with the woman asking her for a drink of water, and then answering to her woman's curiosity gives her enough information that she asks for the 'Living Water' only He can offer. He now states that all that she had said about the Messiah is true, and that He is this teacher who will proclaim to her all that she needs to know.
Verse 27, "And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? Or, Why talkest thou with her?"
LGT "And upon this came His disciples wondering that with a woman he was speaking: no one however said, What are you seeking or why are you talking with her?"
"And upon this came His disciples, and marveled that He talked with the woman:"
The disciples had now returned from the marketplace:
"Their surprise at finding their Master talking to a woman was no doubt all the greater because the woman was a Samaritan, but for a rabbi to engage in conversation even with a true-born Jewish woman was regarded as a waste of time that might have been more profitably spent. The classical comment on this verse is provided by the words of Yose ben Yohanan, a rabbi of the second century AD, 'Prolong not conversation with a woman', together with the editorial remark of whoever was responsible for preserving his words: 'That is to say, even with one's own wife; how much more with a neighbor's wife. Hence the wise men say, He who prolongs conversation with a woman brings evil upon himself, ceases from the words of the law, and at lasts inherits Gehenna" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F.F. Bruce).
It seems to me a bit strange, even with their Jewish background of prejudices, to marvel at the fact that Jesus would talk to anyone, seeing how they were as common as they come.
"They were surprised, not at His talking with that woman, but that their teacher should converse with any woman in public. The Rabbinical writings taught that it was beneath a man's dignity to converse with women. It was one of the six things, which a Rabbi might not do. 'Let no one' it is written, 'converse with a woman in the street, not even with his own wife.' It was also held in these writings that a woman was incapable of profound religious instruction. 'Rather burn the sayings of the law than teach them to women" (Word Studies in The NT - Vincent).
"Yet no man said, what seekest Thou? Or, Why talkest Thou with her?
Even though these disciples held these rabbinical prejudices, they held their peace, and I might add, a good thing for them. Bruce says, 'the disciples knew from experience that their Master always had a good reason for what He did, even when it was strange and unconventional (in their eyes), so none of them asked the woman what she wanted with him or asked Him why He was talking to her." It is only by a loose and careless exposition of Scripture could one come up with something as ridiculous as this prejudice against women. I believe that in the age of grace all believers are on equal footing, and that there is no difference in the body of Christ between Jew and Greek, and between a man and a woman; all have an equal opportunity to learn and teach; I just believe that it is obvious from the un-equality of the sexes, that is, the woman being the weaker vessel, that women should stick to teaching women and children, and the men should teach other men, and women, and children: it is also logical from the standpoint of the authority of the husband in the home as the provider, the one who goes out and stalks the prey, and brings home the meat, that there is a hierarchy, but certainly not one of dominance.
Verses 28, 29, "The women then left her water pot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
LGT "The woman therefore left her water pot and went into the city and saying to the men, You all come and see a man who told me all things whatsoever I did, surely is not this One is the Christ?
"The woman then left her water pot,"
The woman was in such a hurry to tell what she knew of this Jewish Stranger, she left her water pots; besides, she would not be able to carry full water pots and make any time, they would be too heavy.
"And went her way into the city, and saith to the men,"
The woman went into the city and spoke to the men, for the women wouldn't listen to her anyway. Some of the men probably knew her, so it was natural for her to go to the men.
"Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did:"
This woman assumed that Christ knew everything about her, seeing that what He did reveal about her, and the men she had lived with in the past, there was no doubt in her mind that He knew everything; and I am sure the men who knew her, had a particular interest in what she could reveal.
"Is not this the Christ?"
The woman was already convinced in her mind that this was the Christ, but she states the question to arouse interest in the men. (Robertson)
Verse 30, "Then they went out of the city, and came unto Him."
LGT "They went out of the city and were coming toward Him."
Obviously the men were convinced or maybe just curious that this might be the Christ, for they rushed out to see.
Verse 31, "In the mean while his disciples prayed Him, saying, Master eat."
LGT "In the meantime His disciples kept begging Him saying, Master, you must eat."
Robertson says that the disciples concern for the well being of Christ overcame their concern about the woman.
Verse 32, "But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not."
LGT "But He said to them, 'I have good (eating) food to eat which you do not know."
The disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying here about 'spiritual food' any more than the woman understood about the 'spiritual living water.' The good food I have is 'virtuous' Vincent. The Lord is not teaching by example here that the disciples should follow and learn to fast; what the Lord is teaching is that he has more important things to think about (mainly the salvation of the world) than physical nourishment.
Verse 33, "Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him aught to eat?"
LGT "Therefore the disciples were saying one to another, 'Has anyone given Him to eat""
The disciples were very concerned, because they could not see that the Lord was any less alert than if he had eaten; so they ask, 'has anyone given Him something to eat, during our absence?' The question was asked expecting a negative answer (Robertson).
Verse 34, "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work."
LGT "Jesus saying to them, 'My food is that I am doing the will of the One who sent Me and to be finishing His work."
The work the Lord Jesus Christ had to do was demonstrated in His winning the woman over, and now He is reflecting on it; He is satisfied that God not only sent Him into the world, but also that he was glorifying the Father with His life; and finally on the cross He will cry after it is all over 'it is finished.' The Father sent Christ to finish the work that begun in the Garden of Eden when He gave the 'Coats of Skin' [Robes of Righteousness] to the first pair.
Verse 35, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."
LGT "Do not say that 'Yet are four months and the harvest is coming? Behold I am saying to you, lift up your eyes and see the fields that white they are to harvest."
"There are yet four months, and then cometh Harvest?"
The Lord is telling His disciples that they do not have time to waste; while the disciples have their minds on wheat harvest, the Lord is thinking of another kind of harvest, one that God has prepared for them of the souls of men.
The lord is saying to His disciples, look at the fields, do not say we still have four months yet to harvest; the crowd of Samaritans will soon be here and the disciples will have to begin the harvest of souls which the Lord had begun with the woman, and then they will go into all the world as they will be sent by Him. The Lord planted the seed of eternal life in the woman, and now the disciples were going to share in the reaping of the harvest.
"Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields;"
The crowds had already left Samaria and were heading to the well, and the Lord tells his disciples to look at them; this is the harvest I am speaking of.
"For they are white already to harvest."
"Spiritual harvest. The crowd of Samaritans now pouring out toward the well was to Jesus as a ripe harvest field, prefiguring the larger harvest of mankind which would be reaped by His disciples" (Vincent).
Verse 36, "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."
LGT,"The one who is reaping a reward he receives and is gathering fruit unto eternal life, that the one who is sowing likewise may rejoice also with the one who is reaping."
"And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal:"
The Lord is teaching His disciples that they are about to see a harvest of souls without waiting four months. The Lord is about to reap a harvest of souls that began with the conversion of the woman (Robertson).
"That both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."
The reward of seeing the Lord saving souls for His own glory is a reward in itself. The only thing a Christian may do is sowing the seed, for it is the Lord that always gives the increase. I believe in this age of grace the Lord is working through His wonderful Word in saving souls, and that this is beyond all human awareness. We have a wonderful privilege to teach the Word of God, and it does not return to the Lord void. I take exception with the preachers who think they are reaping the harvest for the Lord; I don't believe the Lord needs any help from His children, but He wants us to spread His Word so he can accomplish what He pleases. In the case of the Samaritans, the One sowing and the reaper will be able to rejoice together, that is, the Lord and His disciples. We will have to wait until we get to heaven to even know how to rejoice.
Verse 37, "And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth."
LGT, "For in this the saying is true [fulfilled] that one is the one sowing and another is the one reaping [or gathering in the harvest]."
The Lord is telling His disciples that they are about to witness the truth that they are about to rejoice together with Him in the reaping. It is always the Lord that gives the increase; the amazing thing about the grace of God is that we will receive a reward for what He will do through us. We do not know in this life what He is accomplishing in and through our lives; but rest assured, we will be rejoicing with Him in eternity; so, it is really futile to try and keep score at our success in this life. We are really better off to relax and let God keep score.
Verse 38, "I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors."
LGT, "I sent you to be reaping where you have not labored hard: others have labored hard and you have entered into their hard labor."
The Lord is sending His disciples to reap the harvest where they did not sow at the well; the 'other men' the Lord is referring to beside Himself at the well, the prophets of the OT that she had read before. The disciples were about to experience the truth of the Lord's Words.
Verse 39, "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did."
LGT "And many out of that city believed in Him of the Samaritans because of the word of the woman testifying that He told me all things which I did."
Dr. McGee said, 'A great company was reached in Samaria through this woman with the "shady" past!' The Lord had converted the shady lady and in turn the lady sowed seeds among the men of Samaria, and now they are about to be converted by the Lord also. There is no way we are able to count whose lives are effected by our lives, positively and negatively. We are to be loyal to the Lord and let Him convert whom He will. Robertson wrote, "She bore her witness clearly and with discretion. She told enough to bring her neighbors to Christ. They knew her evil life and she frankly confessed Christ's rebuke to her. She had her share in this harvest."
Verse 40, "So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days."
LGT "When therefore the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to remain with them: and He remained two days."
After their conversion the Samaritans wanted to get to know the Lord more personally and they asked Him to remain with them. I believe this is a natural reaction after conversion, the converted ones desire to know more.
"That Samaritans should invite a Jewish teacher to stay with them, with no fear of a rebuff [rejection], shows how completely He had won their confidence. The 'harvest' was not limited to these who came out to see Him at the well; others in the city believed in him during His brief sojourn among them. We may wonder if this was the same 'city of Samaria' as was evangelized by Philip a few years later; if it was, the events that took place at this time could explain the ready credence which the crowds gave Philip when he 'proclaimed to them Christ (Acts 8:5). This might be a further fulfillment of the principle of verse 38; others had toiled and Philip entered into their toil" (The Gospel and Epistles of John, F.F. Bruce).
Verse 41, "And many more believed because of His own word:"
LGT "And many more believed because of His word:"
Many of the Samaritans came because of the testimony of the woman, and then many more believed when they were convinced by the words of Christ Himself. To hear about the Savior is one thing, but to be convinced and have a personal relationship with Christ is quite another. Christ spent two days with these Samaritans, and many more believed.
Verse 42, "And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
LGT "And to the woman they said that no longer because of your speaking we believe, for we ourselves have heard and we are knowing that He is truly the Savior of the world."
Absolutely no one can convince another person to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, it must come from the Savior Himself.
"For we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."
It isn't until Christ by the Holy Spirit convicts a person and they accept Him as their own personal Savior is one saved. The woman gave her testimony, but it wasn't until they heard for themselves, that they believed on Him as the Savior of the world. It isn't enough to believe Christ is the Messiah, one must believe that He is their own personal Savior, and only God the Holy Spirit can do this kind of convicting and convincing. Parents can bring a child up to believe in Christ as Savior, but it isn't until that child comes personally acquainted with Christ, through the Holy Spirit, by the Word of God, that he or she may be saved.
"But for the woman's witness, her fellow-townsfolk would never have come to know Jesus; but they could not rely on her witness alone: they must know Him for themselves. Second-hand acquaintance with Christ or hearsay belief in Him cannot be a substitute for personal knowledge and saving faith. Now they were able to prove for themselves that all she said about Him was true. He was not only the prophet like Moses, but also the Savior of the world. This title appears twice in John's writing (the other instance being I John 4:14); it is in line with the statement of John 3:17, that God sent His son into the world 'in order that the world might be saved through Him'. The use of the title in this context suggests that the Samaritan mission represents the first outreaching of Jesus' grace beyond the confines of Judaism" (The Gospel and Epistles of John, F.F. Bruce).
The Healing of the Official's Son
Verse 43, "Now after two days He departed thence, and went into Galilee.
LGT "But after two days He went out then into Galilee:"
Remember in verse three, Galilee was His headquarters and His original destination before He and His disciples stopped off at the well at Sychar for refreshment.
Verse 44, "For Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country."
LGT " For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet in his own country has not honor."
Jesus and His disciples after spending two fruitful days with the people of Samaria at the well at Sychar, are now departing to Galilee where 'He came unto His own, and His own received Him not;" this is what prompts Christ to quote the old proverb, 'a prophet is not welcome in his own country.' The Greek words for 'His own country' are 'idia patridi' the country of the fathers or 'father land.' He was rejected in Judea, and so he is now heading for Galilee where He had not yet ministered (Robertson). One reason I believe the proverb true, 'a prophet is not welcome in his own country' is that what the prophet generally had to tell the people came in the form of a warning, that the people needed to change their ways, that is, to 'straighten up', and no one enjoys hearing that they are living bad and need to change. I know of no one that enjoys being criticized.
Verse 45, "Then when He was come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast."
LGT "When therefore He came into Galilee, the Galileans received Him all things having seen which He did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast."
Many of the Jews in Galilee went to the feast at Jerusalem and had witnessed all the signs Jesus had performed, so they were well aware of His powers, and they welcomed Him. The Greek word for 'received' is 'edexanto' and it means to welcome with pleasure, or as we would say today, 'to welcome with open arms.' This audience was much different than the Judeans who would reject Him from the very start.
Verse 46, "So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum."
LGT "Therefore He came again into the Kana of the Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain courtier whose son was sick in Capernaum."
"He came again into the Cana of Galilee."
Note the article 'the' before Cana of Galilee; this is because John had already mentioned it in 2:1.
"Where He made the water wine."
The use of the article 'the' here is also particularizing His first miracle. "That outstanding first miracle would still be remembered in Cana and would indicate that Jesus had some friends there" (Robertson). The use of the article is really one of the genius' of the Greek language of the NT.
"And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick in Capernaum."
The Greek term for 'nobleman' is 'basilikos' and it means that he was connected with the king, that is, 'a courtier', one who served in the royal court of Herod the tetrarch of Galilee. This courtier was a royal officer of the king, literally called 'little king' (Vincent). This courtier's son was sick, that is, was 'sick continually'. Capernaum was some miles from Cana where the Jordan River enters the Sea of Galilee.
Verse 47, "When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea 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."
LGT "He having heard that Jesus had come out of the Judea into the Galilee he went away to Him and asked that He would come down and might heal his son, for he was about to die."
"When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him,"
The news of Jesus' miracles spread fast. This nobleman went away to Him, that is, he left his son for a while, and sought Jesus. John Calvin writes, 'one advantage of miracles is they prepare the way for doctrine; for they cause reverence to be paid to Christ.' Miracles always point out clearly and declare the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"That He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death."
This nobleman was obviously convinced that Jesus was an important prophet from what he had heard about His previous miracles. It was out of desperation and love for his son that he came to Jesus.
Verse 48, "Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."
LGT "Therefore Jesus said to him, Unless signs and wonders you are seeing, in no way will you be believing."
"Except ye see signs and wonders."
The Lord is not discounting His miracles; He is simply disappointed in the Galileans seeing Him as a miracle worker only, and not the Savior (Robertson). Jesus was directly addressing the nobleman in this gentle rebuke, but indirectly addressing the Galilean population as a whole in the use of 'ye' (Vincent).
"Ye will not believe."
John uses a double negative 'ean me' meaning 'in no way' will you believe, accentuating their stubborn refusal to accept Christ as Savior.
"To the same purpose is that reproach which Paul brings against them, the Jews demand signs, (I Cor. 1:22). For he means that they were unreasonably and immoderately attached to signs, and cared little about the grace of Christ, or the promises of eternal life, or the secret power of the Spirit, but, on the contrary, rejected the Gospel with haughty disdain, because they had no relish for any thing but miracles. I wish there were not many persons in the present day affected by the same disease; but nothing is more common than this saying, 'Let them first perform miracles, and then we will lend an ear to their doctrine;' as if we ought to despise and disdain the truth of Christ, unless it derive support from some other quarter. But though God were to overwhelm them by a huge mass of miracles, still they speak falsely when they say that they would believe. Some outward astonishment would be produced, but they would not be a whit more attentive to doctrine" (John Calvin's Commentary on The Gospel of John).
Verse 49, "The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die."
LGT "The nobleman saying to Him, Sir, come down before my child dies."
The nobleman uses a diminutive Greek term for son (paidion) meaning my 'dear little one' (Vincent). John uses this same term of believers he is writing to in his epistles.
The persistence of the nobleman for the welfare of the child is as any loving father would have expressed given the same situation; it also proves that Jesus' rebuke was more generalized to include all the Jews, rather than specific only referring to the nobleman. Another important issue to consider is that the nobleman regarded Jesus as a miracle worker, because he begged the Lord to come to the place where his son was. If He had really known who the Lord Jesus Christ was, he would have known that Christ could have spoken the words and his son would have been healed. I have read some expositions that say that the nobleman should have brought his son to Jesus; then they go into a long spiritualizing comparison of telling the reader that it is the parents responsibility to bring their children to Jesus to meet Him personally, and then give human illustrations of parents that did not bring their children up in the 'nurture and admonition of the Lord'; as dutiful as all this sounds, it is not the context of this verse, and believe me, I am only interested in context. The reason I take each phrase separately and compare it to the rest of the chapter and book, is to be sure I keep everything in its context. If there be a special spiritual lesson to be learned, we will find these treasures together. 'The reason Christ used this gentle rebuke was not that He would refuse the nobleman his begging request, it was to remove his misconceptions in order that he might receive Christ in true faith' (Calvin).
The nobleman says to the Lord, I am not just interested in you because of your miracles; my only interest is in my dear little one.
Verse 50, "Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."
LGT "Jesus saying to him, Go your way, your son is living. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he went away" [homeward bound].
"Go thy way; thy son liveth."
Jesus simply had to speak the words without going down to Capernaum, and the son was healed. Robertson calls this healing, 'absent treatment.'
"And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him,"
The Greek word for 'believe' is pistuo and means to be mentally committed and convinced that the Word of the Lord is true. The nobleman exhibited true believing faith. At this moment the nobleman put his complete faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior. He went homeward bound a saved born again believer.
"And he went his way."
And he started on his way with the full confidence that his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ had healed his dear little one. 'The father was content: he was not interested in signs and wonders but in his son's life, and his ready acceptance of Jesus' assurance proved the quality of his faith. So he went on his homeward way' (eporeueto, imperfect tense) [Bruce].
Verse 51, "And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth."
LGT "But already he was going down his servants met him saying that his son is living."
"Thy son liveth."
The servants only corroborated what the nobleman already knew. What rejoicing the nobleman must have had in his heart at the good news? The Lord healed the son, and the nobleman didn't have one thing to do for the healing. It was purely of grace. It did not depend on the faith of the nobleman, as some misinformed preachers of today would try and convince us, it was an act of Christ and was independent of all outward pleading or faith. We can quench the working of the Holy Spirit through our unbelief, but we certainly cannot advance it. The grace is already in action, we are to simply trust that it is for us, and that it is efficacious in our behalf.
Verse 52, "Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
LGT "Therefore he inquired of the hour from them in which better he became; therefore they said to him that Yesterday [at the] seventh hour the fever left him."
"Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend."
The nobleman inquired of the servants the exact time of his son's recovery, in order to give him the opportunity to share with the wonderful Good News he had experienced from the Savior. There was no lack of faith in his statement.
'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
Obviously the exact hour when the Lord had told the nobleman 'Thy son is living.'
Verse 53, "So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house."
LGT "Therefore the father knew that [in] that the [same] hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son is living, and he himself believed and his whole house."
The progression of events could only be supernaturally charged as to reap the souls of the nobleman's entire household. "On the previous day the nobleman had believed Jesus' reassurance; now, together with his household (wife, children, slaves and other dependents), he believed in Jesus personally, acknowledging Him as the sent One from God" (Bruce).
Verse 54, "This again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judea into Galilee."
LGT "This again a second sign Jesus did having come out of Judea into Galilee."
John is only talking about the miracles (signs) He did in Galilee (Bruce).
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