John 4

When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

And he must needs go through Samaria.

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.

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.

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

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 thee living water.

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?

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

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.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

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.

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

The woman then left her waterpot, 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?

Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

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.

And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

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.

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

And many more believed because of his own word;

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 Saviour of the world.

Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

When 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.

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

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.

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

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.

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

What does John 4:39 mean?

Explanation

[John 4:39] describes the reaction of the Samaritans to Jesus Christ following his conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.

The woman had come to draw water and encountered Jesus, who told her about her past, including her five previous husbands, and the man she was currently with, who was not her husband.

Astonished by his knowledge of her life, the woman perceived Jesus as a prophet and went to tell her fellow Samaritans about him.

This verse captures the moment when many Samaritans come to believe in Jesus, due in large part to the testimony of the woman who shared her experience with them.

The verse highlights the power of personal testimony in leading people to faith and the willingness of the Samaritans to listen and believe in Jesus based on her account.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

The historical context of this verse is during the ministry of Jesus in the early 1st century AD.

At that time, Jews and Samaritans had a strained relationship, often marked by mutual hostility due to historical, religious, and ethnic differences.

Samaritans had their own version of the Pentateuch and worshipped at Mount Gerizim instead of Jerusalem, setting them apart from mainstream Jewish worship.

The meeting between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well was significant because it broke several social and religious taboos of the time, including a Jew speaking to a Samaritan and a rabbi speaking to a woman in public.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse demonstrates the inclusive nature of Jesus' ministry. He reaches out to groups that were often marginalized or disregarded by mainstream Jewish society.

Furthermore, it underscores the concept of personal salvation through belief in Jesus, as the Samaritans believe based on the woman's testimony about Jesus' prophetic insight.

The passage also exhibits the early Christian understanding that personal, experiential evidence of Jesus' divine nature could lead to conversion and faith.

Practical Applications

The practical applications of [John 4:39] can be far-reaching for modern-day readers.

It invites individuals to reflect on the impact of personal testimony in spreading faith and underscores the importance of personal encounters with the divine.

For those seeking to share their faith, this verse encourages honesty and openness about one's experiences with others, as this can lead to genuine interest and belief.

Additionally, the verse suggests a move away from exclusive practices and towards an inclusive approach in religious communities.

Cross-References

[John 4:29] "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
[Acts 8:14-17] When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.

Language Study

Key words in this verse have significant meanings in the original Greek language. For instance:

"Believed" (ἐπίστευσαν) carries the sense of putting faith into, entrusting, or being convinced about something.
"Saying" (λόγον) can refer to a statement, report, or account given by someone.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparing this verse with other ancient myths and religious practices, one could observe the universality of transformative personal encounters with a divine or supernatural being.

In various traditions, when an individual has an encounter with a deity, it often leads to a larger group's conversion or belief, illustrating a common motif that transcendent experiences often have communal ramifications.

Scientific Perspectives

The discussion of this verse from a scientific perspective may involve psychological analyses of personal testimony and its effects on belief systems.

Scientific studies show that personal stories are highly persuasive and can significantly influence individual and group beliefs.

The Samaritans' response to the woman's story exemplifies this psychological phenomenon.

Commentaries

Various biblical commentaries offer different interpretations and insights regarding this verse.

Some emphasize the transformative power of a personal encounter with Jesus and how this encounter can have broader communal effects.

Others stress the importance of the woman's role and how Jesus empowered an unlikely witness to spread his message.

Several commentaries note the implicit critique of societal norms present in this passage, as Jesus and the woman engage in ways that would have been counter-cultural for their time.

John 4

John 4

What does John 4:39 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 4:39 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?