John 4:1-6:
4:1Therefore as Jesus knew that the Pharisees heard that Jesus makes and baptizes more learning-disciples than John - .2and-so-indeed Jesus himself did not baptize but his learning-disciples - .3he left Judea and went-away again into Galilee, .4but it was necessary (for) him to go though Samaria. .5Therefore he goes into a city of Samaria being said (as) Sychar neighboring the property which Jacob gave to Joseph his son, .6and the spring of Jacob was there; therefore Jesus, having labored2 from the journey-on-the-way, sat-down thus on the spring - (the) hour was as (the) sixth.
Following-on logically from what is written previously (refer to John 3:22-30), as Jesus knew (as he had personal knowledge [some Greek texts have the word "Lord" instead of "Jesus"]) that the Pharisees heard that Jesus is making (producing) and baptizing more learning-disciples (a bigger number of students) than John (the baptizer with water)...
...he left Judea (in the sense that he let it go, dismissed, sent-away or discharged it from his concern at that time) and he went away again into Galilee (refer to John 2:1-11).
In order to get into Galilee from Judea, the people of the Judean/Israeli background did not usually travel directly northwards through Samaria because they would want to avoid being in contact with those people. Samaritans were people of the Israeli background who had mixed with people of the Gentile background during the time of captivity (refer to II Kings chapter 17).
However, in this record John the writer explains to the readers that it was necessary for Jesus (it was binding, he must, ought, was obligated) to go through (to pass by means of, to travel by way of) Samaria, which was north of Judea on the west side of the Jordan river. This necessity did not originate from the geography of the land but he had been instructed to do this by God (refer to verse 34 below). Therefore Jesus goes (comes)...
...following-on logically, Jesus - who labored and continued to labor (exert wearisome effort, as though physically beating himself by what he as doing, he toiled) from traveling along the way (path, road) - sat down in this manner on/at the spring. The limited period of time while he remained sitting there was during the sixth hour of the day (12 noon, midday).
[Reference: Genesis 33:19, 48:22; Joshua 24:32; II Kings chapter 17; Acts 1:8.]
Verses 7-15:
.7A woman from Samaria comes to draw water. Jesus says to her, "You must give to me to drink" - .8for his learning-disciples had gone-away into the city in order that they may buy nourishment. .9Therefore the woman, the Samaritan (woman) says to him, "How do you being a Judean ask from me being a Samaritan woman to drink?" - for Judeans do not associate with Samaritans.
.10Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the free-gift of God and who is the (one) saying to you, 'You must give to me to drink' - ever you asked him also ever he gave living water to you." .11The woman says to him, "Lord, you have neither a drawing-bucket and the well is deep, therefore from-where do you have the water, the living (water)? .12You are not greater of our father Jacob who gave to us the well and he drank out-from it and his sons and his animals, are you?"
.13Jesus answered and said to her, "Every-person who drinks out-from this water will thirst again; .14but who ever may drink out-from the water which I will give to him will never thirst into the age but the water which I will give to him will become in him a spring of water leaping into eternal life." .15The woman says towards him, "Lord, you must give to me this water in order that I may not thirst neither go-through to draw in-here."
A woman originating from the region of Samaria (a Samaritan woman) comes to draw water (to take out some water from the spring).
Jesus started to talk to her by saying...
John the writer explains that Jesus' learning-disciples (students) were not with him at this time because they had already gone away from him into the city of Sychar for the purpose and result that they would buy nourishment (purchase sustenance from food, as buying it in a market-place). They had not returned to him yet.
Following-on logically from what Jesus said to her, the woman, emphatically and specifically the Samaritan woman, says to him...
John the writer explains that Judeans do not associate with Samaritans (they do not join together, deal with or use each other as partners, interact, furnish things or treat each other as associates).
Jesus answered and said to her...
The woman (who was genuinely wanting to know more information from Jesus [some Greek texts omit the words "the woman" and so it would read "she"]) says to him...
The Greek construction of her last question about Jacob indicates that she expected the answer of: "No." However, Jesus did not respond to that question at this point, but instead he answered her first question about living water and he said to her...
The woman says towards Jesus...
As we continue reading this record, it is clear that Jesus is referring to holy spirit-life being the "water" that he will give at a future time to when this record took place, and that it will provide eternal life to/for whoever will receive it (refer to John 7:39). Drinking out from the spring of the water of this holy spirit-life is receiving the flowing or communication from it giving the way of behaving in accordance with it - the means of conducting oneself according to God's truth.
In verse 14, the Greek word translated "eternal" is aionios and may also be translated "agelong". In this context, the life being referred to will not end. It is eternal, agelong, lifelong, everlasting. It lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages from the time a person receives it. This life can only be received by God's giving of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. The free-gift is the living water - which is the spirit of Christ that was first made available on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2.
[Reference: Matthew 25:46; John 1:33, 3:5-8 and 36, 7:37-39; Acts 2:38, 10:45; I Corinthians 12:7-13; II Corinthians 9:15; Ephesians 4:7; Revelation 7:16 and 17, 21:6, 22:1 and 17. Also refer to the article Pentecost and holy spirit.]
Verses 16-26:
.16He says to her, "You must go, you must sound (to) your adult-male, and you must come in-here." .17The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus says to her, "Beautifully you said that 'a husband I do not have', .18for five husbands you had and now whom you have is not your husband - you said2 this true-thing."
.19The woman says to him, "Lord, I view-with-attention that you are a prophet. .20Our fathers in this mountain worshipped - and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to worship." .21Jesus says to her, "You must believe me, woman, that (the) hour comes when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem you will worship the Father. .22You worship that-which you did not know2 - we worship that-which we knew2 because the salvation is out-from the Judeans - .23but (the) hour comes and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for even the Father seeks-after the people-of-this-kind worshipping Him. .24God (is) Spirit, and it is necessary (for) the (people) worshipping Him to worship in spirit and truth."
.25The woman says to him, "I knew2 that Messiah comes, the (one) being said (as) Christ; whenever that-one may come, he will announce to us all-things." .26Jesus says to her, "I am the (one) uttering-forth to you."
After the woman asked Jesus to give her "this water" in order that she would not thirst neither go-through to draw water in that place again (refer to verse 15 above), Jesus says to her...
However, the woman thought that Jesus was telling her to go to her "husband" and - instead of pretending that she was married at that time - she answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." She was truthful with Jesus regarding this matter.
Jesus says to her...
The woman says to him (she was continuing to want to be informed, she wanted to learn more)...
Jesus says to her...
The woman, who was continuing to pay attention to what Jesus was telling her, says to him...
Jesus says to her...
This response includes the answer to the woman's question in verse 12 above.
[Reference: Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 11:29 - 12:9, 18:18; I Kings chapter 12; II Kings 17:24-41; Matthew chapter 1, 4:10; John 1:17, 33 and 41, 3:5-8 and 31-35, 6:14; Acts 1:16, 2:1-4, 17 and 33, 20:28; Romans 1:3, 8:16, 9:4 and 5; I Corinthians 2:11; I John 5:6; Revelation 22:9. Also refer to the article The Name of Jesus Christ.]
Verses 27-30:
.27And on this his learning-disciples came and marveled because with a woman he uttered-forth; yet-indeed not-one-person said, "What do you seek-after?" or "Why do you utter-forth with her?" .28Therefore the woman left her drawing-bucket and she went-away into the city and says to the men, .29"Come-this-way, you must see a man who said to me all as-many-things-as I did; this-one is not the Christ, is he?" .30They came-out from the city and came towards him.
At this moment Jesus' learning-disciples (students) came and they were marveling (were astonished, were looking-on with wonder and amazement) because it was in company and association with a woman (not a man) that Jesus was speaking. In that culture at that time it was acceptable for a man to ask a woman for water at a well, however, people thought that it was not appropriate for a man of dignity or position in a community to speak casually in public with a woman.
Emphatically indeed not one (none) of the learning-disciples said to Jesus, "What are you looking for?" or "Why do you speak (what are you talking about) in company and association with her?"
Following-on logically as Jesus had asked her to go and tell her adult-male in verse 16 above - it was the end of their conversation and none of the other men began to speak with her - the woman left her drawing-bucket there (she dismissed it, she let it go from her concern as Jesus had given her a task which she understood was more important than her original task). She went away into the city and says to the men (not only her own man)...
The woman told them what happened but did not force her personal view on them - instead she gave the men the opportunity to make their own decisions about Jesus whether he was the Christ or not. She phrased her question in such a way as to indicate that the expected answer is "no" (as she did to Jesus in verse 12 above). The men would need to investigate themselves in order to determine what the correct answer is and then let her know.
Then the men came out from the city and they were coming towards (approaching) Jesus. Those men listened to that woman and they decided to take the appropriate action. They did not ignore her and what she was saying to them, but they thought highly of her and had regard to the content of her message to them.
Verses 31-38:
.31In between, the learning-disciples asked him saying, "Rabbi, you must eat." .32But he said to them, "I have an eating to eat which you did not know2." .33Therefore the learning-disciples said towards one-another, "Someone did not carry (food) to him to eat, did he?" .34Jesus says to them, "My food is in order that I may do the intention of the (One) having sent me and I may make-complete His work. .35You say that 'It is yet four-months and the harvest comes,' don't you? - (yes) - look!, I say to you, you must lift-up your eyes and gaze-upon the country(-areas) because they are already white towards harvest; .36the (person) harvesting receives a compensation and gathers fruit together into eternal life in order that the (One) sowing may joy together and the (person) harvesting. .37For in this the word is true that 'Another is the (person) sowing and another the (person) harvesting' - .38I apostled you to harvest that-which you did not labor2; other-people labored2 and you went2 into their fruit."
Between the time when the woman went away to talk to the men of Sychar and the time when the men arrived with her at the location where Jesus was, the learning-disciples were asking him (this usage of words implies familiarity between the students and Jesus asking him to do something) saying...
But he said to them...
Therefore the learning-disciples said towards one-another, "Someone did not carry (bear, bring) something to him to eat, did he?" The Greek construction of this question indicates that the expected answer is "no."
However, Jesus says to them...
Jesus was in the process of doing the intention of God Who sent him and Jesus was making God's work complete (refer to verse 34 above). In the immediate context of this passage Jesus had spoken with the woman according to what God wanted him to communicate to her (refer to verse 4 above). He was not waiting for 4 months before beginning to do what God asked him to do because God had already made it available for Jesus to proceed with his assignment at that time on behalf of God towards the people.
Jesus was eating the food that God provided to/for him in the figurative sense - and Jesus was showing his learning-disciples how they also could eat the food that God was providing to/for them, just like they had gone and purchased food in the city and they were now eating it.
Jesus was receiving his compensation at that time and he was gathering the fruit together into eternal life so that both God and Jesus would joy together.
There was no need to wait for something else to occur - Jesus and his learning-disciples were to carry-out their assignments at that time because God had already sowed the seeds and the harvest was waiting to be harvested.
[Reference: Matthew 9:37 and 38, 25:24 and 26; John 1:6-8, 15, 23 and 28-33, 5:30 and 36, 6:38, 8:26-29, 17:4.]
Verses 39-42:
.39But out-from that city of the Samaritans many-people believed into him because-of the word of the woman witnessing that, "He said to me all-things which I did." .40Therefore as the Samaritans came towards him they asked him to remain with them - and he remained there two days - .41and many more-people believed because-of his word, .42and they said to the woman that, "No-longer because-of your utterance we believe, for we ourselves heard2 and knew2 that this-person truly is the savior of the world."
John the writer returns to what was happening with the woman and those to whom she had spoken following the events recorded in verses 7-30 above. It is also interesting to note that the men listened to her and gave credence to what she said - indicating that she was a well-respected woman in that community.
Originating from that specific city of the Samaritans (the town of Sychar; refer to verse 5 above)...
Following-on logically, as the Samaritans went towards Jesus, they were asking him (this usage of words implies familiarity between them)...
...and a lot more people believed on account of the word that Jesus spoke to them. Also related to this is that they were saying to the woman (refer to verse 29 above)...
[Reference: John 3:14-17; Acts 5:31, 13:23; Philippians 3:20; II Timothy 1:10; II Peter 3:2 and 18; I John 4:14.]
Verse 43-54:
.43But after the two days he came-out from-there into Galilee, .44for Jesus himself witnessed that a prophet does not have honor in (his) own fatherland; .45therefore when he went into Galilee the Galileans accepted him having seen2 as-many-things-as he did in Jerusalem in the feast, for also they went into the feast; .46therefore he went again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.
And there was some kingly-person whose son was weak in Capernaum - .47this-person, having heard that Jesus is-come out-from Judea into Galilee, went-away towards him and he asked in order that he may descend and may heal his son, for he was about to die. .48Therefore Jesus said towards him, "If-ever you may not see signs and wonders, you may never believe." .49The kingly-person says towards him, "Lord, you must descend before my young-child dies." .50Jesus says to him, "You must journey - your son lives." The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and he journeyed; .51but already (during) his descending his slaves met him saying that his child lives; .52therefore he asked-to-learn the hour from them in which he had more-wellness; therefore they said to him that, "The fever left him yesterday (the) seventh hour." .53Therefore the father knew that (it came to pass) in that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he believed and his whole house.
.54This second sign Jesus did again having come out-from Judea into Galilee.
After the 2 days (refer to verse 40 above), Jesus came out from the city of Sychar in Samaria and he went into Galilee (refer to verse 3 above where he began this journey)...
...following-on logically, when Jesus went into Galilee - the Galileans accepted him (they welcomed him, subjectively received him, willingly took him to themselves when he presented himself to them)...
...therefore Jesus went again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine (refer to John 2:1-11).
During that past time there was someone of the royal lineage or an official whose son was weak (without/lacking strength, infirm, feeble) in Capernaum, which is a town on the north side of the sea of Galilee on lower elevation than Cana (refer to John 2:12).
After this man heard that Jesus is-come (has arrived, is here, is present) out from Judea into Galilee, he went away towards him and was asking (he spent time asking Jesus, with familiarity he was inquiring from him about something in particular, requesting him to do something) - what? - for the purpose and result that Jesus would descend (move downwards, come down into Capernaum) and would heal his son (cause him to recover from illness), for he was on the point of dying.
Therefore Jesus said towards the man...
Even though Jesus included this man in the category of people requiring the need of seeing signs and wonders to be done before they believe what Jesus was saying and doing - the kingly-person did not stop, but instead he says towards Jesus...
The term "young-child" is used here by the father of his son to indicate to Jesus that he feels very tenderly and affectionately towards his son who behaves himself correctly for his father in the service relationship, just as a servant in the work/service category.
Jesus says to him...
John the writer continues by explaining that the man...
...but by this time, while the man was going down from Cana to Capernaum, his slaves met him (the servants who were bound to serve him, his bond-servants came without prior arrangement to meet him) saying that his child is living (he is alive).
Following-on logically, the man asked to find out information from his slaves - the hour in which his son had more-wellness (when did he get better from his weakness, recover to being in good health, become well again from the fever?). Therefore they said to him that, "The fever (the fiery or burning heat, the high temperature) let go of him yesterday at the seventh hour (1 pm in the afternoon)."
Therefore the father knew (he had a truly active and relative knowing, he was personally knowledgeable of the fact) that the healing happened in that specific hour (during the exact limited period of time) when Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and...
What did this kingly-person and his whole house believe after he heard what his slaves told him? In verse 50 the man had already believed the word that Jesus spoke to him about his son being alive and for him to return home. However, in verse 53 John the writer records that the man and his whole household of people believed regarding Jesus himself. This is what Jesus had spoken generally to him in verse 48 - "If-ever you may not see signs and wonders, you may never believe" - believe regarding Jesus, believe who he is, believe that God sent him, etc (also refer to John 2:23).
Jesus performed this other sign in Cana of Galilee, which was the second one taking place in that location - the first sign that Jesus did there is recorded in John 2:1-11.
[Reference: Matthew 2:1, 6 and 23, 13:54-58; Luke 1:39, 65 and 76, 2:4; John 2:1-11 and 23, 7:42; I Corinthians 1:22. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
