John 4

Translator Notes

1. The SBLGNT reads 'Jesus' (Iesous) rather than 'the Lord' (ho kyrios) found in some manuscripts. The Pharisees' attention to Jesus's growing movement creates the narrative motivation for his withdrawal northward through Samaria. The comparison with John frames the situation as a potential political complication.

Translator Notes

1. This parenthetical correction qualifies 3:22 and 4:1. The narrator clarifies that Jesus directed the baptizing ministry but did not personally perform the rite. The distinction may reflect a theological concern about the relative authority of baptisms, or simply a factual correction.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus withdraws from Judea to avoid premature confrontation with the Pharisees — his 'hour' has not yet come (cf. 2:4, 7:6, 7:30). The verb apheken ('left, departed from') suggests a deliberate decision, not flight.

Translator Notes

1. The verb edei ('it was necessary') suggests more than geographical necessity — many Jews deliberately avoided Samaria by taking a longer route through Perea east of the Jordan. The 'necessity' may be divine — Jesus must pass through Samaria because there is a woman at a well whom the Father intends him to meet. The word carries the same divine compulsion as in 3:7, 3:14, 3:30.

Translator Notes

1. Sychar is likely modern Askar, near ancient Shechem. The reference to Jacob's gift of land to Joseph connects to Genesis 33:19 and 48:22, and Joshua 24:32, where Joseph's bones were buried. The detail grounds the narrative in patriarchal history and establishes why this well is called 'Jacob's well' in the next verse.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Genesis 33:19 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Joshua 24:32 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The word pege ('spring, well, fountain') suggests a natural spring-fed well, though the site today is a deep cistern. The detail that Jesus was kekopiakos ('weary, exhausted') from the journey is a vivid human touch — the Word who became flesh (1:14) experiences genuine physical fatigue. The 'sixth hour' is noon by either Jewish or Roman reckoning, the hottest part of the day — an unusual time for a woman to come to draw water, suggesting she may have been avoiding the other women of the town.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus initiates the conversation — a striking social reversal. A Jewish rabbi would not normally address an unknown woman in public, much less a Samaritan woman. The request 'Give me a drink' (dos moi pein) places Jesus in a position of need, creating an opening for dialogue. The verb antlesai ('to draw') is the same used at the Cana wedding (2:8), creating a subtle verbal link between the two water-related narratives.

Translator Notes

1. The narrator explains why Jesus is alone — the disciples are away buying provisions. The detail that they purchase food in a Samaritan town implies a less rigid attitude toward Samaritan uncleanness than some Pharisaic standards would permit. The absence of the disciples allows the private conversation that follows.

Translator Notes

1. The woman immediately identifies the social boundary Jesus has crossed. The parenthetical explanation ou gar sunchrōntai Ioudaioi Samaritais has been debated — synchromai may mean 'use together with' (share utensils) rather than 'have dealings with.' The issue is ritual purity: drinking from a Samaritan's vessel would render a Jew ceremonially unclean. The hostility between Jews and Samaritans dated to the Assyrian resettlement (2 Kings 17) and the destruction of the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim in 128 BC.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes 2 Kings 17. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Jesus reverses the dynamic — the one asking for water is actually the one who has water to give. The phrase dorean tou theou ('gift of God') is deliberately ambiguous: it could refer to the living water itself, to the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:38), or to Jesus himself. The term hydor zon ('living water') means 'running/flowing water' in ordinary usage (as opposed to stagnant cistern water) but carries a deeper meaning that Jesus will develop. The conditional construction (if you knew... you would have asked) implies the woman does not yet know, but could.

Translator Notes

1. The woman hears 'living water' at the physical level — running water from a deep well requires equipment. Her address kyrie ('sir, lord') marks a step up from 'Jew' (v. 9) but remains at the level of polite address. The question pothen ('from where') is one of John's theological keywords — the question of Jesus's origin runs through the Gospel (cf. 2:9, 7:27-28, 8:14, 9:29-30, 19:9).

Translator Notes

1. The Greek particle me introduces a question expecting a negative answer: 'You're not greater than Jacob, are you?' The irony is that the reader knows Jesus is indeed greater than Jacob. The woman claims Jacob as 'our father' — the Samaritans traced their lineage to the northern tribes and regarded the patriarchs as their ancestors. The mention of Jacob drinking from the well authenticates it by ancestral use.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus now contrasts the water from Jacob's well — which satisfies temporarily — with the living water he offers. The future tense dipsesei ('will thirst') states an inevitable limitation: physical water cannot permanently satisfy. The 'this water' (tou hydatos toutou) refers specifically to the well water, creating a bridge to the contrast in the next verse.

Translator Notes

1. The double negative ou me dipsesei ('will never, ever be thirsty') is the strongest possible negation in Greek. The water Jesus gives does not merely satisfy — it transforms the recipient into a source: it becomes 'a spring' (pege) within them. The verb hallomenou ('springing up, leaping, bubbling') conveys dynamic, self-renewing energy. The destination is 'eternal life' (zoen aionion), the quality of divine life that is John's central theme. The image anticipates 7:37-39, where Jesus explicitly connects living water to the Holy Spirit.

Translator Notes

1. Like Nicodemus (3:4), the woman remains at the literal level — she wants water that eliminates the daily chore of coming to the well. Yet her request 'give me this water' (dos moi touto to hydor) echoes the language of genuine petition. John's irony operates on multiple levels: the woman asks for more than she understands, and what she is about to receive will far exceed what she requested.

Translator Notes

1. The abrupt shift in topic is a deliberate pastoral strategy — Jesus moves from theological discussion to personal reality. The request to bring her husband will expose the woman's life situation and demonstrate Jesus's supernatural knowledge, paralleling the Nathanael encounter (1:47-48). The verb phoneson ('call, summon') indicates Jesus intends the husband to be present for what follows.

Translator Notes

1. The woman's reply is technically true but evasive — she has no husband, but the full story is more complex. Jesus affirms her statement with kalos eipas ('you have spoken well/correctly') before revealing the deeper truth. The affirmation before the exposure demonstrates pastoral sensitivity.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus reveals knowledge he could not have obtained naturally, demonstrating the same supernatural perception shown with Nathanael (1:47-48) and anticipated in 2:25. The five previous marriages could reflect widowhood, divorce, or a combination — the text does not moralize or explain. The current relationship is distinguished from marriage ('is not your husband'). Some scholars read the five husbands allegorically as the five foreign nations settled in Samaria (2 Kings 17:24), but the narrative functions powerfully at the literal level.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 2 Kings 17:24 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The woman's identification of Jesus advances from 'Jew' (v. 9) to 'sir' (v. 11) to 'prophet' (v. 19). Her recognition is based on Jesus's supernatural knowledge of her personal history. The Samaritans expected a prophetic figure — the Taheb ('restorer') modeled on Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). Calling Jesus a prophet places him within this expectation.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Deuteronomy 18:15-18. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. 'This mountain' is Mount Gerizim, visible from Jacob's well, where the Samaritans had built their temple (destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 128 BC but still sacred). The Samaritan-Jewish dispute over the proper location of worship was one of the deepest divisions between the two communities. The woman may be testing the prophet with the central theological question of her tradition, or she may be deflecting from the personal topic Jesus has raised.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus transcends the either/or framework of the woman's question. The coming 'hour' (hora) connects to the theological hour motif that runs through the Gospel (2:4, 7:30, 12:23) — the death and resurrection of Jesus will render both worship locations obsolete. The address 'woman' (gynai) is respectful, as in 2:4. The reference to 'the Father' (to patri) introduces a new dimension — worship is relational, directed to a Father, not merely performed at a location.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus does not treat both traditions as equally valid — while transcending the location debate, he affirms the Jewish tradition's superiority in theological knowledge. The Samaritans accepted only the Torah (the five books of Moses) and rejected the Prophets and Writings, limiting their understanding of God. 'Salvation is from the Jews' (he soteria ek ton Ioudaion estin) is a remarkable statement given the Gospel's frequent criticism of 'the Jews' (religious leaders). Jesus identifies himself with Israel's heritage even as he transcends it.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase 'is coming and is now here' (erchetai hora kai nyn estin) collapses future and present — the new age of worship is both imminent and already inaugurated in Jesus's ministry. 'In spirit and truth' (en pneumati kai aletheia) does not mean 'sincerely' or 'from the heart' in a vague sense — pneuma likely refers to the Holy Spirit, and aletheia to the truth revealed in Jesus (14:6). True worship is Spirit-empowered and Christ-centered. The astonishing statement that 'the Father is seeking' (ho pater zetei) such worshipers portrays God as the active pursuer, not merely the recipient of worship.

Translator Notes

1. The statement pneuma ho theos ('God is spirit') is not a philosophical definition of God's essence but a statement about the nature of genuine encounter with God. Because God is spirit (not confined to physical locations), worship must be correspondingly spiritual — empowered by the Spirit, oriented toward truth. The verb dei ('must') expresses divine necessity: this is not one option among many but the only authentic mode of worship.

Translator Notes

1. This is the second of only two uses of the Aramaic 'Messiah' in the New Testament (cf. 1:41). The Samaritan expectation was for the Taheb ('restorer'), a prophet-like-Moses who would restore true worship and reveal all things. The woman's statement 'he will explain everything to us' (anangelei hemin hapanta) reflects this expectation of a revealer figure. John translates 'Messiah' as Christos for his Greek audience.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek ego eimi ('I am') is the first explicit 'I am' statement in the Gospel. On the surface, it means 'I am [the Messiah]' — a direct answer to the woman's expectation. But ego eimi also echoes the divine name revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14, 'I AM WHO I AM') and will become Jesus's most characteristic self-identification in John (6:20, 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5-6). This is the most explicit messianic self-declaration in any Gospel conversation — and it is given not to a Jewish leader but to a Samaritan woman.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 3:14. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The disciples' astonishment (ethaumazon) is at the gender boundary being crossed — rabbinic teaching discouraged extended conversation with women (Pirke Avot 1:5: 'Do not talk much with a woman'). The fact that she is also Samaritan compounds the surprise. Their silence — not asking 'what do you want?' or 'why are you talking to her?' — suggests a combination of respect and bewilderment.

Translator Notes

1. The detail that she 'left her water jar' (apheken ten hydrian) is vivid and significant — the original errand is forgotten in the urgency of her discovery. She came for physical water and leaves without it, having found something greater. The abandoned jar also ensures she will return (and perhaps serves as a pledge to Jesus that she will come back). She goes to tois anthropois ('the people'), not just the men — she evangelizes the entire town.

Translator Notes

1. Her invitation 'Come, see' (deute idete) echoes the invitation chain of chapter 1 (1:39, 1:46). The hyperbolic 'everything I have ever done' (panta hosa epoiesa) reflects the overwhelming impression of Jesus's supernatural knowledge. The question meti houtos estin ho christos ('Could this be the Christ?') uses the particle meti, which expects an uncertain or negative answer — she frames her testimony as a question, inviting investigation rather than demanding belief. This is remarkably effective evangelism.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect erchonto ('were coming') describes the townspeople in process — they are on their way, creating a narrative pause during which Jesus will speak to his disciples about the harvest (vv. 31-38). The woman's testimony has set an entire town in motion toward Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect eroton ('were urging, kept asking') suggests repeated requests. The disciples have returned with the food they purchased (v. 8) and are concerned about Jesus's physical needs. The conversation about food that follows will parallel the water conversation with the Samaritan woman — physical need becomes a springboard for spiritual teaching.

Translator Notes

1. As with the woman and water, Jesus transforms a physical topic (food) into a spiritual teaching. The word brosin ('food, nourishment') will be defined in verse 34. The disciples' ignorance ('that you do not know about') parallels the woman's incomprehension about living water.

Translator Notes

1. Like Nicodemus (3:4) and the Samaritan woman (4:11, 15), the disciples misunderstand by taking Jesus's words at the literal, physical level. The particle me expects a negative answer — they are fairly sure no one brought food but are puzzled. This triple pattern of misunderstanding reinforces John's theme that spiritual truth requires more than natural comprehension.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus defines his 'food' as obedience to the Father's mission. The verb teleioso ('to complete, to bring to perfection') anticipates Jesus's dying word tetelestai ('it is finished,' 19:30). The phrase 'the one who sent me' (tou pempsantos me) is a characteristic Johannine description of the Father, emphasizing Jesus's role as the authorized emissary. Doing God's will is not merely a duty but sustenance — it nourishes Jesus in the way food sustains the body.

Translator Notes

1. The 'four months until harvest' may be a common proverb or a literal time marker (placing this scene in December/January, four months before the April/May barley harvest). Jesus contrasts agricultural patience with spiritual urgency — the spiritual harvest is ready now. 'Lift up your eyes and see' may gesture toward the Samaritans walking toward them from the town (v. 30). The 'white fields' could refer to the white garments of approaching Samaritans or is simply harvest imagery.

Translator Notes

1. In normal agriculture, sowing and reaping are separated by months; in the spiritual harvest, they overlap. The 'fruit' (karpon) gathered is people brought to faith — the harvest goal is 'eternal life' (zoen aionion). The shared rejoicing of sower and reaper transcends the proverb of verse 37, where they are separate. This may envision Old Testament prophets (sowers) and Jesus/his disciples (reapers) celebrating together.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus quotes what appears to be a common proverb, usually carrying a negative sense (one person labors and another benefits). Jesus reframes it positively: the division of labor in God's harvest is by design, not injustice. The sower's work is essential to the reaper's harvest.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus explicitly assigns the disciples the role of reapers. The 'others' (alloi) who labored before them likely include the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, and possibly Jesus himself. The verb kekopiakate ('have labored') uses the same root as the word describing Jesus's weariness at the well (v. 6, kekopiakos) — there is real toil in sowing, and the reapers inherit its fruit.

Translator Notes

1. The woman's testimony (martyrouses, from martyreo) uses the same vocabulary applied to John the Baptist's witness (1:7, 15, 32, 34). A Samaritan woman becomes a credible witness whose word leads to faith — a remarkable statement in a culture where women's testimony was often discounted. Her simple report of personal experience ('He told me everything') proves more effective than theological argument.

Translator Notes

1. The Samaritans' invitation to 'stay' (meinai) and Jesus's response of 'staying' (emeinen) use the theologically loaded Johannine verb meno ('abide, remain'). A Jewish teacher staying in a Samaritan town for two days would have been scandalous to many. The hospitality extended and accepted across ethnic lines anticipates the Gospel's universal scope.

Translator Notes

1. The progression is from believing through the woman's testimony (v. 39) to believing through Jesus's own word (ton logon autou). The growth from 'many' to 'many more' shows the expanding impact of direct encounter with Jesus. John presents a model of evangelism: personal testimony brings people to Jesus, and Jesus's own word deepens and confirms their faith.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The title 'Savior of the world' (ho soter tou kosmou) is the climactic confession of the chapter. Remarkably, it comes from Samaritans — not from Jewish disciples or leaders. 'Savior' (soter) was used for God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 43:3, 11) and for emperors in Greco-Roman culture. The Samaritans claim Jesus for the whole world (tou kosmou), not just for Israel or Samaria. The SBLGNT does not include 'the Christ' (ho Christos), which appears in some manuscripts.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Isaiah 43:3. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The narrative resumes the journey begun in verse 3. The two-day stay in Samaria delays but does not prevent the return to Galilee. The transition shifts from the Samaritan mission to the Galilean ministry.

Translator Notes

1. This proverb (cf. Mark 6:4, Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24) creates interpretive difficulty in context. If Galilee is Jesus's 'homeland' (patris), the statement seems to contradict the reception described in the next verse. Some scholars take 'homeland' as referring to Judea (the land of his birth in John's theology) or explain that the Galileans' reception is based on signs, not genuine honor. The proverb may serve as an ironic contrast: rejected at home, received abroad (in Samaria).

Translator Notes

1. The Galileans' welcome is based on signs they witnessed in Jerusalem during Passover (cf. 2:23). This is the sign-based faith that Jesus did not trust (2:24-25) and that stands in contrast to the Samaritans' faith based on Jesus's word (4:41-42). The Galileans 'received' (edexanto) him, but the quality of their reception is ambiguous.

Translator Notes

1. The return to Cana creates a literary frame with the first sign (2:1-11). The basilikos ('royal official') was likely an officer in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. The word could mean 'king's man' or 'nobleman.' His son is in Capernaum, roughly 16 miles from Cana — a significant distance that will become important to the story.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect erota ('kept asking, was begging') indicates persistent, urgent pleading. The verb katabee ('come down') is geographically precise — Cana sits higher in the hills than Capernaum on the lake shore. The father assumes Jesus must be physically present to heal, a limitation Jesus will soon transcend. The son's condition is critical: emellen apothneskein ('was about to die').

Translator Notes

1. The plural 'you' (idete, pisteusete) indicates this is addressed not only to the official but to the Galileans generally — their faith is sign-dependent (cf. v. 45). The pairing of semeia kai terata ('signs and wonders') is unique in John; usually John uses semeia alone. The addition of terata ('wonders, portents') may carry a mildly negative connotation — seeking spectacle rather than understanding. The double negative ou me ('never') is emphatic.

Translator Notes

1. The official ignores Jesus's theological challenge and presses his desperate request. The urgency of a parent facing a child's death overwhelms theological debate. The word paidion ('little child') is more affectionate than huios ('son') used in verse 46, revealing the father's emotional vulnerability. The repeated katabethi ('come down') shows he still assumes Jesus must be physically present.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus heals at a distance, without going to Capernaum — his word alone is sufficient. The present tense ze ('lives') is not a promise but a declaration of present reality. The man's response marks a significant step: he 'believed the word' (episteusen to logo) — not a sign he could see, but a word he could only trust. This contrasts with the sign-dependent faith critiqued in verse 48. The verb eporeueto (imperfect, 'was going, started on his way') shows him acting on faith before receiving confirmation.

Translator Notes

1. The servants use the same verb ze ('lives') that Jesus spoke in verse 50, creating a verbal link between the word of healing and its confirmation. The word pais ('boy, child, servant') is used here for the son, echoing the affectionate paidion of verse 49. The fact that the servants came out to meet him suggests the recovery was so dramatic they did not wait for his arrival.

Translator Notes

1. The father investigates the timing to verify the connection between Jesus's word and the healing. The 'seventh hour' is 1:00 PM by Roman reckoning or 1:00 PM by Jewish reckoning (counting from sunrise at approximately 6:00 AM). The word 'yesterday' (echthes) indicates the official traveled overnight or stayed somewhere along the way — a detail suggesting he did not rush home in anxious unbelief but traveled at a normal pace, trusting Jesus's word.

Translator Notes

1. The temporal correspondence confirms the healing was not coincidence but the direct effect of Jesus's word. The father's faith deepens — from initial desperate request (v. 47) to trusting Jesus's word (v. 50) to full belief confirmed by evidence (v. 53). The conversion of 'his entire household' (he oikia autou hole) reflects the ancient pattern where a household head's decision affected the whole family unit. This is the first 'household faith' in the Gospel.

Translator Notes

1. John explicitly numbers this as the 'second sign' (deuteron semeion), connecting it to the first sign at Cana (2:11). Both signs occur in Cana, creating a geographic frame. Both involve transformation: water to wine, death to life. The numbering system will cease after this, though John continues to record signs. The phrase 'coming from Judea to Galilee' frames both signs as occurring in the context of Jesus's movement from the south to the north.