John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →John Chapter 4
What is John 4 about?
The theological Gospel — seven signs, the "I AM" declarations, and the proof that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.
Text — American Standard Version (1901)
American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1When therefore the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
2(although Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples),
3he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee.
4And he must needs pass through Samaria.
5So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:
6and Jacob`s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
9The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10Jesus answered and said unto 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.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:
18for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.
22Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.
23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers.
24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
25The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.
26Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he].
27And upon this came his disciples; and they marvelled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her?
28So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people,
29Come, see a man, who told me all things that [ever] I did: can this be the Christ?
30They went out of the city, and were coming to him.
31In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
32But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not.
33The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him [aught] to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then] cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest.
36He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.
39And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, He told me all things that [ever] I did.
40So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days.
41And many more believed because of his word;
42and they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
43And after the two days he went forth from thence into Galilee.
44For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
45So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
47When 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.
48Jesus therefore said unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe.
49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus spake unto him, and he went his way.
51And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived.
52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
53So the father knew that [it was] at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judaea into Galilee.
What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
Read attributed excerpt →Related study paths
Sources and verification
- Scripture text: American Standard Version (1901), public domain.
- Commentary excerpts are attributed to their named historical source and are not presented as a BibleWord.ai doctrinal position.