Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on John 4:5
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, etc.] Now called Neapolis f170; the same with “Sichem”, or “Shechem”, as appears from its situation, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; (see <013318> Genesis 33:18,19 48:22 <062432>Joshua 24:32); and is either the same, only its termination is changed from “em” into “ar”, as Achan into Achar, (<130207>1 Chronicles 2:7). Or it is a new name that was given it, and by which it went in the time of Christ; and might be so called, either from rkws, “Socher”, which signifies a grave; because here, Joseph and the rest of the patriarchs were buried, (<062432>Joshua 24:32 <440716>Acts 7:16). Or rather, it was a name of reproach, and so called, from rkç, “drunken”; since the Ephraimites, the posterity of Joseph, which dwelt in these parts, were infamous for the sin of drunkenness; (see <232801>Isaiah 28:1). Hence “Sychar Sichem”, is “drunken Sichem”; mention is made in the Talmud f171, of a place called arkys, “Sichra”. The “parcel of ground”, or of a “field”, as in (<013319>Genesis 33:19 <062432> Joshua 24:32), is in the Persic version, called “a vineyard”; and so Nonnus renders it, “a field planted with vines”; and which may serve to confirm the above conjecture, concerning “Sychar” being a nickname.
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