NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 15
John 4:9
1776
9The woman was surprised, for Jews
refuse to have anything to do with Samari
tans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and
I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you ask
ing me for a drink?”
10Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift
God has for you and who you are speaking
to, you would ask me, and I would give you
living water.”
11“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a
bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep.
Where would you get this living water?
12And besides, do you think you’re greater
than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this
well? How can you offer better water than
he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
13Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks
this water will soon become thirsty again.
14But those who drink the water I give will
never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh,
bubbling spring within them, giving them
eternal life.”
15“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me
this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again,
and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told
her.
17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman
replied.
Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a
husband—18for you have had five husbands,
and you aren’t even married to the man
4:9 The woman was surprised because
social taboos would keep a Jewish
teacher like Jesus from speaking to her
(4:18). However, Jesus did not let social
taboos constrain him from giving her
what she truly needed. Some manuscripts do not include the first sentence
of this verse.
4:10 Shechem had no rivers and thus
no living water (see “Living Water,” facing page). However, Jesus was speaking
symbolically: This gift from God was the
Holy Spirit (7:37-39).
4:11 Jacob’s well was more than 100
feet (30 meters) deep, and required
a long rope for drawing water. The
woman misunderstood Jesus’ words
because she was still in darkness (see
“Misunderstanding” at 7:32-36, p. 1785).
4:12 our ancestor Jacob: The Samaritan
woman appealed with reverence to
the sacred traditions attached to the
well rather than to the presence of God
before her.
4:14 The notion of a fresh, bubbling
spring was a powerful image in the dry
climate of Israel. Those who come to
God will neither hunger nor thirst (see
Isa 49:10; 55:1-3; Jer 2:13).
you’re living with now. You certainly spoke
the truth!”
19“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a
prophet. 20So tell me, why is it that you Jews
insist that Jerusalem is the only place of wor
ship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at
Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors wor
shiped?”
21Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman,
the time is coming when it will no longer
matter whether you worship the Father on
this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22You Sa
maritans know very little about the one
you worship, while we Jews know all about
him, for salvation comes through the Jews.
23But the time is coming—indeed it’s here
now—when true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father
is looking for those who will worship him
that way. 24For God is Spirit, so those who
worship him must worship in spirit and in
truth.”
25The woman said, “I know the k Messiah
is coming—the one who is called Christ.
When he comes, he will explain everything
to us.”
26Then Jesus told her, “I A M the Messiah!”
27Just then his disciples came back.
They were shocked to find him talking to a
woman, but none of them had the nerve to
ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why
are you talking to her?” 28The woman left
4:15 The woman asked Jesus for
this water, but she did not grasp the
spiritual implications of his words. To
overcome the spiritual barrier, Jesus
addressed her sin (4:16-18).
4:16-18 Immorality blocked the
woman’s understanding. Her marital
affairs, including having five husbands,
underscored her sinful life.
4:19-20 The woman dodged Jesus’
moral probing and brought up the
historical ethnic division between Jews
and Samaritans.
4:19 a prophet: Jesus revealed knowledge about the woman (4:16-18) that
was inaccessible to the average person
(cp. 1:48). As the woman’s understanding of Jesus unfolded, her names for
him became increasingly well informed.
Earlier she recognized him as a Jew (4:9)
and called him sir (4:11, 15, 19). Later
she thought he might be the Messiah
(4:29). Finally, the people of the village
recognized him as Savior of the world
(4:42). Her growing understanding of
Jesus’ identity is a testimony to John’s
readers (see 20:31).
4:20 The Samaritans worshiped at
Mount Gerizim (literally on this moun
4:9
Ezra 4:1-3; 9–10
Matt 10:5
Luke 9:52-53
John 8:48
Acts 10:45
1 Cor 12:13
4:10
Isa 12:3; 44:3
Jer 2:13; 17:13
John 7:37-39
Rev 7:17; 21:6; 22:17
4:14
John 6:35; 7:38
4:15
John 6:34
4:19
Matt 21:46
John 7:40; 9:17
4:20
Deut 11:29; 12:5-14
Josh 8:33
4:21
Mal 1:11
1 Tim 2:8
4:22
2 Kgs 17:28-41
Isa 2:3
Rom 3:1-2; 9:4-5
4:23-24
2 Cor 3:17-18
Phil 3:3
4:25
Deut 18:15
kmessias (3323)
Acts 2:31
4:26
Mark 14:61-62
John 9:37
tain), which towered above Shechem.
Both were important OT locations (see
Gen 12:6-7; 33:19; Deut 11:29; Josh
8:33; 24:1, 25, 32).
4:21-22 Jesus affirmed that the Jews
had preserved the right understanding of the one you worship. salvation
comes through the Jews: God gave the
Jews a special relationship with him,
and the Messiah was to be a Jew (see
also Rom 9:4-5).
4:24 in spirit and in truth: One Greek
preposition governs both words (literally in spirit and truth) and makes them
a single concept. True worship occurs
as God’s Spirit reveals God’s truth and
reality to the worshiper. Jesus Christ is
the Truth (14:6; cp. 14:17; 15:26).
4:26 I AM the Messiah (or “The ‘I AM’ is
here”; or “I am the LORD”; Greek reads “I
am, the one speaking to you”; see Exod
3:14): Jesus’ phrase was unusual and
emphatic, and it suggests identity with
God (see 8:58; Exod 3:14).
4:27-30 The woman was tentative
about Jesus’ identity (4:29), yet she ran
to the village and told everyone to come
and see. Testifying to others is a mark of
discipleship (see 1:39, 46).
