1Christ talketh with a woman of Samaria, and revealeth himself unto her: 27his disciples marvel; the woman calleth the men of her city to see him: 31Christ sheweth his own zeal to do God's work, and the blessedness of his disciples, who were to reap the fruit of his labours. 39Many Samaritans believe on him. 43He goeth into Galilee, and healeth a nobleman's son who lay sick at Capernaum.
1WHEN therefore 1the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized 2morea disciples than John,
1 Namely, Jesus.
2 And for this cause feared, that by Him they would loose more their respect with the people, than it had occurred by John, and that therefore they were still more and more stirred up to envy and hatred against Him, John 11:48.
a John 3:26.
2(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3He 3left Judæa, and departed 4again into Galilee.
3 Namely, to avoid their snares and violence, seeing His hour was not yet come, John 7:30.
4 From which He earlier had departed to Jerusalem, John 2:12.
4And he must needs go 5through Samaria.
5 Forasmuch as the most direct way to travel from Judea into Galilee it was through the land of Samaria, Luke 9:51, 52 and 17:11.
5Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to theb parcelc of ground that Jacob 6gave to his son Joseph.
b Gen. 33:19; 48:22; Joshua 24:32.
c piece, portion*
6 Namely, by testament, Gen. 48:22, in which piece of land also Joseph’s bones were buried, Joshua 24:32.
6Now 7Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the 8sixth hour.
7 This was a fountain in that same piece of land, or a well which Jacob caused to be dug, as his forefathers.
8 That is, about noon, when the sun is at its hottest, see John 11:9.
7There cometh a woman 9of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
9 That is, being of the land of Samaria and coming out of Sychar, which city was located in the land of Samaria, verse 5, otherwise also called Shechem, Gen. 33:19.
8(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
9Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? 10ford the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 The cause thereof see the annotation at Luke 9 on verse 53.
d Luke 9:52, 53; John 8:48.
10Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest 11the 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 12living water.
11 That is, Me, Who am given by God unto the people for a Savior, Rom. 8:32.
12 That is, quickening, whereby, by a similitude, is understood the gift of the Holy Ghost, by whom we are regenerated and quickened unto eternal life. In such manner that, though we indeed sometimes thirst after comfort in grievous falls and temptations, yet, notwithstanding, by this grace of the Holy Ghost, we are again so revived and strengthened that we never fall into despair nor perish. See Isa. 12:3; John 6:36 and 7:38, 39.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou thate living water?
e Jer. 2:13.
12Art thou greater than our 13father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his 14children, and his cattle?
13 The Samaritans boasted that they were descended from Jacob by Joseph, although they were almost all descended from the Gentiles, who were brought there out of Assyria. See 2 Kings 17, and Josephus, Antiq. lib. 9.
14 Gr. sons.
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoeverf drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
f John 6:58.
14Butg whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; buth the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
g John 3:16; 6:27, 35, 54.
h John 7:38.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hitheri to draw.
i here, to this place*
16Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17The woman answered and said, I have 15no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
15 That is, no married husband.
18For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19The woman saith unto him, Sir, Ij perceive that thou art a prophet.
j Luke 7:16; 24:19; John 6:14.
20Our fathers worshipped in this 16mountain; and ye say, that ink Jerusalem is the place where men ought 17to worship.
16 Namely, the mount Gerizim, where Manasseh, the brother of the high priest Jaddua, having, contrary to the law of the Jews, married the daughter of a Samaritan governor Sanballat, (see Nehemiah 6), and being therefore cast out, betook himself to the Samaritans, and by his father in law’s doing, built a new temple in that mountain, and made a schism, and was there made high priest. Whereby afterwards arose great strife between the Jews and Samaritans about the place where men ought to worship. See 2 Maccabees 6:2; Josephus, Antiq. lib. 11, cap. 8.
k Deut. 12:5, 11; 1 Kings 9:3; 2 Chron. 7:12.
17Worship is here understood the entire public and external worship of God.
21Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, 18worship the Father.
18 That is, shall not be bound to worship at those places more than in other, 1 Tim. 2:8.
22Yel worship ye know not 19what: we know what we worship: form20salvation is of the Jews.
l 2 Kings 17:29.
19 That is, whereof you are not assured that God wants to be served there, seeing you have no command for it, as we, Jews, have to perform the worship of God in the temple at Jerusalem; and also that God will not be served in such manner as you serve Him.
m Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; Heb. 7:14.
20 That is, the Savior, and the saving doctrine, Isa. 2:3; Rom. 9:5.
23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father 21in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
21 That is, not being bound to a certain place or outward ceremonies as in the Old Testament.
24Godnis 22a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
n 2 Cor. 3:17.
22 That is, a spiritual, invisible Being, and will therefore be served with a service which is agreeable to His nature, that is, which is internal and spiritual, proceeding from an upright and believing heart, Rom. 12:1, 2.
25The woman saith unto him, I know that 23Messias 24cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us 25all things.
23 See of this word, John 1:41.
24 That is, shall come speedily.
25 That is, which are necessary to God’s worship and unto salvation.
26Jesus saith unto her, 26Io that speak unto thee am he.
26 Namely, the Messiah, of Whom thou sayest that He shall come.
o John 9:37.
27¶And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the 27city, and saith to the 28men,
27 Namely, Sychar, verse 5.
28 Or, folks, namely, of that city. Gr. human beings.
29Come, see a man, which told me 29all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
29 Namely, even secret and hidden things.
30Then 30they went out of the city, and came unto him.
30 Namely, the inhabitants of Sychar.
31¶In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, 31eat.
31 Namely, of this food which we have bought for dinner.
32But he said unto them, 32I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
32 This is expounded in verse 34.
33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
34Jesus saith unto them, My meatp is to do the will of him that sent me, and to 33finish 34his work.
p food of any kind*
33 Or, fulfill.
34 Namely, that the Father had laid upon Me, to preach the Gospel, when men come unto Me, as the Samaritans right away will do.
35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh 35harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; forq they are white already 36to harvest.
35 Namely, the corporal harvest which began in Judæa from the passover onward. See Lev. 23:10, 15; Deut. 16:9.
q Mat. 9:37; Luke 10:2.
36 Gr. to the harvest. This must be understood of a spiritual harvest, which were here the Samaritans, who came in multitudes over the fields to hear Christ, and for this cause were, as it were, ripe for the spiritual harvest, that is, to be brought into the church.
36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37And herein is that 37saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
37 Gr. word, or speech.
38I sent 38you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: 39other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
38 Namely, apostles.
39 Namely, the previous prophets and John the Baptist, whom Christ for this here compares to sowers, as the apostles to reapers.
39¶And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41And many more believed because 40of his own word;
40 That is, because they themselves had now heard Him and felt the power of His word.
42And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: forr we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
r John 17:8.
43¶Now after two days he departed thence, and went 41into Galilee.
41 Namely, not into Nazareth, but into Cana, as appears from verse 46.
44For Jesus himself testified, thats a prophet hath no honour in his own 42country.
s Mat. 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24.
42 Here is a reason given why He went into Cana and other cities of Galilee, and not into Nazareth. See Mat. 13:54, 57.
45Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilæans 43received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem 44at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
43 That is, embraced His doctrine.
44 Namely, of the passover.
46So Jesus came again intot Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain 45nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
t John 2:1, 11.
45 Gr. kingly, namely, officer or lord in the service or of the court of king Herod, which some think to have been Chuza, Herod’s steward, whose wife Joanna, together with other women, ministered to the Lord Christ of their goods, Luke 8:3, which also verse 53 seems to confirm.
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 46was at the point of death.
46 Gr. he would die.
48Then said Jesus unto him, Exceptu ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
u 1 Cor. 1:22.
49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son 47liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
47 That is, is become whole again, and freed from dying for this time.
51And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the 48seventh hour the fever left him.
48 That is, about an hour after noon time.
53So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
54This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.