The “Woman at the Well” story is one of the most popular stories in the NT. There is so much going on in this story in Greek, I thought I would do something a little different from past blogs. I’ll provide the entire translation (NIV11) and place some of my commentary in blue.
John 4:4 Now he had Ἔδει (it was necessary) It is in the imperfect which carries a continual aspect. to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well πηγὴ (spring) A spring is natural or created by God was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ (at the spring). It was about noon. (ὥρα ἦν ὡς ἕκτη (It was about the sixth hour).
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) Most women of the time traveled in groups and almost would not go at noon. She was probably trying to avoid others.
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) In fact, many Jews considered Samaritans as unclean as Gentiles. Samaritan women were considered in a continual state of being ritually unclean. On top of that, it as against the Jewish culture for men to address women in public. 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well (τὸ φρέαρ (the well: the man-made structure) is deep. It would have made Jesus unclean if he were to use the Samaritan woman’s water jar to drink from. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob “μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ” (“Are you not greater”) She, the woman, expects a “no” answer), who gave us the well (τὸ φρέαρ (the well: the man-made structure) and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (into the ages/forever) Most translations don’t translate this last part because the passage is already emphatic with οὐ μὴ (not not/never). Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring πηγὴ (spring) of water welling up to eternal life.” (Referring to the Holy Spirit: See 2:9 “water to wine”; 3:3-5 “born from above” and “born from water and spirit”; 7:38 “ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος” (“rivers of living water will flow out of his belly”).
15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband τὸν ἄνδρα σου (“you husband/man” Note that the article τὸν is used! In this case, Jesus is really referring to “the” husband) and come back.” 17 “I have no husband οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα (I don’t have a husband/man),” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (or “you have had five men, and the man you now have is not your man” A word-play has been created. Note that no articles are used. It is possible that this woman has never been married and was a habitual fornicator.)
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ἡ σωτηρία (the salvation/deliverance) The article makes it specific. It is the salvation that Jesus brings into the world for the world. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ (or “in the Spirit, that is truth) , for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ (or “in the Spirit, that is truth). The καὶ may be used to put “Spirit” and “Truth” in apposition to each other. The Samaritans only used the Torah as Scripture. They did not use the Prophets or Psalms. This is probably what Jesus is referring to when he says “you don’t know what/who you worship”. Also note that the Samaritan woman is interested in “where” to worship God while Jesus is interested in “how” to worship God. In this case, true worship happens when a person has the Spirit dwelling inside.
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) χριστός (the Anointed) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” ἐγώ εἰμι (I am)
27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός; (Is this not the Anointed?) She is expecting a “no” answer. Either she is not sure, or she doesn’t think the men of the town will believe her. 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them μεῖναι παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς (to remain in their presence) Note that John’s use of παρά with the dative indicates proximity. This will be important when relating to Jesus later in the Gospel., and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου (truly the savior/deliverer of the world).
Final thoughts
There is probably more to this contrast between “spring” and “well”. Perhaps the end of man-made “stuff” (the Law?) trying to get “springs” of God or it can just be simply John’s play on words that he likes to do throughout his Gospel.
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