John 4:5-29

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:8

For his disciples were gone away ,.... This is related, not so much to give a reason why Christ asked the woman for water, because his disciples were not present, to minister to him; but rather to show, that Christ took the opportunity, in their absence, to converse with her; partly to avoid the scandal and offence they might take, at his conversation with her, being a Samaritan; as it appears to have been astonishing to them, when they found him talking with her, John 4:27 . And partly,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:9

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him ,.... In a scoffing, jeering way, how is it, that thou being a Jew ; which she might know, by his language and his dress: askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria ? not that the waters of Samaria were unlawful for a Jew to drink of; for as "the land of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), was pure, or clean, so, מקותיה , "their collections of water", and their habitations, and their ways were clean F13 T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:10

Jesus answered and said unto her ,.... In a very serious manner, in a different way from hers: if thou knewest the gift of God ; meaning, not the Holy Spirit with his gifts and graces, as some think, but himself; for the following clause is explanatory of it; and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink ; and Christ is also spoken of in the Old Testament, as the gift of God, Isaiah 9:6 and he had lately spoken of himself as such, John 3:16 and he is, by way of eminency,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:11

The woman saith unto him, Sir ,.... Which was an usual, way in those countries, of addressing men, and especially strangers; and expresses no uncommon respect to Christ, of whose dignity and greatness she was, entirely ignorant; and at whom she was now scoffing; for so the following words are to be understood: thou hast nothing to draw with ; no pail, or bucket, or rope, to let it down with, as Nonnus adds; for it seems, there was no bucket, or vessel, fastened at the well for the common... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:12

Art thou greater than our father Jacob ,.... A person of greater worth and character than he, who was content to drink of this water; or wiser and more knowing than he, who could find out no better fountain of water in all these parts? she calls Jacob the father of them, according to the common notion and boasting of these people, when it served their turn; otherwise they were not the descendants of Jacob; for after the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, he placed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:13

Jesus answered and said unto her ,.... In a mild and gentle manner, patiently bearing all her scoffs and flouts, and continuing to instruct and inform her, concerning this living water, showing the preferableness of it to all others: whosoever drinketh of this water ; meaning in that well called Jacob's well, or any other common water: shall thirst again ; as this woman had often done, and would again, as she herself knew, John 4:15 , and as Jesus did, who very likely afterwards... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:14

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him ,.... Meaning, the Spirit and his grace; see John 7:38 ; and which he more than once speaks of, as his gift here, and in the context: of which, whoever truly partakes, shall never thirst ; either after sinful lusts and pleasures, and his former vicious way of living, which he now disrelishes: not but there are desires and lustings after carnal things in regenerate persons, as there were lustings in the Israelites, after the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:15

The woman saith unto him, Sir ,.... See Gill on John 4:11 ; give me this water, that I thirst not . The Syriac and Persic versions add, "again": neither come hither ; the Ethiopic version adds here, "again"; to draw . This she said also, in the same sneering and scoffing way, as her talking of not thirsting and coming thither to draw water, shows; and it is as if she had said, pray give me some of this fine water you talk of, that I may never thirst again; and so have no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:16

Jesus saith unto her ,.... Observing that she continued an ignorant scoffer at him, and his words, determined to take another method with her; and convince her, that he was not a common and ordinary person she was conversing with, as she took him to be; and also what a sinner she was, and what a vicious course of life she had lived; so that she might see that she stood in need of him, as the gift of God, and Saviour of men; and of the grace he had been speaking of, under the notion of living... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:17

The woman answered and said, I have no husband ,.... Which was a truth she would not have spoke at another time and place, or to any of her neighbours; but Christ being a stranger, and no odium incurring upon her by it; and this serving a purpose to excuse her going to call him, she declares the truth of the matter: Jesus said unto her, thou hast well said, I have no husband ; this is the truth, it is really fact, and is the true state of the case, between thee and him, who goes for thy... read more

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