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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 4:4-26

We have here an account of the good Christ did in Samaria, when he passed through that country in his way to Galilee. The Samaritans, both in blood and religion, were mongrel Jews, the posterity of those colonies which the king of Assyria planted there after the captivity of the ten tribes, with whom the poor of the land that were left behind, and many other Jews afterwards, incorporated themselves. They worshipped the God of Israel only, to whom they erected a temple on mount Gerizim, in... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 4:15-21

4:15-21 The woman said to him: "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not thirst, and so that I will not have to come here to draw water." Jesus said to her: "Go, call your husband, and come back here." The woman answered: "I have not got a husband." Jesus said to her: "You spoke well when you said, 'I have not got a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. This is the truth that you have told." The woman said to him: "Sir, I see that you are a... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 4:22-26

4:22-26 "You do not know what you are worshipping. We do know what we worship, because the world's salvation has its origin among the Jews. But the hour is coming--the hour is now here--when the real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for it is worshippers like that that the Father is looking for. God is Spirit; and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." The woman said to him: "I know that the Messiah, he who is called Christ, is coming. When... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:20

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ,.... Mount Gerizim, which was just by, and within sight; so that the woman could point to it; it was so near to Shechem, or Sychar, that Jotham's voice was heard from the top of it thither, Judges 9:6 . By the "fathers", this woman claims as theirs, are meant, not the immediate ancestors of the Samaritans, or those only of some few generations past; but the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose descendants they would be thought to be; and they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:21

Jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me ,.... In what I am now going to say, since you own me to be a prophet: the hour cometh ; the time is at hand; it is very near; it is just coming: when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem , worship the Father ; that is, God, whom the Jews, and so the Samaritans, knew under the character of the Father of all men, as the Creator and preserver of them; for not God as the Father of Christ, or of the saints by adopting grace,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:22

Ye worship ye know not what ,.... However, as to her question, he more directly replies by condemning the Samaritans, and their ignorance in worship, and by approving the Jews; and so manifestly gives the preference to the Jews, not only with respect to the place, and object of worship, but with respect to knowledge and salvation. As for the Samaritans, he suggests, that they were ignorant, not only of the true object of worship, but knew not what they themselves worshipped; or, at least,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:23

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers ,.... The worshippers of the true God, and who worship in a right manner, whether Jews or Samaritans, or of whatsoever nation: shall worship the Father ; the one true God, the Father of spirits, and of all flesh living: in spirit ; in opposition to all carnal conceptions of him, as if he was a corporeal being, or circumscribed in some certain place, dwelling in temples made with hands, or was to be worshipped with men's... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:24

God is a spirit ,.... Or "the Spirit is God"; a divine person, possessed of all divine perfections, as appears from his names, works, and worship ascribed unto him; See Gill on John 4:23 ; though the Arabic and Persic versions, and others, read as we do, "God is a spirit"; that is, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: for taking the words in this light, not one of the persons is to be understood exclusive of the other; for this description, or definition, agrees with each of them, and they... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:25

The woman saith unto him ,.... Not knowing well what to say to these things Christ had been discoursing about, as the place, object, and manner of worship; and being undetermined in her judgment of them, by what he had said, was willing to refer them to the Messiah's coming; of which she, and the Samaritans, had some knowledge, I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ : the last clause, "which is called Christ", are not the words of the woman explaining the Hebrew word Messiah;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 4:26

Jesus saith unto her ,.... Upon her making mention of the Messiah, of his coming, and of his work, he took the opportunity of making himself known unto her: I that speak unto thee am he ; the Messiah; see Isaiah 52:6 . This is a wonderful instance of the grace of Christ to this woman, that he should make himself known in so clear and plain a manner, to so mean a person, and so infamous a creature as she had been: we never find that he ever made so clear a discovery of himself, in... read more

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