John 4:5

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar ,.... Now called Neapolis F4 Hieron. Epitaph. Paulae, Tom. I. fol. 59. & R. Benjamin Itin. p. 38. ; the same with "Sichem", or "Shechem", as appears from its situation,

near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph ; see Genesis 33:18 ; and is either the same, only its termination is changed from "em" into "ar", as Achan into Achar, 1 Chronicles 2:7 . Or it is a new name that was given it, and by which it went in the time of Christ; and might be so called, either from סוכר , "Socher", which signifies a grave; because here, Joseph and the rest of the patriarchs were buried, Joshua 24:32 . Or rather, it was a name of reproach, and so called, from שכר , "drunken"; since the Ephraimites, the posterity of Joseph, which dwelt in these parts, were infamous for the sin of drunkenness; see Isaiah 28:1 . Hence "Sychar Sichem", is "drunken Sichem"; mention is made in the Talmud F5 T. Bab. Bava Metzia, foi. 42. 1. & 83. 1. & Cholin, fol. 94. , of a place called סיכרא , "Sichra". The "parcel of ground", or of a "field", as in Genesis 33:19 , is in the Persic version, called "a vineyard"; and so Nonnus renders it, "a field planted with vines"; and which may serve to confirm the above conjecture, concerning "Sychar" being a nickname.