What does John 4:6 mean?

Among the unique aspects of the gospel is that Jesus was fully, completely God, and yet fully, completely human as well. He experienced the same moral struggles as other people (Hebrews 4:15). He had to battle spiritual issues, as do all people (Matthew 4:3–11). He also experienced the limitations of the human body. When Christ spoke about being weary, He could speak from personal understanding. Verses such as this contradict the claim that Jesus' body was not human, or that He was not truly incarnated.

John refers to the time of day as "the sixth hour." Debates continue over which time system John uses in this gospel. Roman time, which begins at noon, would place this incident at around 6:00 p.m. This is the most likely interpretation. However, one can see that how John's clock is interpreted differs from version to version, and some Bible translations are more modern in their mention of the time. The other possibility is that John is using the same time system as the other Gospels, which start the day at 6:00 a.m. Therefore, Jesus is either sitting at the well at noon or at 6:00 p.m. Either way, this is hot and bothersome time of day to lug water.

The inconvenient hour, in fact, is part of the background to this story. It gives clues about the Samaritan woman speaking with Jesus in the next verses. She comes alone and during one of the worst times of day to tote around a water pot. Given her tragic lifestyle (John 4:18), she was probably not welcomed by the other women in town. She had to draw water alone and at less ideal times.

Genesis 33:18–20 and Genesis 48:21–22 explain how this section of land came to Joseph through Jacob.