John 4:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;

NIV: "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.

NASB: The woman answered and said to Him, 'I have no husband.' Jesus *said to her, 'You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’;

CSB: "I don’t have a husband," she answered. "You have correctly said, ‘I don’t have a husband,’" Jesus said.

NLT: I don’t have a husband,' the woman replied. Jesus said, 'You’re right! You don’t have a husband —

KJV: The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

NKJV: The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’

The Samaritan woman had come to the well alone, during a hot and unpleasant time of day, to draw water. One would have expected her to come at a cooler time, and / or with other women. More than likely, given what Jesus reveals here, the other women in town wanted nothing to do with her.

In prior verses, Jesus began explaining the "living water" He could offer her. And yet, when this woman first asked for it, He instead asked for her husband. Jesus knew that she didn't understand the message yet and wasn't ready for the gospel. Like seeds on hard soil, something needed to break open before truth could take root (Matthew 13:20–21).

So, Christ has two reasons to ask this question. First is to expose the woman to her own sin and to acknowledge the cultural shame she bore, to make her aware of her need. The second is to point out that, despite knowing about her sin and destitution, God still seeks people like her.

Her answer to Jesus is the shortest of her responses in the story. Even so, she is careful to phrase her answer in vague and unspecific terms. She simply denies having a husband. Jesus will fill in the rest of the details Himself.

John 4:5–26 describes one of the most famous moments in Jesus' earthly ministry. Here, He converses with a Samaritan woman. She is not only an ''unclean'' Samaritan, but also an outcast among her own people. At first, she attempts to avoid Jesus' teachings. Her answers suggest a clever mind, but they are also flippant and sarcastic. Despite that, and despite knowing all about her sin, Jesus encourages her with the love of God. This breaks through her hard heart; as a result, many others are brought to meet Christ. The disciples are also taught a valuable lesson about the purpose of their mission.

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. He confronts her about sin, yet He also comforts her with the truth of the gospel. Even though He knows her sins, He still seeks after her, and those like her. The woman returns to town, eventually bringing many people to meet Jesus. The disciples, meanwhile, are reminded of the purpose of their mission. Jesus also heals the son of a government official in a way that demonstrates the importance of trusting faith, rather than reliance on spectacle.

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man (John 3:1–2) to talking to an outcast, unlearned, self-conscious woman. The combination of this passage, along with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, makes an important spiritual point: the gospel is for all people, in all places, and all times. Christ can reach each person exactly where he or she needs to be reached.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.