John 4:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?

NIV: Sir,' the woman said, 'you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

NASB: She *said to Him, 'Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water?

CSB: "Sir," said the woman, "you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this 'living water'?

NLT: But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,' she said, 'and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?

KJV: The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

NKJV: The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?

The gospel of John often uses contrasts as it moves from scene to scene. In this case, chapter three involved Nicodemus, a well-educated, well-respected, and highly moral man. The woman Jesus is currently speaking to is not only a Samaritan woman, but a lonely outcast, not well educated in the Scriptures. And yet, as this verse shows, she had both a certain level of courage, and a certain volume of wit.

Her answer suggests something very similar to Nicodemus' response to Jesus' in John 3:3–4. There, Nicodemus grasped that there was symbolism in Jesus' comment, but did not fully understand it. Here, the woman seems to recognize that Jesus is speaking of something other than literal water. As verse 12 will show, she also recognizes that, whatever Jesus means, He's making some sort of grand claim about Himself.

This comment also reminds us of two mistakes people commonly make when confronted with spiritual truths. One is to assume a physical, worldly interpretation of a spiritual point. This is a frequent mistake made by the Pharisees as they debate with Jesus in later chapters. The other mistake is responding with disbelief, instead of asking for more information directly. The woman's response suggests that she knows Jesus has some other meaning in mind. And yet, looking at the rest of her comments in verse 12, she seems dismissive. She's not really seeking an answer, at least not yet. This helps to explain why Jesus responds to her as he does in verses 17 and 18, by exposing her sin.

John 4:5–26 describes one of the most famous moments in Jesus' earthly ministry. Here, He converses with a Samaritan woman. This particular woman is not only an ''unclean'' Samaritan, but an outcast among her own people. She attempts to avoid Jesus' teachings, giving flippant and sarcastic answers. 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. Jesus both confronts her about her sin, and comforts her with the truth of the gospel. In particular, He explains that 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, have to be 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 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.