John 4:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

NIV: Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?'

NASB: You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?'

CSB: You aren't greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock."

NLT: And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?'

KJV: Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

NKJV: Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

The back-and-forth conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman shows her to be an interesting character. Her responses show more than a little courage and wittiness. Just as Nicodemus realized that Jesus wasn't speaking literally in John 3:3–4, the Samaritan woman seems to recognize Jesus' comment from verse 10 has a double meaning. At the same time, she seems to be focused on the physical interpretation (John 4:15). And her continued answer in this verse shows she's more focused on dismissing Jesus than really hearing Him out at this point.

The question here is almost certainly sarcastic. Not only is Jacob a revered figure, but just creating a well was a difficult task. In that region, wells had to be dug quite deeply in order to find water. This particular location, as described in Genesis 33:18–20 and Genesis 48:21–22, is one of the deepest wells in the entire region. Rather than simply asking Jesus, "what does that mean," she responds to his odd remark with some banter of her own, including sarcastic dismissal.

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 9:58:12 AM