John 4:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

NIV: The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'

NASB: The woman *said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.'

CSB: "Sir," the woman said to him, "give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and come here to draw water."

NLT: Please, sir,' the woman said, 'give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.'

KJV: The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

NKJV: The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

Judging by her response (John 4:11–12), the Samaritan woman probably realized immediately that Jesus was not speaking literally of water and wells. At the same time, His teachings were often misinterpreted in a physical way. Her answer here might reflect a deep misunderstanding of the point Jesus is making. More likely, however, she is being sarcastic. She has already scoffed at Jesus for posing as someone greater than Jacob (John 4:12). Since Jesus is still speaking in mostly symbolic terms, she is probably rolling her eyes at Him at this point.

Whatever her real motivation, the woman now asks Jesus to provide her with the water about which He has been speaking. Jesus' reply (John 4:16) is critically important to understand for two reasons. First, even though she is asking for the "living water," Jesus initially refuses her request. Since she doesn't understand what He's speaking of, she's not ready for it (Matthew 13:20–21). The gospel wouldn't be able to grow roots in her, yet.

Secondly, Jesus' response in the next three verses will grab every bit of the Samaritan woman's attention.

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.