15 The woman saith unto him, 'Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.' 16 Jesus saith to her, 'Go, call thy husband, and come hither;' 17 the woman answered and said, 'I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, 'Well didst thou say—A husband I have not; 18 for five husbands thou hast had, and, now, he whom thou hast is not thy husband; this hast thou said truly.' 19 The woman saith to him, 'Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet; 20 our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye—ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.' 21 Jesus saith to her, 'Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father; 22 ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews; 23 but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him; 24 God 'is' a Spirit, and those worshipping Him, in spirit and truth it doth behove to worship.' 25 The woman saith to him, 'I have known that Messiah doth come, who is called Christ, when that one may come, he will tell us all things;' 26 Jesus saith to her, 'I am 'he', who am speaking to thee.'
27 And upon this came his disciples, and were wondering that with a woman he was speaking, no one, however, said, 'What seekest thou?' or 'Why speakest thou with her?' 28 The woman then left her water-jug, and went away to the city, and saith to the men, 29 'Come, see a man, who told me all things—as many as I did; is this the Christ?' 30 They went forth therefore out of the city, and were coming unto him. 31 And in the meanwhile his disciples were asking him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat;' 32 and he said to them, 'I have food to eat that ye have not known.' 33 The disciples then said one to another, 'Did any one bring him anything to eat?' 34 Jesus saith to them, 'My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work; 35 do not say that it is yet four months, and the harvest cometh; lo, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and see the fields, that they are white unto harvest already. 36 'And he who is reaping doth receive a reward, and doth gather fruit to life age-during, that both he who is sowing and he who is reaping may rejoice together; 37 for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper. 38 I sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others laboured, and ye into their labour have entered. 39 And from that city many believed in him, of the Samaritans, because of the word of the woman testifying,—'He told me all things—as many as I did.' 40 When, then, the Samaritans came unto him, they were asking him to remain with them, and he remained there two days; 41 and many more did believe because of his word, 42 and said to the woman—'No more because of thy speaking do we believe; for we ourselves have heard and known that this is truly the Saviour of the world—the Christ.'
43 And after the two days he went forth thence, and went away to Galilee, 44 for Jesus himself testified that a prophet in his own country shall not have honour; 45 when then, he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all things that he did in Jerusalem in the feast—for they also went to the feast. 46 Jesus came, therefore, again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, and there was a certain courtier, whose son was ailing in Capernaum, 47 he, having heard that Jesus is come out of Judea to Galilee, went away unto him, and was asking him that he may come down and may heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 Jesus then said unto him, 'If signs and wonders ye may not see, ye will not believe.' 49 The courtier saith unto him, 'Sir, come down before my child die;' 50 Jesus saith to him, 'Be going on; thy son doth live.' And the man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and was going on, 51 and he now going down, his servants met him, and told, saying—'Thy child doth live;'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 4:15-51
Commentary on John 4:4-26
(Read John 4:4-26)
There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also, he was a poor man, and went all his journeys on foot. Being wearied, he sat thus on the well; he had no couch to rest upon. He sat thus, as people wearied with travelling sit. Surely, we ought readily to submit to be like the Son of God in such things as these. Christ asked a woman for water. She was surprised because he did not show the anger of his own nation against the Samaritans. Moderate men of all sides are men wondered at. Christ took the occasion to teach her Divine things: he converted this woman, by showing her ignorance and sinfulness, and her need of a Saviour. By this living water is meant the Spirit. Under this comparison the blessing of the Messiah had been promised in the Old Testament. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity. What Jesus spake figuratively, she took literally. Christ shows that the water of Jacob's well yielded a very short satisfaction. Of whatever waters of comfort we drink, we shall thirst again. But whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the gospel, shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal ends. Give it me, saith she, not that I may have everlasting life, which Christ proposed, but that I come not hither to draw. The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, and keeping them from fastening. But how closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her conscience! He severely reproved her present state of life. The woman acknowledged Christ to be a prophet. The power of his word in searching the heart, and convincing the conscience of secret things, is a proof of Divine authority. It should cool our contests, to think that the things we are striving about are passing away. The object of worship will continue still the same, God, as a Father; but an end shall be put to all differences about the place of worship. Reason teaches us to consult decency and convenience in the places of our worship; but religion gives no preference to one place above another, in respect of holiness and approval with God. The Jews were certainly in the right. Those who by the Scriptures have obtained some knowledge of God, know whom they worship. The word of salvation was of the Jews. It came to other nations through them. Christ justly preferred the Jewish worship before the Samaritan, yet here he speaks of the former as soon to be done away. God was about to be revealed as the Father of all believers in every nation. The spirit or the soul of man, as influenced by the Holy Spirit, must worship God, and have communion with him. Spiritual affections, as shown in fervent prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, form the worship of an upright heart, in which God delights and is glorified. The woman was disposed to leave the matter undecided, till the coming of the Messiah. But Christ told her, I that speak to thee, am He. She was an alien and a hostile Samaritan, merely speaking to her was thought to disgrace our Lord Jesus. Yet to this woman did our Lord reveal himself more fully than as yet he had done to any of his disciples. No past sins can bar our acceptance with him, if we humble ourselves before him, believing in him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Commentary on John 4:27-42
(Read John 4:27-42)
The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of his word. He told her secret sins with power. She fastened upon that part of Christ's discourse, many would think she would have been most shy of repeating; but the knowledge of Christ, into which we are led by conviction of sin, is most likely to be sound and saving. They came to him: those who would know Christ, must meet him where he records his name. Our Master has left us an example, that we may learn to do the will of God as he did; with diligence, as those that make a business of it; with delight and pleasure in it. Christ compares his work to harvest-work. The harvest is appointed and looked for before it comes; so was the gospel. Harvest-time is busy time; all must be then at work. Harvest-time is a short time, and harvest-work must be done then, or not at all; so the time of the gospel is a season, which if once past, cannot be recalled. God sometimes uses very weak and unlikely instruments for beginning and carrying on a good work. Our Saviour, by teaching one poor woman, spread knowledge to a whole town. Blessed are those who are not offended at Christ. Those taught of God, are truly desirous to learn more. It adds much to the praise of our love to Christ and his word, if it conquers prejudices. Their faith grew. In the matter of it: they believed him to be the Saviour, not only of the Jews but of the world. In the certainty of it: we know that this is indeed the Christ. And in the ground of it, for we have heard him ourselves.
Commentary on John 4:43-54
(Read John 4:43-54)
The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus. Christ gave an answer of peace. Christ's saying that the soul lives, makes it alive. The father went his way, which showed the sincerity of his faith. Being satisfied, he did not hurry home that night, but returned as one easy in his own mind. His servants met him with the news of the child's recovery. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word. Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word, will confirm our faith. And the bringing the cure to the family brought salvation to it. Thus an experience of the power of one word of Christ, may settle the authority of Christ in the soul. The whole family believed likewise. The miracle made Jesus dear to them. The knowledge of Christ still spreads through families, and men find health and salvation to their souls.