ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for John 4

John 4:4 Jesus had to pass this way because it was the shortest route. The words may also indicate that God directed his journey (see 3:7; 14; 30; 9:4; 10:16; 12:34; 20:9). Through Samaria was the usual route taken by travelers from Judea to Galilee. However, although the OT does not teach this, some Jews thought the Samaritans were unclean; to avoid defilement, they bypassed Samaria by crossing the Jordan and traveling on the east side of the river. The Samaritans were partly Jewish and partly Gentile and were disdained by both Jews and Gentiles (see Luke 10:33; 17:16; John 8:48). Second Kings 17:24–31 describes how the king of Assyria brought foreign people to settle in Samaria after he defeated it in 722 b.c. Over time they intermarried with Jews who remained in the area. The Samaritans had their own version of the Pentateuch, their own temple on Mount Gerizim, and their own version of Israelite history. See note on John 4:20–21. Tensions often ran high between Jews and Samaritans.

John 4:5 The village of Sychar was probably on the slope of Mount Ebal near the OT city of Shechem. the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. See Gen. 33:18–19; 48:21–22; Ex. 13:19; Josh. 24:32.

John 4:6 That Jesus was wearied . . . from his journey shows that he was fully human as well as fully God (see also 11:35; 19:28). The sixth hour was noon. It would have been hot and time to rest. Travelers would be thirsty. Normally, women would come to draw water in the morning or evening when it was cooler (Gen. 24:11). This woman comes when no one else would be at the well.

John 4:7 Jesus took the initiative in speaking to a Samaritan woman—an astonishing break with his culture.

John 4:10 Jesus’ words about living water again involve double meaning (see notes on 3:14; 8:24; 19:19). Literally, the phrase refers to fresh spring water (Gen. 26:19). John 7:38–39 identifies this “living water” as the Holy Spirit dwelling within a believer (compare Jer. 2:13).

John 4:11 The well today is still more than 100 feet (31 m) deep and was probably deeper at that time.

John 4:12 our father Jacob. The Samaritans still thought of themselves as true descendants of Jacob.

John 4:14 The water that I will give him is the “living water” of v. 10 (see note). Will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life recalls Isa. 12:3 (see also Isa. 44:3; 55:1–3).

John 4:15 The woman takes Jesus literally and misunderstands him (see 3:4; 6:52).

John 4:18 the one you now have is not your husband. Merely living together does not constitute marriage. Marriage requires official sanction and public ceremony at which a man and woman commit to the marriage. The community then recognizes their marriage (see 2:1; also Song 3:11; Mal. 2:14; Matt. 9:15).

John 4:20–21 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain. From Mount Gerizim (Deut. 11:29; 27:12), the blessings for keeping the covenant were announced. The Samaritans’ version of Deut. 27:4 (see note on John 4:4) named Mount Gerizim (rather than Ebal) as the place for the altar. “Fathers” may have included Abraham (Gen. 12:7) and Jacob (Gen. 33:18–20), who built altars in that region.

John 4:21 neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. Jesus opens a new age in which God’s people everywhere will be the new temple where he dwells (see 1 Cor. 3:16–17; Eph. 2:19–22).

John 4:22 You is plural, implying “You Samaritans.” In saying we worship what we know Jesus identifies himself as a Jew. salvation is from the Jews. The whole OT, which taught about salvation, was from the Jewish people, and the Messiah himself came from the Jews.

John 4:24 God is spirit. God is not made of physical matter. He is present everywhere. He is not seen (see 3:6, 8), yet he is so powerful he brought the universe into existence (see 1:1–3; 10; 17:5).

John 4:25–26 I . . . am he. Jesus does not identify himself directly among Jews as the Messiah (see note on 1:41) since most would then think he had come to bring instant political deliverance.

John 4:32–34 food to eat. See Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4. work. See note on John 14:12.

John 4:35 Jesus’ coming has already ushered in the end-time harvest. A “crop” of believers is now being gathered into God’s kingdom. The immediate reference may be to the Samaritans who are going to believe in Jesus (vv. 39–42).

John 4:36 This statement recalls Amos 9:13, which also describes the abundance of the new age.

John 4:37–38 The others who have labored are Jesus and his predecessors, especially John the Baptist and his followers. In a broader sense this includes all the OT writers and prophets. Jesus’ followers benefit from their work and will bring in the harvest.

John 4:41–42 Savior of the world. The Samaritans’ response to Jesus marks the first indication of the universal scope of his saving mission (compare 10:16; 11:51–52; Acts 1:8).

John 4:43–54 The healing of the official’s son resembles the healing of the Gentile centurion’s servant in Matt. 8:5–13 and Luke 7:2–10, but it is not the same incident.

John 4:43 It is at least 49 miles (79 km) by road from Sychar to Cana (v. 46). This journey would have taken two or three days on foot.

John 4:44 For . . . a prophet has no honor. The wording of the proverb is different in Matt. 13:57, Mark 6:4, and Luke 4:24, and the application there is also different.

John 4:46 The official was probably a Gentile centurion (see note on Matt. 8:5–7). Jesus brings the gospel to a respected Jewish teacher (John 3:1–21), an outcast Samaritan woman (4:1–42), and now an official working for the Roman government (4:46–54). The gospel is meant for everyone in the world.

John 4:48 Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe does not mean one should view “signs” negatively. To the contrary, Jesus’ miracles are one of the primary means God uses to bring people to faith in him (2:11; 23; 3:2; 4:53–54; 6:2; 14; 7:31; 11:47–48; 12:11; 18; 20:31).

John 4:54 second sign. That is, in John’s series. See v. 46; 2:11. Jesus had also performed signs in Jerusalem (see 2:23; 3:2; 4:45).