John 4

Jesus
Some translations have “the Lord” in place of the first occurrence of “Jesus” in this verse. This is because some ancient Greek manuscripts do have “the Lord” here. However, others have “Jesus,” and the weight of textual evidence falls in favor of this reading as the original (cf. Metzger, TGCNT, 176). This translation thus accounts for the best evidence regarding the original text.

field
The word translated “field” here is χωρίον (chōrion), which refers generally to an unpopulated plot of land. It is normally used in reference to land that is bought, sold, or owned (e.g., Acts 1:18, 19; 4:34; 5:3, 8; 23:7). “Field” is a helpful translation because it uses no more than one word to render the single Greek word, and it is consistent with other uses of the word (cf. Acts 1:18, 19). John emphasizes this particular field as having belonged both to Jacob and Joseph to highlight the historical importance of this place at which Jesus will meet the Samaritan woman. The setting of this significant location builds anticipation for the subsequent narrative as John is informing his readers that something important is about to take place. The expectation and intrigue will only be compounded with the mention of Jacob’s well (v. 6) and a woman of Samaria (v. 7). John is intentionally using every word to build anticipation for this scene.

came
While “came” (Ἔρχεται; Erchetai) is the first word in the sentence in Greek, it is placed as seen in this translation for clarity. This provides a smoother reading than starting the sentence with the more archaic “There came…”. This also allows for the single Greek word to be represented by a single English word.

being a Samaritan woman
While some translations have something like “since I am a Samaritan woman,” the Greek construction here parallels what the woman says about Jesus “being a Jew” and should be translated the same way. Thus, the translation of οὔσης (ousēs) as “being” here shows this parallel in order to highlight the contrast this woman sees between herself and Jesus.

Are you greater…
This question opens with the Greek negative particle μή (mē), which sets an expectation of a negative answer. This is why some translations structure the question as, “You are not…are you?” However, to avoid adding words which do not appear in the Greek, the rhetorical question is simply translated with a familiar English structure. This way, nothing external is added and the force of the rhetorical question remains perfectly intact. Thus, the manner in which the Samaritan woman phrases this question shows her surprise at Jesus’ claim to be able to provide better water than the great patriarch, Jacob. Few are greater than Jacob in the minds of the Samaritans in this special place, and yet the woman clearly understands that Jesus is claiming superiority over him.

never…ever
The word pairing of “never” and “ever” in the Gospel of John translates the phrases οὐ μὴ (ou mē) and εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (eis ton aiōna), respectively (cf. John 8:51, 52; 10:28; 11:26; 13:8). Here, John shows a parallel between the “eternal” thirst-quenching water Jesus gives (οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; ou mē dipsēsei eis ton aiōna) and the eternal life to which it springs up (εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον; eis zōēn aiōnion).

come back here
The phrase translated “come back here” (διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε; dierchōmai enthade) appears both here and in the following verse. A consistent translation conveys John’s wordplay as the woman expresses her desire to not need to come back (μηδὲ διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε; mēde dierchōmai enthade), and Jesus immediately instructs her to go and come back (Ὕπαγε…καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε; Hypage…kai elthe enthade). Jesus plays on the woman’s own words (combining ἔρχομαι [erchomai; “come”] and ἐνθάδε [enthade; “here”]) to begin to show her that her true need is not to stay physically hydrated but to be saved from her sin. The translation “come back here” in both verses helps readers to see this important connection.

come back here
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above.

had
The translation “had” brings out the aorist (simple past) tense of the Greek verb ἔσχες (esches). Translations using “have” (as in “have had”) are reserved for the Greek perfect tense, which often implies ongoing implications of what the verb describes. Here, there were no externally perceivable implications from the woman’s past life. The aorist tense reinforces this. Thus, by pointing out that she “had” five husbands in the past, Jesus emphasizes His omniscience. He knows her past without any present evidence.

the one
The phrase “the one” translates the Greek accusative relative pronoun ὅν (hon; lit. “whom”). Since the hyper-literal translation “and whom you now have…” is an incomplete phrase in English, “the one” gives the simplest and clearest sense and still accurately communicates John’s intent here.

on
While some translations use “in” to represent the preposition ἐν (en) here, the meaning with reference to a mountain is clearly “on,” which is still well within the preposition’s semantic range. In ancient times, worship would often be offered on mountains, the higher elevation symbolizing a closer connection to God. Thus, “on” avoids any confusion regarding what it might mean to worship “in” a mountain, more clearly conveying the intended meaning of ἐν (en) in this case.

when He comes
The word “He” in this phrase translates the demonstrative pronoun ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos; “that one”). Because consistently translating this demonstrative as “that one” would be unnaturally wooden in many contexts, and a simpler translation is grammatically legitimate as well (see BDAG on ἐκεῖνος), its normal rendering in this translation is simply “He” (cf. John 1:8; 5:37; 8:44; etc.).

were marveling
“Were marveling” captures both the imperfect tense of the verb as well as the consistent lexical rendering of θαυμάζω (thaumazō). The imperfect tense portrays the action as continual or ongoing in the moment, and the term for “marvel” describes someone as being in a state of active wonder or awe. John uses this term regularly to describe how someone responds to Jesus when He does or says something out of the ordinary (cf. 5:20; 5:28; 7:15; 7:21).

was speaking
“Was speaking” captures the imperfect tense of the verb λαλέω (laleō). By using the imperfect tense of this verb along with the imperfect tense used for “marveling” (see previous note), John portrays the scene dramatically, with the disciples actively marveling and Jesus carrying on a lengthy conversation with this woman. Thus, Jesus’ ongoing conversation with the Samaritan woman, emphasized by His disciples astonishment, shows His abundant compassion—which traverses all cultural and ethnic boundaries—to offer eternal life to anyone who believes in Him.

water jar
The Greek word ὑδρία (hydria) refers most properly to a tall water jar, as opposed to a water pot, which might suggest something more stout. Thus, it has been translated as “water jar” in this context and elsewhere (cf. 2:6–7).

is this not the Christ?
Refer to the discussion on verse 12 above. The woman phrased her question in a way that expects a negative answer, probably not because of her own doubt (she had already come to terms with the fact that He was a prophet [v. 19], and He explicitly told her that He was the Christ [v. 26]), but because she wanted those who heard to carefully investigate and consider whether this was indeed the truth.

Has anyone brought…
Refer to the discussion on verse 12 above. The disciples were surprised that Jesus claimed that He had food since they were fairly certain no one had brought Him anything to eat and He had not gone anywhere Himself. This emphasizes their failure to recognize the importance of Jesus’ spiritual mission. It was truly more important for Him to satisfy His Father’s will than to satisfy Himself with physical food.

finish
“Finish” is from the verb τελειόω (teleioō). This word connects Jesus’ mission in the Gospel of John to finish what the Father sent Him to earth to do, climaxing with the phrase “it is finished” (τετέλεσται; tetelestai) in 19:30 (cf. 5:36; 17:4; and 19:28).

Even now
“Even now” captures the sense of the Greek adverb ἤδη (ēdē). The placement of this term at the beginning of the sentence in Greek also guides readers toward an emphatic reading “even now.”

bore witness
The phrase “bore witness” translates the verb μαρτυρέω (martyreō). This translation maintains consistency in translating this word, continuing the theme throughout John’s Gospel of the “witness” about Jesus as the Son of God. In this context, the woman bore witness and her testimony effected the salvation of many others, demonstrating the importance of this witness.

truly
While several translations have “indeed” here, the adverb used is more accurately translated as “truly” (ἀληθῶς; alēthōs). John uses this term again in 6:14 when stressing how Jesus is truly the Prophet who would come into the world. In this context, the term’s translation as “truly” is important since it shares the same root as the adjective for “true” (ἀληθινός; alēthinos; cf. 4:23–24, 37). In this way, readers can better identify the emphasis John places on the “truth,” especially that the true worshippers (4:23) who worship in truth (4:24) will worship in and through Jesus Christ (4:42).

bore witness
Refer to the discussion on verse 39 above.

asking
This translation here is “asking” rather than “imploring” because the Greek verb ἐροτάω (erotaō) is less specific, simply communicating the asking of a question. The translation “imploring” is reserved for the stronger and more specific Greek verb ὁρκίζω (horkizō; cf. Mark 5:7; Acts 15:13; 1 Thess 5:27). Here, the sense is that this royal official was asking persistently (implied by the imperfect tense of the verb) with humble desperation. He did not attempt to command Jesus (as someone of his standing might presume to do), but asked, rightly recognizing his inferiority to Jesus. And he exercised true faith and confidence that Jesus’ word would be accomplished just as He said (cf. v. 50).

about to die
While many translations have something like “at the point of death” or “close to death,” a more literal rendering of the Greek is the translation, “about to die” (ἤμελλεν γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκειν; ēmellen gar apothnēskein). This rightly represents the infinitive verb “to die” rather than using a noun (e.g., “death”). By using this construction, John highlights the imminence of the boy’s peril and heightens the suspense of the moment. This would emphasize the scope of Jesus’ power as He did not even need to take the time to travel to the boy but would cure him instantly with a word (cf. v. 50).

never
The translation “never” brings out the strong emphasis of the Greek double negative οὐ μὴ (ou mē) here. Jesus is making a strong and emphatic statement: The hearts of this people are so hardened and dull to the truth that they blatantly disregard the person of Christ, seeking only to see amazing signs. They are hopelessly lost without divine intervention.

started
The imperfect tense verb ἐπορεύετο (eporeueto) is translated with the phrase “started on his way.” Such a translation communicates the ingressive aspect of the imperfect tense in this context, which implies continual or progressive action that has a distinct starting point. The royal official started out and would continue traveling until he reached his destination. This translation also helps to highlight the difference between the imperfect tense of this verb and the aorist (simple/punctiliar) tense of the verb ἐπίστευσεν (episteusen) used earlier in the verse. The royal official’s belief was a simple, settled action, whereas his journey home would require continual movement.

while he was still going down
The use of the present participle καταβαίνοντος (katabainontos) in this context is best translated as a participle of attendant circumstance (i.e., “while he was going down”). The present tense conveys continual and progressive action, as the royal official is continuing steadily downward. In addition to all that is communicated by this participle, John also employs the adverb ἤδη (ēdē; translated “still” here), emphasizing further that the man had not arrived home yet, but rather was still journeying. This highlights the miraculous and instantaneous healing of his son, which was so compelling that his slaves could not wait for his return to announce the miraculous news.

was alive
The fact that the royal official’s son “was alive” was amazing and miraculous because in verse 47, “he was about to die.” In Greek, the word translated “was alive” is the present tense verb ζῇ (zē; lit. “he lives”). This verb is exactly parallel to Jesus announcement earlier in verse 50, “your son lives (ζῇ; zē).” Jesus’ words define reality with perfect correspondence. However, a hyper literal translation here conveying the present tense verb (e.g., “saying that his son lives”) would be awkward and unnatural in English. Thus, “was alive” most smoothly and accurately conveys John’s thought here in English.