in vv. 3a, 43, 45a, 46a, 47b, 54b and in 1:43; 2:1, 11; 6:1; 7:1, 9, 41, 52; 12:21; 21:2) because of the fear of the “Pharisees” (v. 1b and 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 16:2; 19:38; 20:19).
2.2.8 The Discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (vv. 4–42)
- Second Setting (vv. 4–6)
Who: Jesus, a Samaritan woman301 (vv. 7–26, 27c–30, 39a, 42a–b), His disciples (vv. 8, 27, 31–38), the Samarian citizen of Sychar (vv. 28b–30, 39–42)
When: “the sixth hour” (= noon) (v. 6c)
Where: the “well of Jacob” (v. 6a) nears the Samarian city of “Sychar” (v. 5a)
Who: Jesus, the Samaritan woman, His disciples, the Samaritans (of the town of Sychar)
v. 4: The transitional verse in an accusative with a particle-infinitive-construction “autón + dé + dɩérchesthaɩ” in verse 4a introduces a new scene (cf. vv. 4–6) of the discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (cf. vv. 7–26/42).
The Fourth Evangelist relates that Jesus (and His disciples) travelled through the region/area of “Samaria”302 (vv. 4, 5a, 7a) – between the districts of “Judea” (v. 3a) in the south and “Galilee” (v. 3b – cf. Luke 9:52–55; 10:33; 17:16; Acts 1:8; 8:4–25) in the north of Palestine as did most pilgrims from Galilee to Jerusalem because it was the shortest/fastest way303 (cf. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XX 118; Bellum Iudaicum II 232–233).
v. 5: As John 3:22 or 11:54, on their “journey” (in Greek “hodoıporίa” in v. 6b and 2 Corinthians 11:26), they came to the Samarian “town Sychar”304 – in Greek “Suchár” is Hapax legomenon of the New Testament – which is “near”
v. 6: the “well” (cf. v. 14) of “Jacob” (vv. 5–6, 12 – cf. Genesis 33:18–19; 48:22 [“Joseph”, the beloved son of Jacob – also Joshua 24:32 and Acts 7:9, 13–14, 18]) and His disciples went “shopping food” (vv. 8, 27) in this city. The tired Jesus “sat down” for a rest “by the well” a simple cistern and not a spring or fountain “about the sixth hour”305 (cf. John 19:14) of the Jewish daytime that means at 12 o’clock (= noon).
- The Dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (vv. 7–26) and His Disciples (vv. 31–38)
+ The First Dialogue/s (vv. 7–26)
# Part I: Discussion of the so-called “Living water” (vv. 7–15)
The conversation between Jesus (cf. vv. 7d, 10b–f, 13b–14g, 16b–d, 17d–18d, 21b–24b, 26b–c) and the Samaritan woman (cf. vv. 9b–c, 11b–12d, 15b–e, 17b, 19b–20d, 25b–f) has three main themes which are discussed: The “living water” (cf. vv. 7–15) and her relationship with “five men” (cf. vv. 16–19) as well as His identity and the true worship (cf. vv. 20–26).
v. 7: A “Samaritan woman” of the “town” of “Sychar” (cf. v. 28b) also came to the “well” (v. 6a) of Jacob “to scoop/draw306 water” (vv. 7b, 15f and John 2:8–9; Genesis 24:11, 13; 29:2; Exodus 2:16) and to take it home in a “water pot/jar” (cf. v. 28a). That was her daily task to get fresh water for cooking, drinking, washing, cleaning and so on. The “tired”307 (v. 6b) and “thirsty” (vv. 13c, 14c, 15c) (as well as hungry [vv. 8b, 31c]) Jesus who also had the human/essential needs started a dialogue with her, requesting her: “Give me” – note the imperative in Greek “dós” in vv. 7d, 10d, 15b) – “to drink”308 (cf. v. 10d). At the time of Jesus, it was a scandal for Jesus as a Jewish man (cf. v. 9b) to speak with a woman (cf., for example, 1 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:1–3) from Samaria in public who was not married with her common law spouse (cf. v. 18a–c). He ignored all these social and religious barriers with the risk of losing His reputation as a rabbi/teacher.
v. 8: The Evangelist comments that His “disciples”309 (cf. vv. 8a, 27a, 31a, 33a) – including John – were absent because of their “shopping310 food” in the “town” of “Sychar” (v. 5a – cf. Luke 9:52). A commentary of the Evangelist in verse 27 states that they came to Jesus and talked with Him (cf. vv. 27, 31–38).
v. 9: She, a Samaritan, requested Jesus, the “Jew” (v. 9b): “How” – note the interrogative pronoun “põs” in John 3:4, 9 – “/can/ you as a Jew ask … contact me” as a Samaritan for a “drink”? (vv. 7d, 9c, 10d, 12c, 13b, 14a311). Jesus was a Jew from His Birth (cf. Luke 2:21–24) until His Death (cf. John 19:19/Mark 15:26; Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:38) – note verse 22 who visited the synagogues (cf. John 6:59; 18:20; Mark 1:21–28; 3:1; 6,1–6a; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 12:9; 13:54–58; Luke 4:15, 16–30, 31–38, 44; 6:6; 13:10) and the pilgrim feasts (cf. John 2:13, 23; 5:1; 6:4; 7:2, 14, 37; 10:22; 11:55) and the Temple in Jerusalem (cf. John 2:13–22; Mark 11:15–19, 27–13:2; Matthew 21:10–17, 23–24:2; Luke 2:41–42; 19:45–48; 20:1–21:6). The Fourth Evangelist explains with the help of a “commented parenthesis”312 (cf. vv. 2a–b, 8a–b, 9c) the historical centuries-old trouble between Jews and the Samaritans due to the Assyrian exile since 722 B.C.313:
v. 10: The verbs “ask”314 and “drink” are the catch- respectively keywords for His statement of the “living water” (cf. vv. 11d, 13–15 and John 7:37–38[; 19:34]) in the spiritual sense – note also the “living bread” (6:51) as God’s gift. Jesus will be the “giver” of it all in His name. He emphasizes with His (identity) question – “who is315 who”/He (v. 10c) – the reflection on His identity as the “living water” respectively the “living bread” (6:35, 51).
vv. 11–12: She respectfully – “Lord” (note the vocative in vv. 11b, 15b, 19b) – asked Jesus a question (cf., for example, 1:48; 2:9; 3:8) because of her thinking in human terms and thus misunderstanding Him: “Where /do/ ( ) you (have/get) the living water” (v. 11d) – without a “ladle”316 (cf. v. 11b) on a rope for the “(deep) well ( )” (v. 11c)? And her second question was: “Are you greater than (our) father/ancestor ( ) Jacob” (v. 12a – cf. v. 5c) – note also the comparative in 8:53 (Abraham) – who “gave … the well” (v. 12b – cf. v. 6a) and for drinking water from it himself, “(his) sons ( )” and “(His) livestock317 ( )” (cf. Genesis 29:10; Exodus 2:16) as well as the citizen of Sychar.
vv. 13–14: Jesus, the “giver” (cf. v. 14b) of “the (living) water ( )” (vv. 10f, 11d) on God’s/the Holy Spirit’s behalf (cf. John 14:14, 23), contrasts the “normal” water (cf. v. 13b and Exodus 17:1–7; Psalm 105:41) and the (divine) “living water” in an antithesis respectively a correction in verse 14a–g (“not … but” in v. 14c, d): Everyone who “drinks (v. 13a) “normal” “water will be thirsty318 again” (v. 13b–c), however whoever “drinks” (v. 14a) the living “water will never319
