John · The Evangelist

John · Chapter 4

The Woman at the Well and the Official's Son

Jesus breaks every social barrier to offer living water. Leaving Judea for Galilee, Jesus stops in Samaria and engages a woman whose ethnicity, gender, and reputation would have made her untouchable to most Jewish teachers. Through this encounter and the healing of a royal official's son, John reveals that Jesus offers life-giving faith that transcends geography, ethnicity, and social standing. The kingdom of God is open to all who believe.

John 4:1-26

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

LSB Text

¹Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John ²(although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), ³He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. ⁴And He had to pass through Samaria. ⁵So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; ⁶and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink, since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? ¹²You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” ¹⁷The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” ¹⁹The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” ²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” ²⁵The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” ²⁶Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

Greek Text

¹Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ὅτι Ἰησοῦς πλείονας μαθητὰς ποιεῖ καὶ βαπτίζει ἢ Ἰωάννης ²—καίτοιγε Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν ἀλλ' οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ— ³ἀφῆκεν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἀπῆλθεν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. ⁴ἔδει δὲ αὐτὸν διέρχεσθαι διὰ τῆς Σαμαρείας. ⁵ἔρχεται οὖν εἰς πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας λεγομένην Συχὰρ πλησίον τοῦ χωρίου ὃ ἔδωκεν Ἰακὼβ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· ⁶ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ πηγὴ τοῦ Ἰακώβ. ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς κεκοπιακὼς ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἐκαθέζετο οὕτως ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ· ὥρα ἦν ὡς ἕκτη. ⁷ἔρχεται γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· δός μοι πεῖν· ⁸οἱ γὰρ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπεληλύθεισαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἵνα τροφὰς ἀγοράσωσιν. ⁹λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Σαμαρῖτις· πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν παρ' ἐμοῦ πεῖν αἰτεῖς γυναικὸς Σαμαρίτιδος οὔσης; οὐ γὰρ συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι Σαμαρίταις. ¹⁰ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι· δός μοι πεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄν σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν. ¹¹λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή· κύριε, οὔτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶν βαθύ· πόθεν οὖν ἔχεις τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν; ¹²μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακώβ, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ φρέαρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔπιεν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θρέμματα αὐτοῦ; ¹³ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· πᾶς ὁ πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος τούτου διψήσει πάλιν· ¹⁴ὃς δ' ἂν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὕδωρ ὃ δώσω αὐτῷ γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. ¹⁵λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ γυνή· κύριε, δός μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μὴ διψῶ μηδὲ διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε ἀντλεῖν. ¹⁶λέγει αὐτῇ· ὕπαγε φώνησον τὸν ἄνδρα σου καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε. ¹⁷ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καλῶς εἶπας ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω· ¹⁸πέντε γὰρ ἄνδρας ἔσχες καὶ νῦν ὃν ἔχεις οὐκ ἔστιν σου ἀνήρ· τοῦτο ἀληθὲς εἴρηκας. ¹⁹λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή· κύριε, θεωρῶ ὅτι προφήτης εἶ σύ. ²⁰οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν· καὶ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου προσκυνεῖν δεῖ. ²¹λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· πίστευέ μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσκυνήσετε τῷ πατρί. ²²ὑμεῖς προσκυνεῖτε ὃ οὐκ οἴδατε· ἡμεῖς προσκυνοῦμεν ὃ οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ἡ σωτηρία ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστίν. ²³ἀλλ' ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν. ²⁴πνεῦμα ὁ θεός, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν. ²⁵λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή· οἶδα ὅτι Μεσσίας ἔρχεται ὁ λεγόμενος χριστός· ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, ἀναγγελεῖ ἡμῖν ἅπαντα. ²⁶λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐγώ εἰμι, ὁ λαλῶν σοι.

Hōs oun egnō ho Iēsous hoti ēkousan hoi Pharisaioi hoti Iēsous pleionas mathētas poiei kai baptizei ē Iōannēs — kaitoige Iēsous autos ouk ebaptizen all' hoi mathētai autou — aphēken tēn Ioudaian kai apēlthen palin eis tēn Galilaian. edei de auton dierchesthai dia tēs Samareias. erchetai oun eis polin tēs Samareias legomenēn Sychar plēsion tou chōriou ho edōken Iakōb tō Iōsēph tō hyiō autou; ēn de ekei pēgē tou Iakōb. ho oun Iēsous kekopiakōs ek tēs hodoiporias ekathezeto houtōs epi tē pēgē; hōra ēn hōs hektē. erchetai gynē ek tēs Samareias antlēsai hydōr. legei autē ho Iēsous: dos moi pein. egō eimi, ho lalōn soi.

Key Words

ἔδει edei it was necessary

Imperfect of the impersonal verb δεῖ (“it is necessary”), often carrying divine-necessity force in the Gospels and Acts (cf. Luke 24:26; Acts 4:12). Geographically, a Jew traveling Judea-to-Galilee was not compelled to pass through Samaria — many took the longer Perean route east of the Jordan to avoid Samaritan territory. John's ἔδει therefore signals theological compulsion, not topography: this encounter has been arranged. The verb foreshadows the Johannine cluster of divine-must sayings (3:7, 14, 30; 9:4; 10:16; 12:34) that mark the Father's redemptive timetable.

πηγή pēgē spring, well

A spring or fountain — living water that flows from a source — distinct from φρέαρ (cistern / shaft-well, used by the woman in v. 11). The narrator calls it a πηγή in v. 6; the woman, who must lower a vessel into deep stagnant water, calls it a φρέαρ in v. 11. The lexical alternation is theological: Jesus speaks of ὕδωρ ζω˜ν — living spring water — while she stands at a depth-well. Jacob's well at Sychar is fed by a small spring at the bottom of a deep shaft, which makes it both technically; the gospel exploits the ambiguity. Πηγή reappears in v. 14 as the in-believer well: γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ ὕδατος.

ἕκτη hektē sixth (hour)

The Jewish hour-reckoning counts from sunrise: the sixth hour is roughly noon. Drawing water at noon was atypical — the regular hours were morning and evening (cf. Gen 24:11), and the heat made midday a punishing time. Some commentators read the detail as evidence of the woman's social isolation (avoiding the gossip of the morning gathering); others note that John's hours often have symbolic-narrative weight (1:39; 19:14). At minimum, ἥκτη sets the scene at the day's vertical sun — an apt frame for the gospel's first explicit ἐγώ εἰμι.

ὕδωρ ζῶν hydōr zōn living water

In ordinary speech, ὕδωρ ζω˜ν meant fresh, flowing spring-water as opposed to standing or cistern water; in OT prophetic idiom (Jer 2:13; 17:13; Zech 14:8; Ezek 47:1-12) it signified the life-giving presence of Yahweh. The woman hears the literal sense and presses the practical objection (v. 11: οὐτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις); Jesus exploits the double meaning to claim both the prophetic register and a higher source. The image culminates in 7:38-39 where the ὕδωρ ζω˜ν is identified explicitly as the indwelling Spirit. Here it is offered first to a Samaritan woman with a complicated marital history.

δωρεάν dōrean gift

The accusative of δωρεά (“gift, free present”), from δώρον (cf. Eph 2:8). The phrase τὴν δωρεὰν το˜υ θεο˜υ (v. 10) refers most naturally not to the woman's drink-gift to Jesus but to the larger reality the Samaritan does not yet recognize: God's eschatological gift now embodied in the Son she is addressing. The lexeme later carries the technical sense of the Spirit-as-gift in Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45 — the Johannine gift here is implicitly the same.

πέντε ἄνδρας pente andras five husbands

The five-husband datum has been read three ways: (1) bare biographical fact — serial widowhood and remarriage are demographically plausible in this era and would not necessarily be morally censured; (2) symbolic, with the five recalling the five Gentile peoples Sargon II resettled in Samaria (2 Kgs 17:24) whose syncretistic worship the prophet decried; (3) a hybrid, where Jesus' supernatural knowledge of her situation prompts her recognition (προφήτης εἶ σύ) without His statement itself functioning as moral indictment. The text's restraint — no explicit rebuke, the gentle καλως εἶπας — favors a pastoral rather than condemnatory reading.

προσκυνέω proskyneō to worship

Compound of προς (“toward”) and κυνέω (“to kiss”) — literally “to bow toward and kiss [the ground or the feet of].” In LXX it is the standard verb for cultic worship of God (or, polemically, of idols). The verb saturates this dialogue (10x in vv. 20-24) and signals the deepest substance of the Jewish-Samaritan rift: which mountain (Gerizim, where the Samaritans had built a rival temple in the 4th c. BC, destroyed by John Hyrcanus in 128 BC) carries valid sanctuary. Jesus relativizes the place-question by relocating worship from geography to πνεῦμα καὶ ἀλήθεια.

ἐγώ εἰμι egō eimi I am [He]

The first explicit ἐγώ εἰμι in John's Gospel. Construed grammatically the phrase fills the predicate slot of v. 25 — “I, the one speaking to you, am [the Messiah-Christ]” — but the wording ἐγώ εἰμι, ὁ λαλ˜ων σοι deliberately echoes Exod 3:14 LXX (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὼν) and Isa 52:6 LXX (ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ λαλ˜ων) — passages in which Yahweh speaks His covenant identity. That this revelation comes outside Israel, to a woman, in a half-pagan province, is the Johannine point.

Grammar & Argument

The pericope is John's longest dialogue and the gospel's hinge between the Nicodemus night-conversation (a male Pharisaic ruler in Jerusalem who departs unconverted) and this midday Samaria conversation (an unnamed woman of dubious social standing who becomes the first Johannine evangelist). The frame is intentional — chapter 3 and chapter 4 are diptych panels of revelation, and the woman gets the longer scene.

The narrator's small geographic note ἔδει (“He had to”) signals divine appointment, not road-map. Sychar lies near the parcel Jacob gave Joseph (Gen 48:22); the well is the patriarchal water source. Jesus arrives κεκοπιακώς ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας — the perfect participle preserves the lasting impress of the journey. Wearied, thirsty Jesus is the same one who will offer ὕδωρ ζω˜ν: a Johannine paradox in which the giver of life-water Himself runs out of strength.

The dialogue moves on three levels of misunderstanding-and-clarification. (1) Water (vv. 7-15): the woman hears literal water; Jesus speaks of the eschatological gift; the irony of her plea ιἔκεινος δός μοι (v. 15) is that she still hopes to escape the daily water-drawing. (2) Husbands (vv. 16-19): Jesus' supernatural knowledge breaks her categories — the καλως εἶπας preserves her dignity while disclosing His. (3) Worship (vv. 20-24): she deflects to the millennial Gerizim/Jerusalem dispute; Jesus answers neither for nor against her side, but relocates προσκύνησις from sacred geography to πνε˜υμα καὶ ἀλήθεια.

The temporal markers are striking. ἔρχεται ἥρα καὶ ν˜υν ἐστιν (v. 23) is Johannine realized eschatology in shorthand: the eschatological hour has arrived in this conversation. The line η σωτηρία ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστιν (v. 22) is salvation-historical realism — Israel's election holds — spoken by the Jew Jesus to a Samaritan, even as the ν˜υν expands the circle. Πνε˜υμα ὁ θεός (v. 24) is one of John's three direct θεός-predications (cf. 1 John 1:5; 4:8) — not pantheist abstraction but ontological-theological grounding for the spirit-and-truth relocation of worship.

The dialogue's climax (v. 26) brings the gospel's first explicit ἐγώ εἰμι. The woman raises the Messiah expectation (her Samaritan term was Taheb, “the restorer”), and Jesus answers in formula. The grammar here is both straightforward predicate-supplement (“I, the one speaking to you, am [Messiah]”) and theophanically loaded — the Exod 3:14 LXX echo is unmistakable. The disclosure first given in private to a Samaritan woman will reverberate through the city (vv. 28-30, 39-42) and prefigure the gospel's missional reach to all κόσμος (v. 42).

The Son of God arrives wearied and thirsty at a patriarchal well, and the long arc of revelation comes to a noonday point in conversation with a Samaritan woman whose own words she does not yet finish. Where Nicodemus came by night and remained in the dark, she comes at noon and runs back to her city as the first preacher in this gospel.

OT Connection

Genesis 24:10-21 · Genesis 29:1-12 · Exodus 2:15-21 · Jeremiah 2:13 · Zechariah 14:8

The well-meeting is a Hebrew Bible type-scene: Eliezer meets Rebekah at a well (Gen 24), Jacob meets Rachel at a well (Gen 29), Moses meets Zipporah at a well (Exod 2). Each scene becomes the betrothal of a Patriarch's bride. John deploys the convention with full knowledge: a man arrives wearied at a well, a woman comes to draw water, the conversation begins with a request for a drink. The reader who knows the OT pattern is primed for a betrothal.

But the betrothal here is between the bridegroom-Messiah (cf. 3:29) and a people, not an individual: Samaritans whom Israel has long regarded as outside the covenant. Jeremiah 2:13 — “they have forsaken Me, the fountain (πηγή) of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns (φρεάτα) that hold no water” — supplies the lexical layer beneath Jesus' ὕδωρ ζω˜ν. Zech 14:8 promises the eschatological day when living waters flow from Jerusalem; Jesus relocates that promise within the believer (v. 14: πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου).

LSB Choices Worth Noting

“Living water” for ὕδωρ ζω˜ν — LSB preserves the participial sense of the water as itself alive and life-giving rather than smoothing it to “life-giving water,” which would lose the prophetic register of Jer 2:13 and Zech 14:8.

“Salvation is from the Jews” for ὁ σωτηρία ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐστιν (v. 22) — LSB retains the literal “the Jews,” preserving the salvation-historical claim. Some translations soften to “the Jewish people,” but Jesus' point is precisely covenantal-ethnic: Israel's election is the channel of salvation to the world.

“I who speak to you am He” for ἐγώ εἰμι, ὁ λαλ˜ων σοι (v. 26) — LSB italicizes the supplied “He” in some printings to flag that the underlying Greek is bare ἐγώ εἰμι, the Exod 3:14 LXX formula. The first of John's seven absolute ἐγώ εἰμι sayings is given here, in private, to a Samaritan woman.

John 4:27-38

The Disciples and the Harvest

LSB Text

²⁷And at this point His disciples came, and they were marveling that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” ²⁸So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, ²⁹“Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” ³⁰They went out of the city, and were coming to Him. ³¹In the meantime the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” ³²But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” ³³So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” ³⁴Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. ³⁵Do you not say, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. ³⁶Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

Greek Text

²⁷Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἦλθαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθαύμαζον ὅτι μετὰ γυναικὸς ἐλάλει· οὐδεὶς μέντοι εἶπεν· τί ζητεῖς; ἢ τί λαλεῖς μετ' αὐτῆς; ²⁸ἀφῆκεν οὖν τὴν ὑδρίαν αὐτῆς ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ λέγει τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ²⁹δεῦτε ἴδετε ἄνθρωπον ὃς εἶπέν μοι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησα· μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός; ³⁰ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτόν. ³¹Ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ ἠρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· ῥαββί, φάγε. ³²ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἐγὼ βρῶσιν ἔχω φαγεῖν ἣν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε. ³³ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους· μή τις ἤνεγκεν αὐτῷ φαγεῖν; ³⁴λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν ἵνα ποιήσω τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με καὶ τελειώσω αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον. ³⁵οὐχ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἔτι τετράμηνός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ θερισμὸς ἔρχεται; ἰδοὺ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ θεάσασθε τὰς χώρας ὅτι λευκαί εἰσιν πρὸς θερισμόν· ἤδη ³⁶ὁ θερίζων μισθὸν λαμβάνει καὶ συνάγει καρπὸν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, ἵνα ὁ σπείρων ὁμοῦ χαίρῃ καὶ ὁ θερίζων. ³⁷ἐν γὰρ τούτῳ ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν ἀληθινὸς ὅτι ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ σπείρων καὶ ἄλλος ὁ θερίζων. ³⁸ἐγὼ ἀπέστειλα ὑμᾶς θερίζειν ὃ οὐχ ὑμεῖς κεκοπιάκατε· ἄλλοι κεκοπιάκασιν καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν κόπον αὐτῶν εἰσεληλύθατε.

Kai epi toutō ēlthan hoi mathētai autou kai ethaumazon hoti meta gynaikos elalei; oudeis mentoi eipen: ti zēteis? ē ti laleis met' autēs? aphēken oun tēn hydrian autēs hē gynē kai apēlthen eis tēn polin kai legei tois anthrōpois: deute idete anthrōpon hos eipen moi panta hosa epoiēsa; mēti houtos estin ho christos? exēlthon ek tēs poleōs kai ērchonto pros auton. en tō metaxy ērōtōn auton hoi mathētai legontes: rabbi, phage. ho de eipen autois: egō brōsin echō phagein hēn hymeis ouk oidate. elegon oun hoi mathētai pros allēlous: mē tis ēnenken autō phagein? legei autois ho Iēsous: emon brōma estin hina poiēsō to thelēma tou pempsantos me kai teleiōsō autou to ergon. ouch hymeis legete hoti eti tetramēnos estin kai ho therismos erchetai? idou legō hymin, eparate tous ophthalmous hymōn kai theasasthe tas chōras hoti leukai eisin pros therismon; ēdē ho therizōn misthon lambanei kai synagei karpon eis zōēn aiōnion, hina ho speirōn homou chairē kai ho therizōn. en gar toutō ho logos estin alēthinos hoti allos estin ho speirōn kai allos ho therizōn. egō apesteila hymas therizein ho ouch hymeis kekopiakate; alloi kekopiakasin kai hymeis eis ton kopon autōn eiselēlythate.

Key Words

θαυμάζω thaumazō to marvel, wonder

From θαῦμα (thauma, 'wonder, marvel'), this verb denotes astonishment or amazement at something unexpected. The disciples' marveling reflects the cultural taboo against rabbis engaging in extended theological conversation with women, particularly Samaritan women. John uses this verb throughout his Gospel to mark moments when human expectations collide with divine reality. The imperfect tense here (ἐθαύμαζον) suggests they stood there in prolonged amazement, yet their reverence for Jesus kept them from voicing their questions. Their wonder is not yet the faith-filled amazement that will come after the resurrection, but the confusion of those whose categories are being shattered.

ὑδρία hydria water jar

A large earthenware vessel for carrying water, from ὕδωρ (hydōr, 'water'). The woman's abandonment of her water jar is laden with symbolism: she came for physical water but found living water, and now leaves behind the very instrument of her original quest. The detail is narratively significant—the jar marks her intention to return, but more profoundly signals her transformation from one who came to draw to one who goes to proclaim. In ancient economy, such a jar represented both labor and necessity; leaving it behind demonstrates the urgency and priority of her newfound mission. John's inclusion of this detail invites readers to consider what they must leave behind to become witnesses.

βρῶσις brōsis food, eating

From βιβρώσκω (bibrōskō, 'to eat'), this noun can denote either the act of eating or the food itself. Jesus employs it to create a deliberate parallel with the woman's misunderstanding about water in verses 10-15. Just as she thought only of physical water, the disciples think only of physical food. The term appears in verse 32 in contrast to the verb φαγεῖν (phagein, 'to eat') in verse 33, creating a wordplay between sustenance and consumption. Jesus redefines nourishment itself: His food is obedience to the Father's will. This is not metaphor for metaphor's sake but a claim about what truly sustains life—not bread alone, but every word from God's mouth.

τελειόω teleioō to complete, finish, perfect

From τέλος (telos, 'end, goal, completion'), this verb means to bring to the intended goal or to accomplish fully. Jesus uses it to describe His mission: not merely to begin the Father's work but to bring it to completion. The verb carries connotations of perfection and fulfillment, not just termination. John will use this same verb at the cross when Jesus declares τετέλεσται ('It is finished,' 19:30), creating a theological bracket around Jesus' entire ministry. The work of redemption is not haphazard but purposeful, moving toward a divinely appointed completion. Here in chapter 4, that completion includes the ingathering of Samaritan believers—a preview of the universal scope of the finished work.

θερισμός therismos harvest

From θερίζω (therizō, 'to reap, harvest'), this noun denotes the act or season of harvesting grain. In Jewish apocalyptic literature and Jesus' own teaching, harvest imagery regularly symbolizes eschatological judgment and salvation (cf. Matthew 13:39). Here Jesus transforms a common agricultural proverb into a declaration about the present in-breaking of God's kingdom. The fields are 'white' (λευκαί)—ripe grain ready for cutting, but also perhaps the white garments of the Samaritans approaching from the city. The harvest is not merely future but 'already' (ἤδη, v. 36), collapsing the expected timeline. What the disciples assume requires four more months, Jesus declares ready now. The kingdom does not wait for human schedules.

μισθός misthos wages, reward

A term denoting payment for labor, compensation, or reward. The root appears across Greek literature in contexts of hired workers receiving their due. Jesus uses it here to affirm that gospel labor is not unrewarded—the reaper receives wages even as he gathers fruit for eternal life. This is not a mercenary motivation but an acknowledgment that God honors those who participate in His harvest. The 'wages' are not merely future but present ('is receiving,' λαμβάνει, present tense), suggesting that participation in God's mission carries its own intrinsic reward. Paul will later speak of the imperishable crown (1 Corinthians 9:25); here Jesus assures His disciples that their labor in the harvest has both temporal and eternal significance.

κοπιάω kopiaō to labor, toil, work hard

From κόπος (kopos, 'labor, toil, trouble'), this verb denotes strenuous effort, wearying work. It appears frequently in Paul's letters to describe apostolic ministry (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:10). Jesus uses the perfect tense (κεκοπιάκατε, 'you have labored') to emphasize completed action with ongoing results. The disciples have not yet labored in this Samaritan harvest—others have done the hard work of preparation. This 'others' likely includes the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, and even Jesus Himself in His conversation with the woman. The verb reminds us that gospel advance is never the work of a single generation or individual; we reap where prophets and apostles have sown, and we sow for those who will come after. Ministry is participation in a multi-generational labor.

ἀληθινός alēthinos true, genuine, real

From ἀλήθεια (alētheia, 'truth'), this adjective means not merely 'true' in the sense of factually accurate (ἀληθής) but 'genuine, real, authentic'—that which corresponds to reality at the deepest level. John uses this term throughout his Gospel to distinguish the real from the merely symbolic or shadowy (cf. 1:9, 'the true light'; 6:32, 'the true bread'). The proverb Jesus quotes—'One sows and another reaps'—is not just a true statement but a genuine principle now being fulfilled in the present moment. The saying finds its authentic realization in the kingdom mission: prophets sowed, Jesus sows, apostles reap, and the cycle continues. What was proverbial wisdom becomes theological reality in the economy of redemption.

Grammar & Argument

The disciples' return is silent — ἐθαύμαζον (imperfect: continuing astonishment) but οὐδεὶς μέντοι εἶπεν — an honest record of social discomfort. Rabbinic dictum (b. Berakhot 43b; m. Avot 1.5) discouraged extended public conversation between a man and a woman not of his family; that the woman is also a Samaritan compounds the breach. The narrator captures both their shock and their reverent silence.

The woman's leaving of her ὑδριάα (v. 28) is small but loaded: she came to draw water for the day's needs and walks away with the day's needs unmet but unforgotten. The dropped jar parallels the dropped nets of the disciples (Matt 4:20, ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα) — the same verb ἀφίημι in the discipleship-call sense. Her testimony to the city is simultaneously bold (δεῦτε ἴδετε) and tentative (μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός — μήτι signals the speaker expects the answer no, or at least is unwilling to commit). Yet the question is the most effective evangelism: it leaves room for the hearer's own discovery.

The food-dialogue (vv. 31-34) repeats the pattern of the water-dialogue: literal misunderstanding becomes the occasion for theological disclosure. Ἀμϋν βρωσιν ἔχω φαγειν ἔν ὑμεις οὐκ οἴδατε (v. 32) is structurally parallel to v. 10's εἰ ἲδεις τὴν δωρεάν το˜υ θεο˜υ. Verse 34 expounds: ἐμον βρωμά ἐστιν ἡνα ποιήσω το θέλημα — the ἡνα clause is epexegetical (“namely, that I do”), defining food as obedience-to-commission. Τελειώσω αὐτο˜υ το ἔργον foreshadows the cross-cry τετέλεσται (19:30) — the verb-bracket binds Jesus' itinerant ministry to its consummating moment.

The harvest-saying (vv. 35-38) inverts agrarian timing. The proverb ἔτι τετράμηνός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ θερισμός ἔρχεται reflects the standard four-month gap between sowing (Nov-Dec) and harvest (Apr-May) for grain in Palestine. Jesus collapses the interval: ἐπ&940;ρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμων (aorist imperative: “lift now”) — the white-robed Samaritan villagers approaching across the field (vv. 30, 39-42) ARE the harvest. Ἄδη (already) is doing realized-eschatology work in shorthand: the eschatological harvest is here.

The sower-and-reaper saying in v. 37 (ἄλλος ἐστιν ὁ σπείρων καὶ ἄλλος ὁ θερίζων) is a popular proverb (cf. Mic 6:15; Job 31:8) that Jesus applies to his unique ministry-context. The ἄλλοι who labored before the disciples include the prophets, the Baptist, and Jesus' own conversation at the well: the disciples will reap a Samaritan ingathering they did nothing to plant. The verbs are perfect (κεκοπιάκασιν... εἰσεληλύθατε) — both completed-and-still-active. The mission of the church is consistently presented as participation, never origination.

The disciples worry about the meal that wasn't bought; Jesus eats the meal that's already on the table — doing the will of the One who sent Him. The harvest the disciples expect in four months is already walking out of the city.

John 4:39-42

Many Samaritans Believe

LSB Text

³⁹Now from that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who was bearing witness, 'He told me all the things that I have done.' ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to remain with them; and He remained there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of His word; ⁴²and they were saying to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is truly the Savior of the world.'

Greek Text

³⁹Ἐκ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν τῶν Σαμαριτῶν διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς γυναικὸς μαρτυρούσης ὅτι Εἶπέν μοι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησα. ⁴⁰ὡς οὖν ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Σαμαρῖται, ἠρώτων αὐτὸν μεῖναι παρ' αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας. ⁴¹καὶ πολλῷ πλείους ἐπίστευσαν διὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, ⁴²τῇ τε γυναικὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκηκόαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου.

³⁹Ek de tēs poleōs ekeinēs polloi episteusan eis auton tōn Samaritōn dia ton logon tēs gynaikos martyrousēs hoti Eipen moi panta hosa epoiēsa. ⁴⁰hōs oun ēlthon pros auton hoi Samaritai, ērōtōn auton meinai par' autois; kai emeinen ekei dyo hēmeras. ⁴¹kai pollō pleious episteusan dia ton logon autou, ⁴²tē te gynaiki elegon hoti Ouketi dia tēn sēn lalian pisteuomen, autoi gar akēkoamen kai oidamen hoti houtos estin alēthōs ho sōtēr tou kosmou.

Key Words

ἐπίστευσαν episteusan believed

Aorist active indicative of πιστεύω (pisteuō), 'to believe, trust, have faith.' The verb derives from πίστις (pistis, 'faith'), itself rooted in the concept of persuasion and trust. In Johannine usage, believing 'into' (εἰς) Christ denotes not mere intellectual assent but a movement of the whole person toward Him in trust and commitment. The aorist tense marks a decisive moment of faith, a threshold crossed. John uses this verb nearly 100 times, making belief the central human response to divine revelation.

μαρτυρούσης martyrousēs bearing witness

Present active participle feminine genitive singular of μαρτυρέω (martyreō), 'to bear witness, testify.' The root μάρτυς (martys) means 'witness,' and eventually gave rise to the English 'martyr' because early Christians witnessed unto death. The present tense emphasizes the ongoing nature of the woman's testimony—she continues to tell what Jesus revealed to her. In John's Gospel, witness is a legal and theological category: the Father witnesses to the Son, the Spirit witnesses, the Scriptures witness, and now even a Samaritan woman becomes a credible witness to her community.

μεῖναι meinai to remain

Aorist active infinitive of μένω (menō), 'to remain, abide, stay.' This verb is theologically loaded in John, appearing over 40 times with rich connotations of permanence, dwelling, and covenant relationship. Jesus 'remained' (ἔμεινεν, emeinen) two days with the Samaritans, echoing the disciples who 'remained' with Him in 1:39. The verb will later describe the mutual indwelling of Christ and the believer (15:4-10). Here, the Samaritans' request for Jesus to stay signals their desire for more than a passing encounter—they want sustained fellowship.

λαλιὰν lalian speech, talk

Accusative singular of λαλιά (lalia), 'speech, manner of speaking, talk.' This noun, related to λαλέω (laleō, 'to speak'), can carry a slightly informal or even colloquial tone, referring to the act or style of speaking rather than the content. It appears only three times in the New Testament. The Samaritans distinguish between the woman's λαλιά—her report, her way of telling the story—and Jesus' own λόγος (logos, 'word'), which they have now heard directly. The contrast subtly elevates firsthand encounter over secondhand testimony.

ἀκηκόαμεν akēkoamen we have heard

Perfect active indicative first person plural of ἀκούω (akouō), 'to hear.' The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing results: 'we have heard and the hearing continues to affect us.' The verb ἀκούω is fundamental to biblical faith—'faith comes by hearing' (Rom. 10:17). In John, hearing is more than auditory reception; it implies understanding and obedience. The Samaritans' claim to have heard for themselves (αὐτοί, autoi, emphatic) marks their transition from derivative faith to direct encounter.

οἴδαμεν oidamen we know

Perfect active indicative first person plural of οἶδα (oida), 'to know, perceive, understand.' This is a defective verb, appearing only in perfect and pluperfect forms but with present meaning. It denotes intuitive, settled knowledge—not merely information but conviction. John frequently pairs hearing and knowing to describe the progression of faith. The Samaritans now possess experiential certainty: they have moved from the woman's testimony to personal knowledge that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

σωτὴρ sōtēr Savior

Nominative singular masculine of σωτήρ (sōtēr), 'savior, deliverer, preserver.' Derived from σῴζω (sōzō, 'to save'), this title was used in the Greco-Roman world for gods, emperors, and benefactors who brought deliverance or prosperity. In the LXX, it translates Hebrew terms for God as deliverer. John uses it only here and in 4:42, placing this cosmic confession on the lips of Samaritans—outsiders who recognize what many insiders miss. The phrase 'Savior of the world' (σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου) is breathtaking in scope, transcending ethnic and religious boundaries.

κόσμου kosmou world

Genitive singular masculine of κόσμος (kosmos), 'world, universe, ordered system.' Originally meaning 'order' or 'adornment,' the term came to denote the created world and, in Johannine theology, the realm of humanity in rebellion against God yet loved by God (3:16). John uses κόσμος over 70 times, often with ambivalent connotations—the world God loves and the world system opposed to Him. Here, the Samaritans declare Jesus' salvation is not limited to Jews or even Samaritans but extends to all humanity, the entire κόσμος.

Grammar & Argument

The narrative structure of verses 39-42 traces a progression from mediated faith to immediate faith, from testimony to encounter. Verse 39 establishes the initial catalyst: 'many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman.' The causal phrase διὰ τὸν λόγον (dia ton logon, 'because of the word') identifies the woman's testimony as the instrumental cause of their preliminary faith. The participial phrase μαρτυρούσης ὅτι (martyrousēs hoti, 'bearing witness that') introduces indirect discourse, summarizing her testimony in her own words: 'He told me all the things that I have done.' This is faith based on credible witness—legitimate, but incomplete.

Verse 40 marks a pivotal transition with the temporal clause ὡς οὖν ἦλθον (hōs oun ēlthon, 'so when they came'). The Samaritans take initiative, coming to Jesus and asking Him to remain (μεῖναι) with them. The imperfect ἠρώτων (ērōtōn, 'they were asking') suggests repeated or earnest entreaty. Jesus' response is simple and profound: καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας (kai emeinen ekei dyo hēmeras, 'and He remained there two days'). The aorist ἔμεινεν captures the completed action; the duration 'two days' is specific and significant, allowing time for teaching and relationship. This is incarnational ministry—Jesus dwelling among those considered heretics by Jewish standards.

Verse 41 reports the result: 'many more believed because of His word.' The comparative πολλῷ πλείους (pollō pleious, 'many more') indicates exponential growth beyond the initial group. Crucially, the causal phrase shifts from διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς γυναικός (dia ton logon tēs gynaikos, 'because of the woman's word') in verse 39 to διὰ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ (dia ton logon autou, 'because of His word') in verse 41. The woman's testimony has served its purpose; now Jesus' own word generates faith. Verse 42 makes this explicit through direct discourse introduced by ἔλεγον ὅτι (elegon hoti, 'they were saying that'). The imperfect ἔλεγον suggests ongoing conversation. Their statement to the woman is both gracious and definitive: 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe.' The adverb οὐκέτι (ouketi, 'no longer') marks a clear before-and-after. They explain with γάρ (gar, 'for'): 'we have heard for ourselves and know.' The emphatic pronoun αὐτοί (autoi, 'we ourselves') underscores personal, unmediated experience. The perfect tenses ἀκηκόαμεν (akēkoamen, 'we have heard') and οἴδαμεν (oidamen, 'we know') indicate settled conviction arising from direct encounter.

The climactic confession—ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου (hoti houtos estin alēthōs ho sōtēr tou kosmou, 'that this One is truly the Savior of the world')—is theologically stunning. The demonstrative οὗτος (houtos, 'this One') points to the man standing before them. The adverb ἀληθῶς (alēthōs, 'truly, really') affirms the reality of the claim. The title 'Savior of the world' appears nowhere else in the Gospels except 1 John 4:14. That Samaritans, not Jews, first articulate this universal scope of salvation is deeply ironic and profoundly Johannine. The genitive τοῦ κόσμου (tou kosmou, 'of the world') is objective—Jesus saves the world, not just Israel. This confession anticipates the Great Commission and the global mission of the church, all emerging from a two-day stay in a Samaritan village prompted by a woman's testimony about a conversation at a well.

Testimony opens the door, but only encounter transforms the heart. The Samaritans honor the woman's witness even as they move beyond it—a pattern for all evangelism: we point to Christ, then step aside so others may meet Him for themselves.

John 4:43-54

Jesus Heals the Official's Son

LSB Text

⁴³After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. ⁴⁴For Jesus Himself bore witness that a prophet has no honor in his own homeland. ⁴⁵So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast. ⁴⁶Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷When this man heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” ⁴⁹The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. ⁵¹And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. ⁵²So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” ⁵³So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. ⁵⁴This is again a second sign that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Greek Text

⁴³Μετὰ δὲ τὰς δύο ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν· ⁴⁴αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὅτι προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει. ⁴⁵ὅτε οὖν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ἐδέξαντο αὐτὸν οἱ Γαλιλαῖοι πάντα ἑωρακότες ὅσα ἐποίησεν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, καὶ αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν. ⁴⁶Ἦλθεν οὖν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὅπου ἐποίησεν τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον. καὶ ἦν τις βασιλικὸς οὗ ὁ υἱὸς ἠσθένει ἐν Καφαρναούμ. ⁴⁷οὗτος ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἥκει ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἠρώτα ἵνα καταβῇ καὶ ἰάσηται αὐτοῦ τὸν υἱόν· ἤμελλεν γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκειν. ⁴⁸εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε. ⁴⁹λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλικός· κύριε, κατάβηθι πρὶν ἀποθανεῖν τὸ παιδίον μου. ⁵⁰λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· πορεύου, ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ. ἐπίστευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ λόγῳ ὃν εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐπορεύετο. ⁵¹ἤδη δὲ αὐτοῦ καταβαίνοντος οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ ὑπήντησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες ὅτι ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ ζῇ. ⁵²ἐπύθετο οὖν τὴν ὥραν παρ' αὐτῶν ἐν ᾗ κομψότερον ἔσχεν· εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ ὅτι ἐχθὲς ὥραν ἑβδόμην ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ὁ πυρετός. ⁵³ἔγνω οὖν ὁ πατὴρ ὅτι ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐν ᾗ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ, καὶ ἐπίστευσεν αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ ὅλη. ⁵⁴τοῦτο δὲ πάλιν δεύτερον σημεῖον ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλθὼν ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.

Meta de tas dyo hēmeras exēlthen ekeithen eis tēn Galilaian; autos gar Iēsous emartyrēsen hoti prophētēs en tē idia patridi timēn ouk echei. hote oun ēlthen eis tēn Galilaian, edexanto auton hoi Galilaioi panta heōrakotes hosa epoiēsen en Hierosolymois en tē heortē, kai autoi gar ēlthon eis tēn heortēn. Ēlthen oun palin eis tēn Kana tēs Galilaias, hopou epoiēsen to hydōr oinon. kai ēn tis basilikos hou ho hyios ēsthenei en Kapharnaoum. houtos akousas hoti Iēsous hēkei ek tēs Ioudaias eis tēn Galilaian apēlthen pros auton kai ērōta hina katabē kai iasētai autou ton hyion; ēmellen gar apothnēskein. eipen oun ho Iēsous pros auton: ean mē sēmeia kai terata idēte, ou mē pisteusēte. legei pros auton ho basilikos: kyrie, katabēthi prin apothanein to paidion mou. legei autō ho Iēsous: poreuou, ho hyios sou zē. episteusen ho anthrōpos tō logō hon eipen autō ho Iēsous kai eporeueto. ēdē de autou katabainontos hoi douloi autou hypēntēsan autō legontes hoti ho pais autou zē. epytheto oun tēn hōran par' autōn en hē kompsoteron eschen; eipan oun autō hoti echthes hōran hebdomēn aphēken auton ho pyretos. egnō oun ho patēr hoti ekeinē tē hōra en hē eipen autō ho Iēsous: ho hyios sou zē, kai episteusen autos kai hē oikia autou holē. touto de palin deuteron sēmeion epoiēsen ho Iēsous elthōn ek tēs Ioudaias eis tēn Galilaian.

Key Words

βασιλικός basilikos royal official

An adjective meaning 'royal' or 'belonging to the king,' used substantively here to denote an official in Herod Antipas's service. The term derives from βασιλεύς ('king') and indicates someone connected to royal authority. This official likely held administrative or military rank in the tetrarch's court at Capernaum. The word emphasizes the man's social standing—he is not a peasant but a person of influence who nevertheless humbles himself before Jesus. His desperation transcends his status, revealing that human power is helpless before death.

πατρίς patris homeland, native place

A feminine noun denoting one's fatherland, hometown, or place of origin, derived from πατήρ ('father'). In verse 44, Jesus cites the proverbial truth that a prophet lacks honor ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι ('in his own homeland'). The term carries connotations of familiarity breeding contempt—those who knew Jesus from childhood struggle to recognize His divine authority. John's use here is complex: does 'homeland' mean Nazareth, Galilee broadly, or even Judea? The ambiguity invites reflection on the paradox that intimacy can blind as easily as it illuminates.

σημεῖον sēmeion sign, miraculous sign

A neuter noun meaning 'sign' or 'distinguishing mark,' used throughout John's Gospel to describe Jesus' miracles as revelatory acts pointing beyond themselves to His identity. Unlike mere wonders (τέρατα), σημεῖα are laden with theological significance—they signify divine presence and authority. In verse 48, Jesus rebukes those who demand signs before believing, yet in verse 54 John labels this healing the 'second sign' Jesus performed in Galilee. The tension is deliberate: signs are given graciously to lead to faith, but faith that rests solely on spectacle is immature and unstable.

τέρατα terata wonders, portents

A neuter plural noun denoting prodigies or marvels that evoke astonishment, often paired with σημεῖα in biblical literature. The term emphasizes the spectacular, attention-grabbing aspect of miracles. In verse 48, Jesus' rebuke—'Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe'—targets a faith dependent on sensory validation rather than trust in His word. The coupling of σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα echoes Old Testament language (e.g., Exodus 7:3; Deuteronomy 6:22) and underscores that even genuine miracles can be misunderstood if they become ends in themselves rather than pointers to the miracle-worker.

ἰάομαι iaomai to heal, cure

A deponent verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to restore to health,' used in verse 47 when the official begs Jesus to 'come down and heal' his son. The term appears frequently in the Septuagint for divine healing (e.g., Exodus 15:26; Psalm 103:3) and carries theological weight beyond physical restoration—it implies wholeness, salvation, and the reversal of the curse. John's choice of ἰάομαι rather than θεραπεύω highlights the miraculous, divine nature of the healing. The official's plea reveals his initial assumption that Jesus must be physically present to heal, a limitation Jesus will transcend.

πιστεύω pisteuō to believe, trust, have faith

A verb meaning 'to believe,' 'to trust,' or 'to have faith,' occurring three times in this passage (vv. 48, 50, 53) and serving as a thematic thread. The official's faith progresses: first he believes enough to seek Jesus (v. 47), then he believes Jesus' word without seeing the healing (v. 50), and finally his belief matures into household faith after verification (v. 53). The verb πιστεύω in John's Gospel is never merely intellectual assent but involves personal trust and commitment. The contrast between demanding signs (v. 48) and believing the word (v. 50) encapsulates John's theology: true faith trusts the Logos even when sight is withheld.

λόγος logos word, message, statement

A masculine noun meaning 'word,' 'message,' or 'statement,' central to Johannine theology as the title for Jesus Himself (1:1). In verse 50, the official 'believed the word that Jesus spoke to him'—a pivotal moment where faith shifts from seeking visible presence to trusting spoken promise. The λόγος of Jesus is not mere sound but creative, life-giving power (cf. Genesis 1; Psalm 33:6). By believing the λόγος, the official aligns himself with the prologue's revelation: the Word made flesh speaks words that carry divine authority and efficacy. His son's healing is accomplished by utterance alone, demonstrating that Jesus' word is deed.

δοῦλος doulos slave, bondservant

A masculine noun meaning 'slave' or 'bondservant,' used in verse 51 to describe the official's household servants who meet him with news of his son's recovery. The term denotes those in servitude, lacking personal freedom, and stands in contrast to modern euphemisms like 'servant.' The LSB's consistent rendering as 'slave' preserves the social reality of the ancient world and the radical nature of New Testament metaphors (e.g., Paul as 'slave of Christ'). Here, the slaves function as messengers of grace, their report confirming the precise timing of Jesus' healing word and thus strengthening the official's faith.

Grammar & Argument

The narrator's parenthetical αὐτὸς γάρ Ἰησο˜υς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὅτι προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδία&latin; πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει (v. 44) is interpretively contested. The Synoptic parallels (Mark 6:4; Matt 13:57; Luke 4:24) place this saying in Nazareth and identify the πατρίς with Galilee. Yet John attaches it to Jesus' departure from Judea and arrival in Galilee, where He receives a welcome — appearing to contradict the proverb. The likely Johannine sense: Jerusalem is Jesus' true πατρίς as Son of God (cf. 1:11 εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν), and the Galilean welcome is itself the lesser, σημεῖον-driven reception that Jesus will go on to critique (v. 48).

The royal official's request is shaped by three desperate verbs: ἔρωτα (“was asking,” imperfect), καταβῇ (aorist imperative subjunctive in ἡνα clause — “come down”), and ἲσηται (aorist subjunctive). His mental model is local-presence healing: Jesus must physically descend to Capernaum. Jesus' rebuke (v. 48) shifts to plural: ἐάν μὴ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε — the rebuke is generalized to “you Galileans,” not aimed solely at the official. The double negative οὐ μὴ with aorist subjunctive is the strongest negation in koine.

The pivot of the pericope is v. 50: ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ. The official is asked to believe a word without leaving with the witness of his eyes, the precise pattern Jesus had just rebuked yet immediately invites. The narrator marks his response with ἐπίστευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ λόγῳ: bare-word faith, the Johannine ideal (cf. 20:29). The dative τῷ λόγῳ rather than the more typical εἰς + accusative is precise: he believes the spoken word as such, prior to encountering the speaker again.

The temporal verification (vv. 51-53) drives the lesson home. The slaves' report ἔχθες ἁραν ἑβδόμην ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ὁ πυρετός (“yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him”) coincides exactly with the moment Jesus pronounced ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ. The verb ἀφῆκεν (aorist of ἀφίημι, “released”) treats the fever as a personal opponent that gave way; the narrator's care to record the precise hour is forensic. The repetition of ἐπίστευσεν αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτο˜υ ὅλη in v. 53 is the second-stage faith: belief now grounded in confirmed sign-fulfillment. Faith may begin in word and be strengthened by sign, but the proper Johannine order — word first, then witness — matters.

The narrator closes the inclusio: this is δεύτερον σημεῖον (“a second sign”) Jesus did when coming out of Judea into Galilee — bookended with the first Cana sign at 2:11 (ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων). Both Cana signs are framed by the verb ἔρχεται/Ἠλθεν, both involve a request that Jesus initially appears to deflect, both become the occasion of belief. The chapter as a whole moves from one well-side encounter (Samaritan woman, vv. 1-26), through one harvest-field discourse (vv. 27-38), through one mass-belief in Sychar (vv. 39-42), to one royal-official faith in Cana (vv. 43-54) — a four-panel sequence on the various paths to Johannine belief.

The royal official came demanding presence and left carrying a word. By the time he reached his house, the word had outrun him — the seventh hour was already past, and the fever already gone.

LSB Choices Worth Noting

“Slaves” for δο˜υλοι (v. 51) — LSB consistently renders δο˜υλος as “slave,” not “servant,” preserving the Greco-Roman social reality. The household servants who meet the official are slaves, and the LSB choice keeps the lexical line clean across all NT occurrences.

“Royal official” for βασιλικός (v. 46) — the substantival adjective denotes a member of the king's (Herod Antipas's) court at Capernaum, not necessarily of royal blood. LSB's “royal official” preserves the social position without overspecifying the role.

“Signs and wonders” for σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα (v. 48) — the LSB retains the LXX-flavored doublet (cf. Exod 7:3; Deut 6:22; Acts 2:22) rather than collapsing to one term. The pairing tags Jesus' Galilean reception as in danger of replicating the bare-spectacle response Israel gave Moses at the wilderness.