1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Iesus made and baptized moe disciples then Iohn,
2 (Though Iesus himselfe baptized not, but his disciples:)
3 He left Iudea, and departed againe into Galile.
4 And hee must needs goe thorow Samaria.
5 Then commeth he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, neere to the parcell of ground that Iacob gaue to his sonne Ioseph.
6 Now Iacobs Well was there. Iesus therefore being wearied with his iourney, sate thus on the Well: and it was about the sixth houre.
7 There commeth a woman of Samaria to draw water: Iesus sayth vnto her, Giue me to drinke.
8 For his disciples were gone away vnto the city to buy meate.
9 Then saith the woman of Samaria vnto him, How is it that thou, being a Iewe, askest drinke of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Iewes haue no dealings with the Samaritanes.
10 Iesus answered, and said vnto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that sayth to thee, Giue me to drinke; thou wouldest haue asked of him, and hee would haue giuen thee liuing water.
11 The woman saith vnto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to drawe with, and the Well is deepe: from whence then hast thou that liuing water?
12 Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the Well, and dranke thereof himselfe, and his children, and his cattell?
13 Iesus answered, and said vnto her, Whosoeuer drinketh of this water, shall thirst againe:
14 But whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shal giue him, shall neuer thirst: but the water that I shall giue him, shalbe in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life.
15 The woman saith vnto him, Sir, giue me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Iesus saith vnto her, Goe, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered, and said, I haue no husband. Iesus said vnto her, Thou hast well said, I haue no husband:
18 For thou hast had fiue husbands, and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband: In that saidest thou truely.
19 The woman saith vnto him, Sir, I perceiue that thou art a Prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountaine, and ye say, that in Hierusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Iesus saith vnto her, Woman, beleeue me, the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine, nor yet at Hierusalem, worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for saluation is of the Iewes.
23 But the houre commeth, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit, and in trueth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit, and in trueth.
25 The woman saith vnto him, I know that Messias commeth, which is called Christ: when he is come, hee will tell vs all things.
26 Iesus sayth vnto her, I that speake vnto thee, am hee.
27 ¶ And vpon this came his disciples, and marueiled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou, or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and sayth to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which tolde me all things that euer I did: Is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the citie, and came vnto him.
31 ¶ In the meane while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eate.
32 But hee said vnto them, I haue meate to eate that ye know not of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eate?
34 Iesus saith vnto them, My meat is, to doe the will of him that sent mee, and to finish his worke.
35 Say not ye, There are yet foure moneths, and then commeth haruest? Behold, I say vnto you, Lift vp your eyes, and looke on the fields: for they are white already to haruest.
36 And hee that reapeth receiueth wages, and gathereth fruite vnto life eternall: that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may reioyce together.
37 And herein is that saying true: One soweth, and another reapeth.
38 I sent you to reape that, whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and yee are entred into their labours.
39 ¶ And many of the Samaritanes of that citie beleeued on him, for the saying of the woman, which testified, Hee told me all that euer I did.
40 So when the Samaritanes were come vnto him, they besought him that he would tarie with them, and he abode there two dayes.
41 And many moe beleeued, because of his owne word:
42 And said vnto the woman, Now we beleeue, not because of thy saying, for we haue heard him our selues, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Sauiour of the world.
43 ¶ Now after two dayes he departed thence, and went into Galilee:
44 For Iesus himselfe testified, that a Prophet hath no honour in his owne countrey.
45 Then when hee was come into Galilee, the Galileans receiued him, hauing seene all the things that hee did at Hierusalem at the Feast: for they also went vnto the Feast.
46 So Iesus came againe into Cana of Galilee, where hee made the water wine. And there was a certaine noble man, whose sonne was sicke at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Iesus was come out of Iudea into Galilee, hee went vnto him, and besought him that he would come downe, and heale his sonne: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Iesus vnto him, Except ye see signes and wonders, yee will not beleeue.
49 The noble man saith vnto him, Syr, come downe ere my child die.
50 Iesus saith vnto him, Go thy way, thy sonne liueth. And the man beleeued the word that Iesus had spoken vnto him, and he went his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his seruants met him, and told him, saying, Thy sonne liueth.
52 Then inquired hee of them the houre when he began to amend: and they said vnto him, Yesterday at the seuenth houre the feuer left him.
53 So the father knewe that it was at the same houre, in the which Iesus said vnto him, Thy sonne liueth, and himselfe beleeued, and his whole house.
54 This is againe the second miracle that Iesus did, when hee was come out of Iudea into Galilee.
Christ's departure into Galilee. (1-3) His discourse with the Samaritan woman. (4-26) The effects of Christ's conversation with the woman of Samaria. (27-42) Christ heals the nobleman's son. (43-54)1-3 Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the more excellent, #1Co 1:17|, than to baptism. He would put honour upon his disciples, by employing them to baptize. He teaches us that the benefit of sacraments depends not on the hand that administers them.
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.
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.
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.