Yeshua proves Himself a prophet in her eyes, not because He foretold the future but because He revealed the present.
1Since (hos[G]) therefore, it had come to pass (ou [G], vayhiy[H]) the Lord (ho kurios[G], la-Adon[H]) knew (ginosko[G], noda[H]) that the Pharisees (Pharisaios[G], Perushiym[H], chaste, abstinent ones) had heard that Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua) was making, forming, fashioning, preparing, authoring (poieo[G]) and immersing, facilitating tevilah [baptizing] (Baptizo[G], Tebiyl[H]) gaining a great number more (pleion[G], harbeih[H]) disciples (mathetes[G] [pupils], talmidim[H] [religious students, followers]) than (or “from” alt. Heb. m’yochanan) Yochanan[H] (Ioannes [G], YHVH is gracious, John) 2 {although Yeshua Himself (autos[G], hu[H]) was not immersing, facilitating tevilah [baptizing] (Baptizo[G], Tebiyl[H]), but His disciples (mathetes[G] [pupils], talmidim[H] [religious students, followers]) were}, [alt. Heb. kiy iym-talmiydayv: because the immersions were with the disciples]
We note that it is because of Yeshua’s foreknowledge and His spiritual discernment that He was aware of the dislike that many of the Pharisees already had for John, and for Yeshua Himself, largely in part due to the number of disciples that John and Yeshua were amassing. Both the Greek ginosko and the Hebrew noda (from yodata) can denote intimate knowledge, in other words, Yeshua knew the intimate thoughts of the Pharisees, and knew that, at this stage the majority were against His ministry. His knowledge of their thoughts in spite of the fact that they were not present to witness His actions is evidence of His Divine nature.
We also see that Yeshua is called “Ho Kurios” meaning “The Lord” (Heb. La-Adon). The writer of John’s Gospel is further illuminating his Spirit given understanding concerning the Messiah’s deity (John 1). To call Yeshua “the Lord of…” would have been an acceptable usage in reference to any Jewish religious leader of the time, but to call Him “The Lord” would have been considered blasphemy by the majority of religious leaders and even by many of His disciples, until such a time as they had come to understand as John the disciple had, that Yeshua is the Imanu-El of Whom Isaiah the prophet spoke: that is, God with us, the Servant King Messiah (Isa. 7:14; 8:8).
We note that the Pharisees had “heard” of what was happening, meaning that the majority had not witnessed the immersions associated with Yeshua’s ministry. Although they had witnessed the immersion ministry of John the Immerser (Baptist) [see John 1-3].
With regard to the increase in disciples who had decided to follow Yeshua it is interesting to consider the Greek word “poieo” meaning, “forming, fashioning, preparing, authoring”. Yeshua’s disciples were being formed by His ministry, they were not yet fully formed. They were being prepared for something yet future. They were being authored into a new story by the Author of all things and fashioned by the Creator Himself.
At this point the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) had not yet been poured out on the disciples. Therefore, the immersion being performed was one of teshuva, returning and devotion to God and to His promised King Messiah (Though some, if not all were yet to understand what “Mashiach” truly meant). It is poignant therefore that the author of John’s Gospel makes it clear that Yeshua did not facilitate tevilah (immersion) but that it was performed and facilitated by His disciples. Yeshua would facilitate the immersion of all who believe once He was seated at the right hand of HaShem the Father after Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Thus, He instructed His disciples to “Go therefore (because all authority has been given to you…), making talmidim of all nations, immersing them in the Name of Ha Av (The Father) and of Ha-Ben (The Son), and of Ruach Ha-Kodesh (The Holy Spirit)” [Matt. 28:19].
3 And He left, turned away (aphiemi[G], va-yeitzei[H], v’shavkah[A]) from the territory, the land (mei-eretz[H]) of Yehudah[H] (Judea, ho Ioudaia[G][Praise]) and went away again, anew (palin[G]) into, toward, for, among (eis[G]) the region of the (Galilee, Galilaia[G] ha-Galiylah[H] [Circuit, perpetual turning, going round] or Ha-Kinneret[H] [Harp]). 4 And it was necessary that (dei[G]) He Himself (autos[G]) pass through, go toward (la’avor[H]) make way (dierchomai[G], derek[H]) in the land/territory (eretz[H]) of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] Samaria, ho-Samareia[G] [guardianship]).
The Samaritans (Shomroniym) are mixed race descendants of the remnant of the ten tribes of northern Israel who were left in the land when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BCE, and colonists from Babylonia and Media brought by the Assyrian conquerors of Shomron (Samaria) [2 Kings 17:24-41]. Technically speaking their descendants are not idolaters, however, they see their version of the Torah (Pentateuch), written in an ancient Hebrew script (popularly referred to as “Paleo Hebrew”), as the only inspired word of God. Their version of the Torah differs slightly in some places but is generally equivalent to the Hebrew and Greek versions of the Torah/Pentateuch. Therefore, the Samaritans do not accept the writings of the prophets of the TaNaKH (OT) as inspired Scripture. In this respect they shared some beliefs and practices in common with the Sadducees of the first century CE.
While the root of the divide between the Jews (Yehudah and Benyamin) and the Samaritans/(10 tribes) began during the division of Israel into two kingdoms following the death of king Solomon (931 BCE; 1 Kings 11-12), it was solidified following the intermarriage between the remnant of the 10 tribes left in the land and the Babylonian and Median colonists of 722 BCE.
The 10 tribes (of Israel, not Samaritans) had practiced apostate worship in the north, while the Jews (Yehudah and Benyamin) had worshipped according to the Torah in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount. However, upon the return of the Jews (Yehudah, Benyamin, and the integrated exiled 10 tribes of Israel) from the Babylonian exile, the Samaritan sect fiercely opposed the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (539 BCE; Ezra 4:6-24). They had established their own apostate form of worship associated to Mt Gerizim and therefore resisted the reestablishment of the Jerusalem Temple and its rites (even though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads as the Torah does concerning the placing of God’s Name on Mt Moriah, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem).
I consider it important to note that “It was necessary for Yeshua Himself to pass through Shomron.” The witness of His disciples alone was insufficient. The people of Shomron, the Samaritans (Shomronym), who practiced an apostate derivative of the Jewish religion and were a diluted bloodline attached to the Jewish people, needed to meet the Messiah in person in order to be reconciled to Israel’s greater purpose and indeed, to God through the Messiah Yeshua. In one sense Yeshua was offering the Samaritan sect an opportunity to re-join Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) in accordance with the Torah and Prophets and put away their apostate worship which centred its sacrificial system around Mt Gerizim rather than the Torah commanded Mt Moriah (Temple Mount).
It is interesting to note that the rabbinic Judaism of the modern state of Israel has in the last few decades made serious attempts to bring the Samaritan sect back into the fold of greater Judaism. In some rare cases rabbinical Jews have married into the Samaritan sect and vice versa. Although, devout adherents on both sides continue to detest the idea of merging the two groups.
Shomron (Samaria) is derived from the Hebrew “shomer” meaning to keep, guard, protect etc.
The Aramaic “shavkah” is similar to the Hebrew “shuv” meaning to turn. Therefore I’ve added the possible translation “turned away”.
The Greek “dierchomai” seems to be an example of transliteration converging with a composite Greek word and representing the Hebrew “derek” meaning “way, path, direction” etc. This is yet another, albeit subtle indication of the possibility of an original Hebrew manuscript of Yochanan’s Gospel. At very least it is another indication of the writer’s initial audience, that being Judeans, Jews (The collected tribes post exile), Samaritans, Israelis of the first century CE.
5 So He came to (va’yavo[H]), into, toward, for, among (eis[G]) a city (polis[G]) of the land/territory of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] Samaria, ho-Samareia[G] [guardianship]) called Suchar[H] (Sychar, Suchar[G] [drunken]), neighbouring (plesion[G]) the field (chorion[G]) that Yaakov[H] (Iakob[G], Jacob [grasps the heel, follower]) gave (natan[H]) to his son Yosef[H] (Joseph, Ioseph[G] [YHVH adds, double blessing]); 6 and Yaakov’s spring, well (pege[G], be’eir[H]) was there. Therefore (oun[G]) [because Yaakov’s well was there] Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua), being wearied from the way, journey (min-ha-derek [H]) sat by, on, before, at (epi[G], al[H]) the spring, well (pege[G] be’eir[H]). It was about 12pm midday (the sixth hour of the Jewish day, counted from sunrise [approx. 6am]).
The walk from Jerusalem (Judea region) to the Galilee (Capernaum) is approximately 40 hours (4 days of 10 hours walking per day) 209 km. Jacob’s well is about a third of the way between Jerusalem and Galilee (Capernaum).
Some have suggested that “the sixth hour” refers to the Roman method of time keeping and should be interpreted as referring to 6pm in the evening. In support of this supposition they refer to the singular instance of Genesis 24:11 and the fact that the women came out to draw water in the evening. However, there are a number of reasons why this cannot be the case in the context of John 4:6.
I do not believe this meeting took place at 6pm. The author is a Jew telling Jewish time to a Jewish audience using the Greek language, and is therefore using the Jewish method of time keeping. Furthermore, if we accept the argument that women drew water in the evening or late afternoon, we must also admit that the women (plural) of the entire village or community did so together. Therefore, in the present instance Yeshua would have been speaking to a group of women, whereas the text indicates a solitary woman and a conversation that would have been considered too intimate to be had in the hearing of others. The text does not tell us when Yeshua left Judea, nor does it tell us how long it took Him to reach Jacob’s well. At most it would have been a one and a half day walk consisting of eight to ten hours travel per day during the cool parts of the day and breaking to camp in between (at noon when the day was hottest).
If Yeshua had arrived along with His disciples at 6pm in the evening they would not have had time to purchase goods at the market, which would have been near closing, nor would there have been time for all the other events associated to this meeting to have taken place prior to nightfall (v.27-54). Finally, the writer of John’s Gospel clearly uses the hours of the Jewish day elsewhere in his Gospel, (John 1:39 “tenth hour referring to 4pm”; John 11:9 “twelve hours in a day” referring to the 12 daylight hours of the Jewish day; John 19:14 “sixth hour” midday during Pilate’s declaration concerning Yeshua prior to His crucifixion). It would be inconsistent of him to swing from one method of time recording to another. Nor is it even remotely likely that he would do this for a single event while maintaining a Jewish time recording method for all other instances in his Gospel. Therefore, it seems extremely unlikely that the writer of John is referring to the sixth hour according to Roman time.
This meeting took place at 12pm according to Jewish time counted from the first hour following sunrise (approx. 6am). This means that the woman had made a solo journey to the well at an unusual time. One of the reasons for this may have been her adulterous lifestyle which was as abhorrent to the first century Samaritan religion and culture as it was to the Jews. Thus, she was collecting her water at midday in order to avoid verbal and physical abuse levelled at her by the other women of her village (region), some of whom may well have been victims of her promiscuous lifestyle.
Biblical Sychar is thought to have been situated in the vicinity of modern Nablus in the Israeli territory of Shomron.
We note that the Greek for Sychar is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew Suchar. Once again, Jewish audience, Hebrew place names. Interestingly the modern Hebrew sucar (sugar) is spelled the same way.
We note that Jacob’s well is situated not far from the base of Mt Gerizim and close to modern day Nablus. This is important given the dialogue that follows regarding which of the two mountains, Mt Gerizim or Mt Moriah (Temple Mount), is the correct place upon which to offer sacrifices and worship before Hashem (YHVH).
The references to Shechem and Yaakov’s well are found in Gen. 33:19; 48:22; Josh. 24:32.
We note that Yeshua was physically weary and thirsty, although He is God with us He took on the frailty of human existence for our sake (Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 4:15). There is a beautiful irony here, Yeshua (God with us) allows Himself to become physically thirsty in order to satiate the spiritual thirst of the human soul.
The physical thirst of Yeshua is mentioned only once more in the Gospel of John, at the same time of day (12pm, sixth hour) during His crucifixion (19:28).
7 There came a woman (ishah [wife]), a shomroniyt {of the land/territory of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] a Samaritan)} to draw (antleo[G], lishav[H]) water (hudor[G], mayim[H]). The (ho[G]) Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua) said to her, “Give (didomi[G], taniy-na[H]) Me (moi[G], liy[H]) a drink.” 8 For His disciples (mathetes[G] [pupils], talmidim[H] [religious students, followers]) had gone away into the city to buy food (ochel[H]) in the market (agorazo[G], shuk[H]).
We see that both the Greek “gune” and the Hebrew “ishah” meaning woman, can also mean wife. This is an intentional ambiguity as pretext to the conversation that follows regarding the woman’s many sexual partners.
The departure of Yeshua’s disciples may be intended to explain the lack of anyone else to serve Him water. It also emphasises the solitude of the situation. The text infers that there were no other people present at the well.
9 Therefore the Samaritan (ha-shomroniyt: of the land/territory of Shomron[H] [place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower]) woman (ha-ishah [the wife]) said to Him, “How is it that You, being Yehudiy[H] (a Jew [of Israel], a religious Jew, an ethnic Jew, a Judean, Ioudaios[G]), ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For ha-Yehudiym [the Judeans, Jews] have no dealings, do not associate with, participate with [sugchraomai[G]do things jointly or in unison] with Ha-Shomroniym Samaritans.)
In the context of this meeting the Greek Ioudaios is qualified by the Samaritan woman’s view. The Samaritan sect used the term Yehudiym, Ioudaios to refer not only to the religious and region specific Judeans but also to all the tribes of ethnic, religious Israel. Therefore, it is correct to translate Ioudaios in the more general form “Jews” in this instance.
NB: It is important to keep in mind that the Jews of the first century CE were the collected body of the returned tribes of Israel gathered together following the exile in the region of Judea and were therefore collectively called Yehudiym. By the first century CE this title was not used exclusively to describe the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Southern Kingdom). The popular theory of the so called “Lost Tribes” is untenable when tested against the history of the Jewish people. This myth has been used by many to develop such anti-Semitic teachings as “Replacement Theology”, “British Israel” etc. It is also used by some modern Christian scholars to support the lie that the modern Jewish people are not related to the Biblical Jewish people.
There is an important pretext here in the use of the Greek sugchraomai, meaning “use jointly”. The religious Jews of the first century CE did not share in the apostate practises of the Samaritans. Nor did they dine with Samaritans or Gentiles except in rare circumstances. Primarily this was in order to keep themselves set apart unto God. It may have become a practise of hubris, but it had started from a pure motive. After all, to participate in the sacrifice of an animal on Mt Gerizim for example, to share its meat etc. would have been in direct violation of the Torah.
From the perspective of the Samaritan woman (a sinful woman who clearly did not keep even the laws of her own Samaritan sect) Yeshua’s request is an opportunity to debate what she may see as the arrogant religious position of Jews such as Yeshua. Her reference to the Jewish practise of setting themselves apart may be an attempt to deny water to Yeshua. After all, we must remember that historically, culturally and contextually, Yeshua is an enemy from the Samaritan woman’s point of view. Those religious Jews who travelled through Samaria at this time in history did so primarily because it was the most direct route to the Galilee, enabling them to avoid the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. They travelled through Samaria but generally avoided contact with the villages and people of Samaria. However, the Jewish sages had varied views concerning the Samaritans, who the rabbinical rabbis called “Cuthites”, a name derived from one of the locations in Babylon that the non Jewish forebears of the Samaritans had come from (2 Kings 17:24).
"a roasted egg of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), lo, this is lawful: says R. Jacob bar Acha, in the name of R. Lazar, the boiled victuals of the Cuthites (Samaritans), lo, these are free; this he says concerning boiled food, because it is not their custom to put wine and vinegar into it,''
- T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4.
"the unleavened bread of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), is lawful, and that a man is allowed the use of it at the passover.''
- T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 10. 1. & Cholin, fol. 4. 1. & Kiddushin, fol. 76. 1.
"he that buys wine of the Cuthites (Samaritans), says, the two logs that I shall separate, lo, they are first fruits, &c.''
- Misn. Demai, c. 7. sect. 4. Vid. Bartenora in ib.
"that, he that eats the bread of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), is as if he eat flesh; to when (who reported this) says (R. Akiba) be silent, I will not tell you what R. Eliezer thinks concerning it.''
- Misna Sheviith, c. 8. sect. 10. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38.
"because the Cuthites (or Samaritans) ate at his table, it was the reason why his children went into captivity-and further add, that whoever invites a Cuthite (or Samaritan) into his house, and ministers to him, is the cause of captivity to his children.''
-T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 104. 1.
"three days before the feasts of idolaters (for such they reckoned the Samaritans, as well as others), it is forbidden to have any commerce with them, to borrow of them, or lend to them
- T. Bab. Becorot, fol. 7. 2. Piske Toseph. ib. art. 4. & in Megilla, art 102. Misna Avoda Zara, c. 1. sect. 1.
Yeshua’s view concerning the Samaritans seems to have been one of reconciliation and inclusion in the greater body of the Jewish people (Luke 9:52), and their spiritual redemption through Him. However, it would require their repentance.
FYI: Today Jews who live in Shomron and Judea need not fear the Samaritans (descendants of the Shomroniym of the first century) but are constantly under attack from Palestinian extremists and are regularly taunted and verbally abused by so called Christian organisations such as the EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel) who are funded by the WCC (World Council of Churches), whose 350 members include denominations such as Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Eastern Orthodox, Quakers, Lutheran and many more. Circa 2020
10 Yeshua[H, A] answered and said to her, “If you perceived, (eido, yada’at[H]) knew the gift (ho-dorea, et-matan[H]) of the God (ho-Theos[G], ha-Elohim[H]), 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 (mayim chayim[H], hudor-zao[G]).”
Note that the unity of God is alluded to in the person of Yeshua and in His insistence that the woman needs to ask the question of God in order to receive the gift which is manifest in the woman’s presence. Therefore, Messiah is both the gift of God and God with us Who gives the gift of eternal living, represented here using the figure of living water: water that comes from an untouched spring of the earth rather than from a manmade cistern (Num. 19:17). It is also known for its refreshing application (Jer. 2:14; 17:13). Living water is moving water that is undefiled and finds its origin and flow in God alone. In short, living water comes from above and renews the sin affected earth.
11“Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 “Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
-Jeremiah 2:11-13 (NASB)
11 She said to Him, “My Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), You have nothing to draw with and the well, pit, abyss (phrear[G]) is deep; from what place (pothen[G]) then do You hold, wear, possess (echo[G]) the (ho[G]) living water (mayim chayim[H], hudor-zao[G])? 12 You are not greater (meizon[G]ha-gadol[H]) than our father (ho-pater[G], aviynu[H]) Yaakov[H], are You, who gave (didomi[G], natan-lanu[H]) us the well (ho-phrear[G], et ha-beir[H]), and for himself drew out to drink of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”
We note that like Nakdimon (Nicodemus) the Samaritan woman fails to understand the full spiritual meaning of Yeshua’s figurative speech. Therefore, she answers in response to what she understands as a literal offer of water from the well of Jacob. Another beautiful irony, in that the water Yeshua offers does come through Jacob from God in the form of the descendant of Jacob and Person of God’s only begotten Son.
Yeshua’s words and countenance had clearly sparked a fire of transformation in the woman, who now calls Him “My Lord (Master)” rather than referring to Him as part of the collective of the Jewish people as she had before.
The use of the Greek “phrear” can refer to the abyss or netherworld and infers at least in part that the woman had begun to sense that this was a spiritual conversation. “Phrear” is a word that denotes bottomless depth and is probably employed here to indicate that the well of Jacob is in fact quite literally a well from a natural underground spring of flowing water and is therefore a physical representation of the figurative application of the Hebrew mayim-chayim (living waters).
13 Yeshua[H, A] answered and said to her, “Everyone, all who drink (pino[G], kol-hashoteh[H]) of, from this water (hudor[G], min-ha-mayim[H]) will suffer thirst, return to thirst (dipsao[G], yashuv veyitzma[H]) again; 14 but whoever drinks (pino[G], yishteh[H]) of, from the water (hudor[G], min-ha-mayim yishteh[H) that I will give (notein[H]) him shall never suffer thirst (dipsao[G], yitzma[H]) into the unbroken age, eternity, the world (eis ho aion[G], le’olam[H]); because (kiy[H]) the water (hudor[G], ha-mayim[H]) that I am giving (didomi[G], eten-lo[H]) him will become, arise, close to the source (ginomai[G], vekirbo lim’kor[H]) in him a well, spring (pege[G]) of water (hudatos[G], mayim[H]) springing, leaping, gushing up (hallomai[G]) into, toward, among life, living (zoe[G], lechayeiy[H], L’chaye[A]Pl.) without end, in the eternal world (aionios[G], ha-olam[H]).”
This living water is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is poured out on every believer beginning at Shavuot (Pentecost) approx. 33 CE (Acts 2), as a result of Yeshua’s death, resurrection, ascension and authority at God’s right hand. Rain, water, living water, are all symbolic of the moving and life giving Spirit of the Living God. The context of this passage denotes spiritual renewal and points to a relationship of worship that can only be participated in by those who dwell in the Spirit of God and the Truth of His Son (v.24). We know that the water Yeshua is speaking of is the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) because Yeshua Himself says so:
“37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast (Sukkot), Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, “[g]If anyone is thirsty, [h]let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From [i]his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.” -Yochanan (John) 7:37-39
“‘For I will pour out water on [a]the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;” -Isaiah 43:3 (NASB)
““Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no [a]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.” -Isaiah 55:1 (NASB)
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your [a]desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not [b]fail.” -Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)
15 Speaking (lego[G]) to Him the woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said, “Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), give (didomi[G], tenah[H]) me this (touto[G]) the (ho[G]) water (hudor[G], ha-mayim[H]), so I will never suffer thirst (dipsao[G], lo etzma[H]) nor walk (dierchomai[G]) here [Heb. Alt. od velo osiyf labo “continually adding by coming”] to draw water over and over again (antleo[G]).” 16 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Go, and call (phoneo[G], vekiriy[H]) your husband (aner[G], leiysheich[H]) and come here.”
The request of the Samaritan woman comes from her sin seeded brokenness and her desire to find a life that has meaning beyond that of sensual pleasure, temporary physical gratification and empty promises. However, she still interprets Yeshua’s words literally, referring to the well’s location and her desire to no longer have to revisit it.
Note that Yeshua did not give her the water He had spoken of straight away in response to her request. Rather He began by pointing out her sin with the view to lead her to repentance so that she might receive the water He had spoken of following His resurrection. The unrepentant cannot receive the water of living (the promised Holy Spirit) because without turning toward God, no one can engage in relationship with Him, nor be sustained by His Spirit. To deny sin and its fruit is to deny a self-inflicted wound.
17 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) answered and said, “I have no husband (aner[G], iysh[H][man]).” Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Yes (ken[H]) you spoke correctly when you (kalos[G],) said, ‘I have no husband (aner[G , iysh[H][man])’; 18 In fact you have had five (chamishah[H]) husbands (aner[G], bealiym[H][husbands, masters, rulers]), and at the present time (nun[G]) the one whom you now have is not your husband (aner[G], ba’leikh[H][your husband, master, ruler]); this you have said truly (alethes[G], emet[H]).”
The woman intended to hide her sin with her answer but Yeshua exposed that which she had attempted to hide by illuminating the truth of her situation. Something only those who knew the woman could have known. Thus, He proves Himself a prophet in her eyes, not because He foretold the future but because He revealed the present. The prophets of Israel were primarily tasked with exposing sin and calling Israel to repentance. Yeshua plays the same role in this encounter.
The Hebrew text better conveys the nuance of Yeshua’s response. When Yeshua repeats the woman’s answer back to her He uses her words “I have no man/husband (iysh)”, but when He exposes her half-truth (a lie) He says “In fact you have had five husbands/masters (bealiym)” using the Hebrew “ba’al” which refers specifically to a husband rather than the generic term “iysh” which can mean husband or man. Ba’aliym was the title used to describe the false gods worshipped by Israel’s forebears, thus, Yeshua makes a drash of this idolatry in order to expose the woman’s true spiritual state.
Not only is Yeshua exposing the woman’s words and spiritual condition, He is also clearly defining for her the nature and extent of her sin. Put simply, “You spoke well saying that you have no husband, in fact you have had five sexual partners and married four of them officially, while the one you are with at present you have not married officially.”
The historical, religious context here is of paramount importance. It explains the depth of sin of the woman, the sin of the male leaders in her village, the reason she was at the well at an unusual time of day and it partly qualifies the religious Jewish avoidance of the Samaritan region and people.
The religious Samaritan’s of the first century CE adhered to their slightly corrupted version of the Torah with great devotion. They would have frowned upon adultery and the defiling of the marriage bed through premarital sexual relations. However, it seems from Yeshua’s words that the woman had been married by religious ceremony four times. This means that either all three of her first husbands had died or committed adultery against her leaving her free to marry under Torah law, or that the religious leaders of her village had allowed her marriages to take place outside of the requirements of the Torah. Based on the text it appears that the latter is the more likely. The fifth man is not her husband, meaning that she is either cheating on her fourth husband or is in an illicit premarital affair, or is in an illicit sexual relationship with another woman’s husband. In any case she would have been a woman despised by the other woman of her village (many of whom had been victims of her sin), a woman with few friends and many male admirers. It is likely that she survived because the men of her village enjoyed her and advocated for her promiscuous lifestyle. The hypocrisy of the religious was not limited to certain Jewish religious leaders, it was also clearly prevalent in the Samaritan sect.
19 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said to Him, “Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), I perceive, see (theoreo[G], roah[H]) that You are a prophet (prophetes[G], naviy[H]). 20 Our fathers (avoteiynu[H]) worshiped, bowed down, kissed (proskuneo[G], hishtachau[H], saghed[A]) in/on this mountain (bahar[H]), and you (ve’atem[H]) say (omriym[H][Pl]) Jerusalem (Yerushalayim[H] [Flood of Peace]) she (hiy[H]) is the place (ha-makum[H]) where men ought to worship, bow down (proskuneo[G], lehishtachot[H], saghed[A]).”
As stated previously, she perceived that Yeshua was a prophet not because He foretold the future but because He exposed the present.
The use of the Hebrew “Ha-Makum” in the woman’s response is significant. Ha-makum is a name for the Temple Mount and literally means “The Place”. It is used in reference to the place where Jacob lay his head and saw the dream of Jacob’s ladder (Gen.28:10-19). This story was of great importance to both Jews and Samaritans and as a result the location of “The Place” was contested. The Samaritans believed (incorrectly) that Mt Gerizim (near modern Nablus [Biblical Shechem/Sychar] in the Shomron region) was Ha-Makum (the Place) while the Jews correctly understood that Mt Moriah (The Temple Mount in Jerusalem) is Ha-Makum (The Place). Something that Yeshua affirms in the following verses.
NB: Gerizim means “cuttings” a plural of garaz “cut off”. Moriah translates literally as “from the sight of YHVH” meaning “YHVH has seen and chosen” (me-ra’ah-YHVH). Eyval (Ebal) means “Stone” or “Bare Mountain”. Both mountains are mentioned in the proclaiming blessing and curse over Israel as they approached the promised land (Deut. 11:29; 27, 28).
We note that the woman recognises Yeshua as a prophet and includes Him in her general reference to the Jewish people as a whole.
Notice that the name Jerusalem means “Flood or Downpour of Peace” and refers to the Spirit of God and the Son being poured out over the inhabitants of the city, something which took place at Shavuot (Pentecost approx.. 33 CE) and will take place again at the reconciliation of all Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen).
21 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Dear woman (gune[G], ishah[H] [wife]), believe, trust in, have the faith in Me (ha’amiyniy[H]), because (kiy[H]) a certain definite time, an hour (hora[G], sha’ah[H]) is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you (all) worship (proskuneo[G], tishtachau[H], saghed[A]) the Father (ho pater[G], la’Av[H]). 22 You all (humeis[G], atem [H]) worship (proskuneo[G], mishtachaviym[H],saghed[A]) what you can’t see, do not know (eido[G], yedatem[H]); we worship (proskuneo[G], mishtachaviym[H]) Who (ho[G]) we see, know (eido[G], yadednu[H]), because (hoti[G], kiy[H]) the (ho[G]) salvation (ha-yeshuah[H]), deliverance, preservation, safety (soteria[G]) is out of, by, from (ex[G], min[H]) the Jewish people (Ioudaios[G], ha-yehudiym hiy[H]) [Aramaic alt. d’chaye men yihudaye, “living is from the Jews”].
Notice that the woman had placed emphasis on the location of worship whereas Yeshua places the emphasis on The Father. Therefore, it is not upon mountains that we are to rely but upon the Creator of mountains.
“We know Who we worship” is an allusion to the fact that God had revealed Himself to the people of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) from Abraham and through the generations of Isaac, Jacob and their children’s children. God chose Israel to receive His Torah and His prophets and had appointed her to be a light of His redemptive purpose to all humanity. Although Israel had failed in this task corporately, she none the less had always had among her those who were devout toward God and knew Whom they worshipped. Therefore, Yeshua is not ashamed to include Himself in the collective voice of Israel (ethnic, religious, chosen, empirical), saying “We know Who we worship…”
Salvation (Himself: Yeshua) comes from the Jews (plural), that is, from the Jewish bloodline.
Yeshua has essentially challenged the woman to examine her sinful state and consider repentance, then accept that the promised Messiah is of the Jewish people and accept His saving work in order to receive the water He has spoken of. This will also result in her re-inclusion back into the tribal body of Israel (The Jews of the first century).
The Aramaic text is interesting because it makes “chaye” (Aramaic plural meaning living) synonymous with “yeshuah” (Hebrew feminine form for Salvation).
23 A certain definite time, an hour (hora[G], sha’ah[H]) is coming, [Heb. Alt. Olam tavo sha’ah “A world is coming in time”] and now is, when the true (alethinos[G], ha-amitiym[H]) worshipers (proskunetes[G], yishtachau[H]) will worship (proskuneo[G]) the Father (ho pater[G], la’Av[H]) in spirit (pneuma[G], beruach[H]) and in truth (aletheia[G], uve’emet[H]); for such people the Father seeks (zeteo[G]) to be His worshipers (proskuneo[G]). [Heb. Alt. kiy bemishtachaviym koeileh chapeitz ha-Av “Because it is in worshippers who worship as a whole that the Father reveals the objective”]
This revelation connects the individual to the collective and emphasises corporate worship. The text does not say, “The true worshipper” but “the true worshippers”. Yeshua points the woman to her inclusion in Israel and away from individual and tribal rivalries.
24 God is (Theos[G], Elohim[H]) spirit (pneuma[G], ruach[H]), and those who worship (proskuneo[G], vehamishtachaviym[H]) Him must (tzeriychiym[H] [Pl]) worship in spirit (pneuma[G], beruach[H]) and in truth (aletheia[G], uve’emet[H]).”
In the Spirit of God Who is the nearest subject of “Spirit”, and in the Truth of His Living Word (Yeshua) Who is the speaker. Again the language is plural, “those” not “the one”. In one sense our personal experience of God’s Spirit and Truth is reliant on the corporate experience of God’s Spirit and Truth. One cannot exist without the other.
25 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said to Him, “I know, see, perceive (eido[G], yadatiy[G]) that Messiah (Messias[G], Mashiach[H]) is coming, (He who is called Christos[G] [Anointed One]); when He comes, He will announce, make known, declare, tell (anaggello[G], veyagiyd[H]) all things to us (hapas[G], et kol[H]).” 26 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “I (Ani[H]) who speak (ha-medabeir ) to you I am He (Ani Hu[H]).” [Heb. Lit. “I Am the One speaking to you, I Am He”].
The woman professes her belief that the promised Messiah is coming. Her confession is no different from many Jews and most Samaritans today, who believe in the coming of a Messiah but do not accept that the Messiah has already come or that Yeshua is the promised Messiah. Although the woman has concluded that Yeshua is a prophet and therefore a man of God, she has not put two and two together. Therefore, Yeshua speaks plainly to her, “I AM the One (Messiah) speaking to you”. The Hebrew text reads “Ani Ha-medabeir eilayikh Ani hu”, “I Am the One speaking to you, I Am He.” This statement reflects the Self-existent proclamation of HaShem [YHVH] (Exodus 3:14).
Yeshua uses this “I AM” identifier nine times in the Gospel according to Yochanan (John) [4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:9; 18:5, 6, 8)[cf. Mark 14:61-62]. By His use of this statement of Self-revelation Yeshua implies that He is more than just a man, He is the promised Imanu-El (God with us), the manifestly present God, come to redeem His chosen people and all among humanity who will receive Him.
Even if one could disassociate Yeshua’s use of “I Am” from the Self-existing statement of YHVH (Exodus 3:14) in eight out of its nine uses within John’s Gospel, none can refute its clear meaning in John 8:58:
“Yeshua said to them, “In Truth, in truth, be’emet, be’emet, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.”
In His response to the Samaritan woman at the well, Yeshua is quite literally quoting Isaiah 52:6
“Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.”
NB: Isaiah 52:6 is pretext to the latter part of Isaiah 52 and the entire chapter of Isaiah 53 which explains the coming Messiah’s sacrificial death.
Yeshua is either the Messiah and God with us or He is an apostate heretic, a liar and a fraud. There is absolutely no room for the foolish notion that Yeshua was simply a good Rabbi but not the Messiah, nor for the false doctrine that He is the Messiah but is not God with us. The Scripture demands that we make a choice. Face to face with the King Messiah the Samaritan woman at the well was presented with that same choice. She chose well, will you?
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown
We note that it is because of Yeshua’s foreknowledge and His spiritual discernment that He was aware of the dislike that many of the Pharisees already had for John, and for Yeshua Himself, largely in part due to the number of disciples that John and Yeshua were amassing. Both the Greek ginosko and the Hebrew noda (from yodata) can denote intimate knowledge, in other words, Yeshua knew the intimate thoughts of the Pharisees, and knew that, at this stage the majority were against His ministry. His knowledge of their thoughts in spite of the fact that they were not present to witness His actions is evidence of His Divine nature.
We also see that Yeshua is called “Ho Kurios” meaning “The Lord” (Heb. La-Adon). The writer of John’s Gospel is further illuminating his Spirit given understanding concerning the Messiah’s deity (John 1). To call Yeshua “the Lord of…” would have been an acceptable usage in reference to any Jewish religious leader of the time, but to call Him “The Lord” would have been considered blasphemy by the majority of religious leaders and even by many of His disciples, until such a time as they had come to understand as John the disciple had, that Yeshua is the Imanu-El of Whom Isaiah the prophet spoke: that is, God with us, the Servant King Messiah (Isa. 7:14; 8:8).
We note that the Pharisees had “heard” of what was happening, meaning that the majority had not witnessed the immersions associated with Yeshua’s ministry. Although they had witnessed the immersion ministry of John the Immerser (Baptist) [see John 1-3].
With regard to the increase in disciples who had decided to follow Yeshua it is interesting to consider the Greek word “poieo” meaning, “forming, fashioning, preparing, authoring”. Yeshua’s disciples were being formed by His ministry, they were not yet fully formed. They were being prepared for something yet future. They were being authored into a new story by the Author of all things and fashioned by the Creator Himself.
At this point the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) had not yet been poured out on the disciples. Therefore, the immersion being performed was one of teshuva, returning and devotion to God and to His promised King Messiah (Though some, if not all were yet to understand what “Mashiach” truly meant). It is poignant therefore that the author of John’s Gospel makes it clear that Yeshua did not facilitate tevilah (immersion) but that it was performed and facilitated by His disciples. Yeshua would facilitate the immersion of all who believe once He was seated at the right hand of HaShem the Father after Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Thus, He instructed His disciples to “Go therefore (because all authority has been given to you…), making talmidim of all nations, immersing them in the Name of Ha Av (The Father) and of Ha-Ben (The Son), and of Ruach Ha-Kodesh (The Holy Spirit)” [Matt. 28:19].
3 And He left, turned away (aphiemi[G], va-yeitzei[H], v’shavkah[A]) from the territory, the land (mei-eretz[H]) of Yehudah[H] (Judea, ho Ioudaia[G][Praise]) and went away again, anew (palin[G]) into, toward, for, among (eis[G]) the region of the (Galilee, Galilaia[G] ha-Galiylah[H] [Circuit, perpetual turning, going round] or Ha-Kinneret[H] [Harp]). 4 And it was necessary that (dei[G]) He Himself (autos[G]) pass through, go toward (la’avor[H]) make way (dierchomai[G], derek[H]) in the land/territory (eretz[H]) of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] Samaria, ho-Samareia[G] [guardianship]).
The Samaritans (Shomroniym) are mixed race descendants of the remnant of the ten tribes of northern Israel who were left in the land when the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BCE, and colonists from Babylonia and Media brought by the Assyrian conquerors of Shomron (Samaria) [2 Kings 17:24-41]. Technically speaking their descendants are not idolaters, however, they see their version of the Torah (Pentateuch), written in an ancient Hebrew script (popularly referred to as “Paleo Hebrew”), as the only inspired word of God. Their version of the Torah differs slightly in some places but is generally equivalent to the Hebrew and Greek versions of the Torah/Pentateuch. Therefore, the Samaritans do not accept the writings of the prophets of the TaNaKH (OT) as inspired Scripture. In this respect they shared some beliefs and practices in common with the Sadducees of the first century CE.
While the root of the divide between the Jews (Yehudah and Benyamin) and the Samaritans/(10 tribes) began during the division of Israel into two kingdoms following the death of king Solomon (931 BCE; 1 Kings 11-12), it was solidified following the intermarriage between the remnant of the 10 tribes left in the land and the Babylonian and Median colonists of 722 BCE.
The 10 tribes (of Israel, not Samaritans) had practiced apostate worship in the north, while the Jews (Yehudah and Benyamin) had worshipped according to the Torah in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount. However, upon the return of the Jews (Yehudah, Benyamin, and the integrated exiled 10 tribes of Israel) from the Babylonian exile, the Samaritan sect fiercely opposed the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (539 BCE; Ezra 4:6-24). They had established their own apostate form of worship associated to Mt Gerizim and therefore resisted the reestablishment of the Jerusalem Temple and its rites (even though the Samaritan Pentateuch reads as the Torah does concerning the placing of God’s Name on Mt Moriah, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem).
I consider it important to note that “It was necessary for Yeshua Himself to pass through Shomron.” The witness of His disciples alone was insufficient. The people of Shomron, the Samaritans (Shomronym), who practiced an apostate derivative of the Jewish religion and were a diluted bloodline attached to the Jewish people, needed to meet the Messiah in person in order to be reconciled to Israel’s greater purpose and indeed, to God through the Messiah Yeshua. In one sense Yeshua was offering the Samaritan sect an opportunity to re-join Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) in accordance with the Torah and Prophets and put away their apostate worship which centred its sacrificial system around Mt Gerizim rather than the Torah commanded Mt Moriah (Temple Mount).
It is interesting to note that the rabbinic Judaism of the modern state of Israel has in the last few decades made serious attempts to bring the Samaritan sect back into the fold of greater Judaism. In some rare cases rabbinical Jews have married into the Samaritan sect and vice versa. Although, devout adherents on both sides continue to detest the idea of merging the two groups.
Shomron (Samaria) is derived from the Hebrew “shomer” meaning to keep, guard, protect etc.
The Aramaic “shavkah” is similar to the Hebrew “shuv” meaning to turn. Therefore I’ve added the possible translation “turned away”.
The Greek “dierchomai” seems to be an example of transliteration converging with a composite Greek word and representing the Hebrew “derek” meaning “way, path, direction” etc. This is yet another, albeit subtle indication of the possibility of an original Hebrew manuscript of Yochanan’s Gospel. At very least it is another indication of the writer’s initial audience, that being Judeans, Jews (The collected tribes post exile), Samaritans, Israelis of the first century CE.
5 So He came to (va’yavo[H]), into, toward, for, among (eis[G]) a city (polis[G]) of the land/territory of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] Samaria, ho-Samareia[G] [guardianship]) called Suchar[H] (Sychar, Suchar[G] [drunken]), neighbouring (plesion[G]) the field (chorion[G]) that Yaakov[H] (Iakob[G], Jacob [grasps the heel, follower]) gave (natan[H]) to his son Yosef[H] (Joseph, Ioseph[G] [YHVH adds, double blessing]); 6 and Yaakov’s spring, well (pege[G], be’eir[H]) was there. Therefore (oun[G]) [because Yaakov’s well was there] Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua), being wearied from the way, journey (min-ha-derek [H]) sat by, on, before, at (epi[G], al[H]) the spring, well (pege[G] be’eir[H]). It was about 12pm midday (the sixth hour of the Jewish day, counted from sunrise [approx. 6am]).
The walk from Jerusalem (Judea region) to the Galilee (Capernaum) is approximately 40 hours (4 days of 10 hours walking per day) 209 km. Jacob’s well is about a third of the way between Jerusalem and Galilee (Capernaum).
Some have suggested that “the sixth hour” refers to the Roman method of time keeping and should be interpreted as referring to 6pm in the evening. In support of this supposition they refer to the singular instance of Genesis 24:11 and the fact that the women came out to draw water in the evening. However, there are a number of reasons why this cannot be the case in the context of John 4:6.
I do not believe this meeting took place at 6pm. The author is a Jew telling Jewish time to a Jewish audience using the Greek language, and is therefore using the Jewish method of time keeping. Furthermore, if we accept the argument that women drew water in the evening or late afternoon, we must also admit that the women (plural) of the entire village or community did so together. Therefore, in the present instance Yeshua would have been speaking to a group of women, whereas the text indicates a solitary woman and a conversation that would have been considered too intimate to be had in the hearing of others. The text does not tell us when Yeshua left Judea, nor does it tell us how long it took Him to reach Jacob’s well. At most it would have been a one and a half day walk consisting of eight to ten hours travel per day during the cool parts of the day and breaking to camp in between (at noon when the day was hottest).
If Yeshua had arrived along with His disciples at 6pm in the evening they would not have had time to purchase goods at the market, which would have been near closing, nor would there have been time for all the other events associated to this meeting to have taken place prior to nightfall (v.27-54). Finally, the writer of John’s Gospel clearly uses the hours of the Jewish day elsewhere in his Gospel, (John 1:39 “tenth hour referring to 4pm”; John 11:9 “twelve hours in a day” referring to the 12 daylight hours of the Jewish day; John 19:14 “sixth hour” midday during Pilate’s declaration concerning Yeshua prior to His crucifixion). It would be inconsistent of him to swing from one method of time recording to another. Nor is it even remotely likely that he would do this for a single event while maintaining a Jewish time recording method for all other instances in his Gospel. Therefore, it seems extremely unlikely that the writer of John is referring to the sixth hour according to Roman time.
This meeting took place at 12pm according to Jewish time counted from the first hour following sunrise (approx. 6am). This means that the woman had made a solo journey to the well at an unusual time. One of the reasons for this may have been her adulterous lifestyle which was as abhorrent to the first century Samaritan religion and culture as it was to the Jews. Thus, she was collecting her water at midday in order to avoid verbal and physical abuse levelled at her by the other women of her village (region), some of whom may well have been victims of her promiscuous lifestyle.
Biblical Sychar is thought to have been situated in the vicinity of modern Nablus in the Israeli territory of Shomron.
We note that the Greek for Sychar is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew Suchar. Once again, Jewish audience, Hebrew place names. Interestingly the modern Hebrew sucar (sugar) is spelled the same way.
We note that Jacob’s well is situated not far from the base of Mt Gerizim and close to modern day Nablus. This is important given the dialogue that follows regarding which of the two mountains, Mt Gerizim or Mt Moriah (Temple Mount), is the correct place upon which to offer sacrifices and worship before Hashem (YHVH).
The references to Shechem and Yaakov’s well are found in Gen. 33:19; 48:22; Josh. 24:32.
We note that Yeshua was physically weary and thirsty, although He is God with us He took on the frailty of human existence for our sake (Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 4:15). There is a beautiful irony here, Yeshua (God with us) allows Himself to become physically thirsty in order to satiate the spiritual thirst of the human soul.
The physical thirst of Yeshua is mentioned only once more in the Gospel of John, at the same time of day (12pm, sixth hour) during His crucifixion (19:28).
7 There came a woman (ishah [wife]), a shomroniyt {of the land/territory of Shomron[H] ([place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower] a Samaritan)} to draw (antleo[G], lishav[H]) water (hudor[G], mayim[H]). The (ho[G]) Yeshua[H, A] (Iesous[G], YHVH Saves, Jesus, Joshua) said to her, “Give (didomi[G], taniy-na[H]) Me (moi[G], liy[H]) a drink.” 8 For His disciples (mathetes[G] [pupils], talmidim[H] [religious students, followers]) had gone away into the city to buy food (ochel[H]) in the market (agorazo[G], shuk[H]).
We see that both the Greek “gune” and the Hebrew “ishah” meaning woman, can also mean wife. This is an intentional ambiguity as pretext to the conversation that follows regarding the woman’s many sexual partners.
The departure of Yeshua’s disciples may be intended to explain the lack of anyone else to serve Him water. It also emphasises the solitude of the situation. The text infers that there were no other people present at the well.
9 Therefore the Samaritan (ha-shomroniyt: of the land/territory of Shomron[H] [place of guardians, watch mountain, watch tower]) woman (ha-ishah [the wife]) said to Him, “How is it that You, being Yehudiy[H] (a Jew [of Israel], a religious Jew, an ethnic Jew, a Judean, Ioudaios[G]), ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For ha-Yehudiym [the Judeans, Jews] have no dealings, do not associate with, participate with [sugchraomai[G]do things jointly or in unison] with Ha-Shomroniym Samaritans.)
In the context of this meeting the Greek Ioudaios is qualified by the Samaritan woman’s view. The Samaritan sect used the term Yehudiym, Ioudaios to refer not only to the religious and region specific Judeans but also to all the tribes of ethnic, religious Israel. Therefore, it is correct to translate Ioudaios in the more general form “Jews” in this instance.
NB: It is important to keep in mind that the Jews of the first century CE were the collected body of the returned tribes of Israel gathered together following the exile in the region of Judea and were therefore collectively called Yehudiym. By the first century CE this title was not used exclusively to describe the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Southern Kingdom). The popular theory of the so called “Lost Tribes” is untenable when tested against the history of the Jewish people. This myth has been used by many to develop such anti-Semitic teachings as “Replacement Theology”, “British Israel” etc. It is also used by some modern Christian scholars to support the lie that the modern Jewish people are not related to the Biblical Jewish people.
There is an important pretext here in the use of the Greek sugchraomai, meaning “use jointly”. The religious Jews of the first century CE did not share in the apostate practises of the Samaritans. Nor did they dine with Samaritans or Gentiles except in rare circumstances. Primarily this was in order to keep themselves set apart unto God. It may have become a practise of hubris, but it had started from a pure motive. After all, to participate in the sacrifice of an animal on Mt Gerizim for example, to share its meat etc. would have been in direct violation of the Torah.
From the perspective of the Samaritan woman (a sinful woman who clearly did not keep even the laws of her own Samaritan sect) Yeshua’s request is an opportunity to debate what she may see as the arrogant religious position of Jews such as Yeshua. Her reference to the Jewish practise of setting themselves apart may be an attempt to deny water to Yeshua. After all, we must remember that historically, culturally and contextually, Yeshua is an enemy from the Samaritan woman’s point of view. Those religious Jews who travelled through Samaria at this time in history did so primarily because it was the most direct route to the Galilee, enabling them to avoid the Gentile cities of the Decapolis. They travelled through Samaria but generally avoided contact with the villages and people of Samaria. However, the Jewish sages had varied views concerning the Samaritans, who the rabbinical rabbis called “Cuthites”, a name derived from one of the locations in Babylon that the non Jewish forebears of the Samaritans had come from (2 Kings 17:24).
"a roasted egg of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), lo, this is lawful: says R. Jacob bar Acha, in the name of R. Lazar, the boiled victuals of the Cuthites (Samaritans), lo, these are free; this he says concerning boiled food, because it is not their custom to put wine and vinegar into it,''
- T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4.
"the unleavened bread of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), is lawful, and that a man is allowed the use of it at the passover.''
- T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 10. 1. & Cholin, fol. 4. 1. & Kiddushin, fol. 76. 1.
"he that buys wine of the Cuthites (Samaritans), says, the two logs that I shall separate, lo, they are first fruits, &c.''
- Misn. Demai, c. 7. sect. 4. Vid. Bartenora in ib.
"that, he that eats the bread of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), is as if he eat flesh; to when (who reported this) says (R. Akiba) be silent, I will not tell you what R. Eliezer thinks concerning it.''
- Misna Sheviith, c. 8. sect. 10. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38.
"because the Cuthites (or Samaritans) ate at his table, it was the reason why his children went into captivity-and further add, that whoever invites a Cuthite (or Samaritan) into his house, and ministers to him, is the cause of captivity to his children.''
-T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 104. 1.
"three days before the feasts of idolaters (for such they reckoned the Samaritans, as well as others), it is forbidden to have any commerce with them, to borrow of them, or lend to them
- T. Bab. Becorot, fol. 7. 2. Piske Toseph. ib. art. 4. & in Megilla, art 102. Misna Avoda Zara, c. 1. sect. 1.
Yeshua’s view concerning the Samaritans seems to have been one of reconciliation and inclusion in the greater body of the Jewish people (Luke 9:52), and their spiritual redemption through Him. However, it would require their repentance.
FYI: Today Jews who live in Shomron and Judea need not fear the Samaritans (descendants of the Shomroniym of the first century) but are constantly under attack from Palestinian extremists and are regularly taunted and verbally abused by so called Christian organisations such as the EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel) who are funded by the WCC (World Council of Churches), whose 350 members include denominations such as Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Pentecostal, Eastern Orthodox, Quakers, Lutheran and many more. Circa 2020
10 Yeshua[H, A] answered and said to her, “If you perceived, (eido, yada’at[H]) knew the gift (ho-dorea, et-matan[H]) of the God (ho-Theos[G], ha-Elohim[H]), 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 (mayim chayim[H], hudor-zao[G]).”
Note that the unity of God is alluded to in the person of Yeshua and in His insistence that the woman needs to ask the question of God in order to receive the gift which is manifest in the woman’s presence. Therefore, Messiah is both the gift of God and God with us Who gives the gift of eternal living, represented here using the figure of living water: water that comes from an untouched spring of the earth rather than from a manmade cistern (Num. 19:17). It is also known for its refreshing application (Jer. 2:14; 17:13). Living water is moving water that is undefiled and finds its origin and flow in God alone. In short, living water comes from above and renews the sin affected earth.
11“Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
12 “Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
-Jeremiah 2:11-13 (NASB)
11 She said to Him, “My Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), You have nothing to draw with and the well, pit, abyss (phrear[G]) is deep; from what place (pothen[G]) then do You hold, wear, possess (echo[G]) the (ho[G]) living water (mayim chayim[H], hudor-zao[G])? 12 You are not greater (meizon[G]ha-gadol[H]) than our father (ho-pater[G], aviynu[H]) Yaakov[H], are You, who gave (didomi[G], natan-lanu[H]) us the well (ho-phrear[G], et ha-beir[H]), and for himself drew out to drink of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”
We note that like Nakdimon (Nicodemus) the Samaritan woman fails to understand the full spiritual meaning of Yeshua’s figurative speech. Therefore, she answers in response to what she understands as a literal offer of water from the well of Jacob. Another beautiful irony, in that the water Yeshua offers does come through Jacob from God in the form of the descendant of Jacob and Person of God’s only begotten Son.
Yeshua’s words and countenance had clearly sparked a fire of transformation in the woman, who now calls Him “My Lord (Master)” rather than referring to Him as part of the collective of the Jewish people as she had before.
The use of the Greek “phrear” can refer to the abyss or netherworld and infers at least in part that the woman had begun to sense that this was a spiritual conversation. “Phrear” is a word that denotes bottomless depth and is probably employed here to indicate that the well of Jacob is in fact quite literally a well from a natural underground spring of flowing water and is therefore a physical representation of the figurative application of the Hebrew mayim-chayim (living waters).
13 Yeshua[H, A] answered and said to her, “Everyone, all who drink (pino[G], kol-hashoteh[H]) of, from this water (hudor[G], min-ha-mayim[H]) will suffer thirst, return to thirst (dipsao[G], yashuv veyitzma[H]) again; 14 but whoever drinks (pino[G], yishteh[H]) of, from the water (hudor[G], min-ha-mayim yishteh[H) that I will give (notein[H]) him shall never suffer thirst (dipsao[G], yitzma[H]) into the unbroken age, eternity, the world (eis ho aion[G], le’olam[H]); because (kiy[H]) the water (hudor[G], ha-mayim[H]) that I am giving (didomi[G], eten-lo[H]) him will become, arise, close to the source (ginomai[G], vekirbo lim’kor[H]) in him a well, spring (pege[G]) of water (hudatos[G], mayim[H]) springing, leaping, gushing up (hallomai[G]) into, toward, among life, living (zoe[G], lechayeiy[H], L’chaye[A]Pl.) without end, in the eternal world (aionios[G], ha-olam[H]).”
This living water is the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is poured out on every believer beginning at Shavuot (Pentecost) approx. 33 CE (Acts 2), as a result of Yeshua’s death, resurrection, ascension and authority at God’s right hand. Rain, water, living water, are all symbolic of the moving and life giving Spirit of the Living God. The context of this passage denotes spiritual renewal and points to a relationship of worship that can only be participated in by those who dwell in the Spirit of God and the Truth of His Son (v.24). We know that the water Yeshua is speaking of is the Ruach Ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit) because Yeshua Himself says so:
“37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast (Sukkot), Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, “[g]If anyone is thirsty, [h]let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From [i]his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet glorified.” -Yochanan (John) 7:37-39
“‘For I will pour out water on [a]the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring
And My blessing on your descendants;” -Isaiah 43:3 (NASB)
““Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no [a]money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.” -Isaiah 55:1 (NASB)
“And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your [a]desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not [b]fail.” -Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)
15 Speaking (lego[G]) to Him the woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said, “Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), give (didomi[G], tenah[H]) me this (touto[G]) the (ho[G]) water (hudor[G], ha-mayim[H]), so I will never suffer thirst (dipsao[G], lo etzma[H]) nor walk (dierchomai[G]) here [Heb. Alt. od velo osiyf labo “continually adding by coming”] to draw water over and over again (antleo[G]).” 16 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Go, and call (phoneo[G], vekiriy[H]) your husband (aner[G], leiysheich[H]) and come here.”
The request of the Samaritan woman comes from her sin seeded brokenness and her desire to find a life that has meaning beyond that of sensual pleasure, temporary physical gratification and empty promises. However, she still interprets Yeshua’s words literally, referring to the well’s location and her desire to no longer have to revisit it.
Note that Yeshua did not give her the water He had spoken of straight away in response to her request. Rather He began by pointing out her sin with the view to lead her to repentance so that she might receive the water He had spoken of following His resurrection. The unrepentant cannot receive the water of living (the promised Holy Spirit) because without turning toward God, no one can engage in relationship with Him, nor be sustained by His Spirit. To deny sin and its fruit is to deny a self-inflicted wound.
17 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) answered and said, “I have no husband (aner[G], iysh[H][man]).” Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Yes (ken[H]) you spoke correctly when you (kalos[G],) said, ‘I have no husband (aner[G , iysh[H][man])’; 18 In fact you have had five (chamishah[H]) husbands (aner[G], bealiym[H][husbands, masters, rulers]), and at the present time (nun[G]) the one whom you now have is not your husband (aner[G], ba’leikh[H][your husband, master, ruler]); this you have said truly (alethes[G], emet[H]).”
The woman intended to hide her sin with her answer but Yeshua exposed that which she had attempted to hide by illuminating the truth of her situation. Something only those who knew the woman could have known. Thus, He proves Himself a prophet in her eyes, not because He foretold the future but because He revealed the present. The prophets of Israel were primarily tasked with exposing sin and calling Israel to repentance. Yeshua plays the same role in this encounter.
The Hebrew text better conveys the nuance of Yeshua’s response. When Yeshua repeats the woman’s answer back to her He uses her words “I have no man/husband (iysh)”, but when He exposes her half-truth (a lie) He says “In fact you have had five husbands/masters (bealiym)” using the Hebrew “ba’al” which refers specifically to a husband rather than the generic term “iysh” which can mean husband or man. Ba’aliym was the title used to describe the false gods worshipped by Israel’s forebears, thus, Yeshua makes a drash of this idolatry in order to expose the woman’s true spiritual state.
Not only is Yeshua exposing the woman’s words and spiritual condition, He is also clearly defining for her the nature and extent of her sin. Put simply, “You spoke well saying that you have no husband, in fact you have had five sexual partners and married four of them officially, while the one you are with at present you have not married officially.”
The historical, religious context here is of paramount importance. It explains the depth of sin of the woman, the sin of the male leaders in her village, the reason she was at the well at an unusual time of day and it partly qualifies the religious Jewish avoidance of the Samaritan region and people.
The religious Samaritan’s of the first century CE adhered to their slightly corrupted version of the Torah with great devotion. They would have frowned upon adultery and the defiling of the marriage bed through premarital sexual relations. However, it seems from Yeshua’s words that the woman had been married by religious ceremony four times. This means that either all three of her first husbands had died or committed adultery against her leaving her free to marry under Torah law, or that the religious leaders of her village had allowed her marriages to take place outside of the requirements of the Torah. Based on the text it appears that the latter is the more likely. The fifth man is not her husband, meaning that she is either cheating on her fourth husband or is in an illicit premarital affair, or is in an illicit sexual relationship with another woman’s husband. In any case she would have been a woman despised by the other woman of her village (many of whom had been victims of her sin), a woman with few friends and many male admirers. It is likely that she survived because the men of her village enjoyed her and advocated for her promiscuous lifestyle. The hypocrisy of the religious was not limited to certain Jewish religious leaders, it was also clearly prevalent in the Samaritan sect.
19 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said to Him, “Lord, Master (kurios[G], adoniy[H]), I perceive, see (theoreo[G], roah[H]) that You are a prophet (prophetes[G], naviy[H]). 20 Our fathers (avoteiynu[H]) worshiped, bowed down, kissed (proskuneo[G], hishtachau[H], saghed[A]) in/on this mountain (bahar[H]), and you (ve’atem[H]) say (omriym[H][Pl]) Jerusalem (Yerushalayim[H] [Flood of Peace]) she (hiy[H]) is the place (ha-makum[H]) where men ought to worship, bow down (proskuneo[G], lehishtachot[H], saghed[A]).”
As stated previously, she perceived that Yeshua was a prophet not because He foretold the future but because He exposed the present.
The use of the Hebrew “Ha-Makum” in the woman’s response is significant. Ha-makum is a name for the Temple Mount and literally means “The Place”. It is used in reference to the place where Jacob lay his head and saw the dream of Jacob’s ladder (Gen.28:10-19). This story was of great importance to both Jews and Samaritans and as a result the location of “The Place” was contested. The Samaritans believed (incorrectly) that Mt Gerizim (near modern Nablus [Biblical Shechem/Sychar] in the Shomron region) was Ha-Makum (the Place) while the Jews correctly understood that Mt Moriah (The Temple Mount in Jerusalem) is Ha-Makum (The Place). Something that Yeshua affirms in the following verses.
NB: Gerizim means “cuttings” a plural of garaz “cut off”. Moriah translates literally as “from the sight of YHVH” meaning “YHVH has seen and chosen” (me-ra’ah-YHVH). Eyval (Ebal) means “Stone” or “Bare Mountain”. Both mountains are mentioned in the proclaiming blessing and curse over Israel as they approached the promised land (Deut. 11:29; 27, 28).
We note that the woman recognises Yeshua as a prophet and includes Him in her general reference to the Jewish people as a whole.
Notice that the name Jerusalem means “Flood or Downpour of Peace” and refers to the Spirit of God and the Son being poured out over the inhabitants of the city, something which took place at Shavuot (Pentecost approx.. 33 CE) and will take place again at the reconciliation of all Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen).
21 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “Dear woman (gune[G], ishah[H] [wife]), believe, trust in, have the faith in Me (ha’amiyniy[H]), because (kiy[H]) a certain definite time, an hour (hora[G], sha’ah[H]) is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you (all) worship (proskuneo[G], tishtachau[H], saghed[A]) the Father (ho pater[G], la’Av[H]). 22 You all (humeis[G], atem [H]) worship (proskuneo[G], mishtachaviym[H],saghed[A]) what you can’t see, do not know (eido[G], yedatem[H]); we worship (proskuneo[G], mishtachaviym[H]) Who (ho[G]) we see, know (eido[G], yadednu[H]), because (hoti[G], kiy[H]) the (ho[G]) salvation (ha-yeshuah[H]), deliverance, preservation, safety (soteria[G]) is out of, by, from (ex[G], min[H]) the Jewish people (Ioudaios[G], ha-yehudiym hiy[H]) [Aramaic alt. d’chaye men yihudaye, “living is from the Jews”].
Notice that the woman had placed emphasis on the location of worship whereas Yeshua places the emphasis on The Father. Therefore, it is not upon mountains that we are to rely but upon the Creator of mountains.
“We know Who we worship” is an allusion to the fact that God had revealed Himself to the people of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) from Abraham and through the generations of Isaac, Jacob and their children’s children. God chose Israel to receive His Torah and His prophets and had appointed her to be a light of His redemptive purpose to all humanity. Although Israel had failed in this task corporately, she none the less had always had among her those who were devout toward God and knew Whom they worshipped. Therefore, Yeshua is not ashamed to include Himself in the collective voice of Israel (ethnic, religious, chosen, empirical), saying “We know Who we worship…”
Salvation (Himself: Yeshua) comes from the Jews (plural), that is, from the Jewish bloodline.
Yeshua has essentially challenged the woman to examine her sinful state and consider repentance, then accept that the promised Messiah is of the Jewish people and accept His saving work in order to receive the water He has spoken of. This will also result in her re-inclusion back into the tribal body of Israel (The Jews of the first century).
The Aramaic text is interesting because it makes “chaye” (Aramaic plural meaning living) synonymous with “yeshuah” (Hebrew feminine form for Salvation).
23 A certain definite time, an hour (hora[G], sha’ah[H]) is coming, [Heb. Alt. Olam tavo sha’ah “A world is coming in time”] and now is, when the true (alethinos[G], ha-amitiym[H]) worshipers (proskunetes[G], yishtachau[H]) will worship (proskuneo[G]) the Father (ho pater[G], la’Av[H]) in spirit (pneuma[G], beruach[H]) and in truth (aletheia[G], uve’emet[H]); for such people the Father seeks (zeteo[G]) to be His worshipers (proskuneo[G]). [Heb. Alt. kiy bemishtachaviym koeileh chapeitz ha-Av “Because it is in worshippers who worship as a whole that the Father reveals the objective”]
This revelation connects the individual to the collective and emphasises corporate worship. The text does not say, “The true worshipper” but “the true worshippers”. Yeshua points the woman to her inclusion in Israel and away from individual and tribal rivalries.
24 God is (Theos[G], Elohim[H]) spirit (pneuma[G], ruach[H]), and those who worship (proskuneo[G], vehamishtachaviym[H]) Him must (tzeriychiym[H] [Pl]) worship in spirit (pneuma[G], beruach[H]) and in truth (aletheia[G], uve’emet[H]).”
In the Spirit of God Who is the nearest subject of “Spirit”, and in the Truth of His Living Word (Yeshua) Who is the speaker. Again the language is plural, “those” not “the one”. In one sense our personal experience of God’s Spirit and Truth is reliant on the corporate experience of God’s Spirit and Truth. One cannot exist without the other.
25 The woman (gune[G], ha-ishah[H] [wife]) said to Him, “I know, see, perceive (eido[G], yadatiy[G]) that Messiah (Messias[G], Mashiach[H]) is coming, (He who is called Christos[G] [Anointed One]); when He comes, He will announce, make known, declare, tell (anaggello[G], veyagiyd[H]) all things to us (hapas[G], et kol[H]).” 26 Yeshua[H, A] said to her, “I (Ani[H]) who speak (ha-medabeir ) to you I am He (Ani Hu[H]).” [Heb. Lit. “I Am the One speaking to you, I Am He”].
The woman professes her belief that the promised Messiah is coming. Her confession is no different from many Jews and most Samaritans today, who believe in the coming of a Messiah but do not accept that the Messiah has already come or that Yeshua is the promised Messiah. Although the woman has concluded that Yeshua is a prophet and therefore a man of God, she has not put two and two together. Therefore, Yeshua speaks plainly to her, “I AM the One (Messiah) speaking to you”. The Hebrew text reads “Ani Ha-medabeir eilayikh Ani hu”, “I Am the One speaking to you, I Am He.” This statement reflects the Self-existent proclamation of HaShem [YHVH] (Exodus 3:14).
Yeshua uses this “I AM” identifier nine times in the Gospel according to Yochanan (John) [4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:9; 18:5, 6, 8)[cf. Mark 14:61-62]. By His use of this statement of Self-revelation Yeshua implies that He is more than just a man, He is the promised Imanu-El (God with us), the manifestly present God, come to redeem His chosen people and all among humanity who will receive Him.
Even if one could disassociate Yeshua’s use of “I Am” from the Self-existing statement of YHVH (Exodus 3:14) in eight out of its nine uses within John’s Gospel, none can refute its clear meaning in John 8:58:
“Yeshua said to them, “In Truth, in truth, be’emet, be’emet, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM.”
In His response to the Samaritan woman at the well, Yeshua is quite literally quoting Isaiah 52:6
“Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in that day I am the one who is speaking, ‘Here I am.”
NB: Isaiah 52:6 is pretext to the latter part of Isaiah 52 and the entire chapter of Isaiah 53 which explains the coming Messiah’s sacrificial death.
Yeshua is either the Messiah and God with us or He is an apostate heretic, a liar and a fraud. There is absolutely no room for the foolish notion that Yeshua was simply a good Rabbi but not the Messiah, nor for the false doctrine that He is the Messiah but is not God with us. The Scripture demands that we make a choice. Face to face with the King Messiah the Samaritan woman at the well was presented with that same choice. She chose well, will you?
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown
RSS Feed