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Section 023 · The Galilean Ministry Begins

The Woman at the Well

Leaving Judea, Jesus “must go through Samaria.” At Jacob’s well he asks a Samaritan woman for water, and gives her living water in return — an open declaration that he is the Messiah, and a call to worship the Father “in spirit and in truth,” before he says as much to anyone else.

John 4:1–422 of 5 accountsReading: CCE

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Study — reading text with parallel accounts; changes available.
? How to read this edition

The reading is the Covenant Christian Edition — the Joseph Smith Translation reading — carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.

JST
Green — Joseph Smith Translation. Where the Covenant Christian Edition departs in substance from the King James text and the change is in the JST (confirmed against the parallel-column edition). Modernized English (“has” for “hath,” “you” for “thou”) is not marked.
CCE
Burgundy — Covenant Christian Edition. Where the CCE’s reading departs from the King James but the change is not in the Joseph Smith Translation — the CCE’s own editorial reading (e.g. “this day I have begotten you” at the baptism).
DS
Plum — Testimony of St. John. The TSJ (a separate scripture text) and Denver Snuffer’s later commentary share the plum mark.
JohnKJVJohn 4:1–42CCEJohn 3:4; John 4:1–10

1When therefore the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, they sought more diligently some means that they might put him to death. For many received John as a prophet, but they believed not on Jesus. Now the Lord knew this, 2though he himself baptized not so many as his disciples, for he suffered them for an example, preferring one another. 3And he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee, 4and said unto his disciples, I must go through Samaria. 5Then he comes to the city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph, 6the place where Jacob’s well was. Now Jesus, being weary with his journey, it being about the sixth hour, sat down on the well. 7And there came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said unto her, Give me to drink.

8Now his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food; wherefore, he being alone, 9the woman of Samaria said unto him, How is it that you, being a Jew, ask drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give me to drink, you would have asked of him and he would have given you living water. 11The woman said unto him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. From where then do you have that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whoever shall drink of this well shall thirst again, 14but whoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15The woman said unto him, Sir, give me of this water, that I thirst not, neither come here to draw. 16Jesus said unto her, Go, call your husband and come here. 17The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, You have well said, I have no husband, 18for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband. In that, said you truly.

19The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21Jesus said unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship you know not what. We know what we worship, and salvation is of the Jews. 23And the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father seeks such to worship him. 24For unto such has God promised his spirit, and they who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

25The woman said unto him, I know that Messiah comes, who is called Christ. When he has come, he will tell us all things. Jesus said unto her, 26I who speak unto you am the Messiah.

27And upon this came his disciples and marveled that he talked with the woman. Yet no man said, What do you seek? Or, why do you talk with her? 28The woman then left her waterpot and went her way into the city, and says to the men, 29Come, see a man who told me all things that I have ever done. Is not this the Christ? 30Then they went out of the city and came unto him.

31In the meantime, his disciples urged him, saying, Master, eat. 32But he said unto them, I have food to eat that you know not of. 33Therefore said the disciples one to another, Has any man brought him food to eat? 34Jesus said unto them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Do you not say, There are yet four months, then comes harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. 36And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto life eternal, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37And herein is that saying true: One sows and another reaps. 38I have sent you to reap that upon which you have expended no labor. The prophets have labored, and you have entered into their labors.

39And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman who testified, saying, He told me all that I have ever done. 40So when the Samaritans had come unto him, they implored him that he would stay with them. And he abided there two days. 41And many more believed because of his own word 42and said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of your saying. We have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Testimony of St. JohnJohn 4:1–42TSJT&C 171 · TSJ 3:5–4:9

1When the Pharisees learned that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, and that John’s popularity could not be turned against Jesus, they conspired about how to have both John and Jesus executed. Some of the Pharisees thought John might be a prophet, but none of them believed on Jesus, whom they rejected and did not respect. Jesus recognized this was how they viewed him.

2Unlike John the Baptist, Jesus baptized only a few people, instead preferring that his followers perform the rite and learn to minister. 34When he left Judea to return to Galilee, he informed his followers that he was required to visit Samaria on the way.

5He next went to the city of Shechem in Samaria, at the foot of Mt. Gerizim, adjacent to the parcel of ground which Joseph inherited from his father Jacob, 6which is the place where Jacob’s well was located. Jesus was tired from the journey, it being about midday, and he sat down on the wall of the well. 7A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus asked her, Could you give to me a drink?

8His followers were not with him, but had left to buy food in the city and therefore he was alone. 9The Samaritan woman replied to him, I do not understand why a Jew would ask me as a Samaritan to give you a drink. Jews look down on us as unclean, so why would you ask me such a thing?

10Jesus replied, I have been sent by God, and if you recognized who now asks you to give a drink of water, you would gladly do so and ask me in turn for the gift of living water. 11The woman responded to him, Sir, you have nothing to reach the water, and the well is deep, so how can you suggest you could offer living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, to whom God gave this well, who drank here with his children, and he watered his cattle from this source? 13Jesus answered her, Whoever drinks water from this well will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks from the living water which I shall give him shall live from eternity to eternity, for the Source in me will be the power to rise upward forever, worlds without end.

15The woman said unto him, Sir, give me of the water that I no longer will thirst nor need to come here to draw from this well. 16Jesus said unto her, Go, get your husband and I will teach you together. 17The woman replied, I have no husband (she spoke of herself). Jesus said to her, You are right, 18even though you have had five husbands (he meant this of both her and also the Samaritans whose Israelite blood was mixed with five other nations), and the man you live with presently has not married you (meaning both her and her province). So you are correct saying you have no husband. 19The woman said unto him, Sir, you speak like you are a prophet. 20Our fathers, the patriarchs, were visited by God on this mountain, where later the first tabernacle was set up. But the Jews claim that God’s only temple is in Jerusalem. Jesus said to her, Woman, remember this saying: The time will come when neither on this mountain nor at Jerusalem will be the place to worship. Worship the Father through me.

212223You Samaritans do not understand God, although you claim to worship Him. Those who follow me know how to worship. Salvation does not belong to the Jews, but instead will come from a Messiah rejected by the Jews. 24The hour has arrived when the true worshipers are being taught how to worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father wants mankind to know Him. The Father will share his Spirit with those who know him. His Spirit is truth and light. And they who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

25The woman said to him, I know that a Messiah is prophesied to come, and when he comes he will restore all that has been lost since the time of Adam. 26Jesus responded, I am he: I am come to restore, to repair, to redeem, and I am come to gather.

27As he was talking with the woman his followers arrived and were surprised to see that he talked with this Samaritan woman, but no one questioned him about why he would teach and testify openly to her. 28The woman then abandoned her waterpot, and quickly went into the city to proclaim to them about who was at the well. 29She testified to the men, Come see a man who spoke as a seer. I testify that he is the Messiah and ask you to come hear him for yourselves. 30Because she was influential, a great crowd went out to investigate the woman’s testimony of him.

313233In the meantime, his disciples brought food and told him that he ought to eat. But seeing the approaching crowd he said, I have food to eat you do not see. His companions asked one another, Has someone brought him food while we were gone? 34Jesus clarified, My strength comes by obeying the will of God who sent me to do his work. Doing that sustains me by his Holy Spirit, and protects me until I finish his work. 35Do not make the mistake of thinking there are four months still before the harvest. I want you to look at the approaching crowd. They are the field I have been sent to harvest; they are prepared and ready. For this reason I have come to this place. These people will accept a new dispensation and the truth. 36Anyone who helps me with the Father’s work in harvesting souls will likewise save their own soul. The harvest saves both the planter and gatherer together. 37Remember the expression: One plants and another harvests. 38I send you to help with the harvest, but others have prepared this field. The prophets planted and these people have responded, and you join the labor of the prophets by now teaching these prepared people.

39Many of the Samaritans from Shechem accepted him because of the woman’s testimony that he was a seer who prophesied to and about her. 40So when the Samaritan crowd came to hear him, they implored him to stay and teach them. And he stayed and taught for two days. 41Then many more believed because of what he taught. 42Then others said to the woman, Now we no longer depend on your testimony, but we have heard him teach us, and recognize that this is indeed the Messiah, the Savior who has come to rescue the world.

Cross-references · other works
Jeremiah 2:13 — the fountain of living waters↗Isaiah 12:3 — draw water out of the wells of salvation↗Isaiah 55:1 — come ye to the waters↗Genesis 24:11–20 — a well, a woman, a betrothal↗Psalm 145:18 — the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth↗John 7:37–39 — rivers of living water↗Revelation 22:17 — let him take the water of life freely↗
Margaret Barker · living water and the temple throne

Living water — the fountain of the true temple

Barker does not treat this scene directly, but her reading of the temple’s own living-water imagery gives the well conversation its deepest resonance: the water Jesus offers is the water the temple itself was built to give.

Our Great High Priest: The Church as the New TempleFr. Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture, St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 28 Jan. 2012 ↗
The symbolism in the psalms suggests that there was a fountain or spring in the holy of holies, and the temple visionaries described living water flowing from the throne. The reality in the original temple had probably been the Gihon spring, which gushed up — its name means gusher — into the temple itself… The Spirit and the fire returned at Pentecost, and, if you read the Book of Revelation with temple-trained eyes, you will find all the other missing items restored too. St John saw the true temple restored, and this is the earliest picture we have of Christian worship.

Barker’s subject here is the temple’s own throne-fountain imagery (from the Psalms and 1 Enoch), not this passage directly — the connection to Jacob’s well is ours to draw, not hers to state.

Points to Ponder
  • Jesus tells the woman “I who speak unto you am the Messiah” — the plainest self-disclosure he makes to anyone in the gospels, given to a Samaritan woman with a complicated history, before he says as much to his own disciples. What does that choice of audience say about who the gospel is for?
  • The JST turns “God is a Spirit” into “God hath promised his Spirit” — a shift from a statement about what God is to a promise of what God gives. How does that change what it means to worship “in spirit and in truth”?
  • The woman leaves her water jar at the well — she came for water and left with something else entirely. What would it look like to leave your own errand unfinished because something truer interrupted it?