Joh 4:1
4:1 When {1} therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard
    that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

 (1) This balance is to be kept in doing our duty, that neither
     by fear are we terrified from going forward, and neither by
     rashness procure or bring dangers upon ourselves.

Joh 4:5
4:5 {2} Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called
    Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his
    son Joseph.

 (2) Christ, leaving the proud Pharisees, communicates the
     treasures of everlasting life with a poor sinful woman and
     stranger, refuting the gross errors of the Samaritans, and
     defending the true service of God, which was delivered to
     the Jews, but yet in such a way that he here calls both
     Samaritans and Jews back to himself, as one whom only all
     the fathers, and also all the ceremonies of the law,
     regarded, and had respect for.

Joh 4:6
4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied
    with [his] journey, sat {a} thus on the well: [and] it was
    about the {b} sixth hour.

    (a) Even as he was weary, or because he was weary.
    (b) It was almost noon.

Joh 4:9
4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that
    thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of
    Samaria? for the Jews {c} have no dealings with the
    Samaritans.

    (c) There is no familiarity nor friendship between the Jews
        and the Samaritans.

Joh 4:10
4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest {d} the
     gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to
     drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have
     given thee {e} living water.

     (d) By this word "the" we are shown that Christ speaks of
         some excellent gift, that is to say, even about
         himself, whom his Father offered to this woman.
     (e) This everlasting water, that is to say, the exceeding
         love of God, is called "living" or "of life", to make a
         difference between it and the water that should be
         drawn out of a well: and these metaphors are frequently
         used by the Jews.

Joh 4:20
4:20 {3} Our fathers worshipped in this {f} mountain; and ye
     say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to
     worship.

 (3) All the religion of superstitious people stands for the
     most part upon two pillars, but very weak, that is to say,
     upon the perverted examples of the fathers, and a foolish
     opinion of outward things: and to refute such errors we have to
     turn to the word and nature of God.
     (f) The name of this mountain is Gerizim, upon which
         Sanabaletta the Cuthite built a temple with the
         permission of Alexander of Macedonia, after the victory
         of Issica: and he made high priest there Manasses his
         son in law; Josephus, book 11.

Joh 4:23
4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
     shall worship the Father in {g} spirit and in truth: for
     the Father seeketh such to worship him.

     (g) This word "spirit" is to be taken here as it is set
         against that commandment which is called carnal in
         @He 7:16, as the commandment is considered in itself:
         and so he speaks of "truth" not as we set it against a
         lie, but as we take it in respect of the outward
         ceremonies of the law, which only shadowed that which
         Christ indeed performed.

Joh 4:24
4:24 God [is] a {h} Spirit: and they that worship him must
     worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

     (h) By the word "spirit" he means the nature of the
         Godhead, and not the third person in the Trinity.

Joh 4:32
4:32 {4} But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know
     not of.

 (4) We may have care of our bodies, but in such a way that we
     prefer willingly and freely the occasion which is offered
     us to enlarge the kingdom of God before all necessities of
     this life, whatever else they may be.

Joh 4:35
4:35 {5} Say not ye, There are yet four months, and [then]
     cometh harvest?  behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes,
     and look on the fields; for they are white already to
     harvest.

 (5) When the spiritual corn is ripe, we must not linger, for so
     the children of this world would condemn us.

Joh 4:36
4:36 {6} And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth
     fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he
     that reapeth may rejoice together.

 (6) The doctrine of the prophets was as it were a sowing time,
     and the doctrine of the gospel, as the harvest: and there
     is an excellent agreement between them both, and the
     ministers of them both.

Joh 4:37
4:37 And herein is that {i} saying true, One soweth, and another
     reapeth.

     (i) That proverb.

Joh 4:39
4:39 {7} And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him
     for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me
     all that ever I did.

 (7) The Samaritans most joyfully embrace that which the Jews
     most stubbornly rejected.

Joh 4:43
4:43 {8} Now after two days he departed thence, and went into
     {k} Galilee.

 (8) The despisers of Christ deprive themselves of his benefit:
     yet Christ prepares a place for himself.
     (k) Into the towns and villages of Galilee, for he would
         not live in his country of Nazareth, because they
         despised him, and where (as the other evangelists
         write) the efficacy of his benefits was hindered
         because of their being incredibly stiffnecked.

Joh 4:46
4:46 {9} So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made
     the water wine. And there was a certain {l} nobleman, whose
     son was sick at Capernaum.

 (9) Although Christ is absent in body, yet he works mightily in
     the believers by his word.
     (l) Some of Herod's royal attendants, for though Herod was
         not a king, but a Tetrarch, yet he was a king in all
         respects (or at least the people called him a king)
         except that he lacked the title of king.



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