Bible Verse Lookup
Jn 4:12
Chapter 4
12
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well; he drank from it himself along with his sons and his cattle?”
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well; he drank from it himself along with his sons and his cattle?”
Commentaries
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
We should highlight the transformation of the Samaritan people in this passage, rather than focusing solely on the Samaritan woman herself. The Samaritans are descendants of pagan tribes who repopulated Samaria after Assyria conquered it. Each tribe brought its own gods, but they later worshiped the Lord, the God of Israel (2 Kgs 17:24-34). At the beginning of the story, the woman equates herself with Jesus: “You are a Jew; I am a Samaritan” (9). However, Jesus reminds her of her ignorance (10) and offers the gift of living water. The woman refers to Jesus as “Sir” twice (11:15), and by the end, she is the one asking for living water. Her request was for Jesus to make her life easier. When Jesus tells her about her five husbands—the five gods the Samaritans originally worshiped—the woman recognizes herself as a sinner and perceives him as a prophet (19). Jesus explains that worship will no longer depend on specific locations but on a person—himself, the new Temple of God—and will be in spirit and truth. This kind of worship originates from the heart, is inspired by God, and is reflected through concrete actions in life. The woman recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and becomes a messenger of the Good News. The Samaritans also come to see Jesus as the Messiah, not only for the Jews but for the whole world (42). The passage concludes with Jesus returning to Galilee and highlights the warm welcome he receives from the Samaritans, in contrast to the rejection he will face in his own land.