1AlsG5613 nunG3767 der HerrG2962 erkannteG1097, daßG3754 die PharisäerG5330 gehört hattenG191, daßG3754 JesusG2424 mehrG4119 JüngerG3101 macheG4160 undG2532 taufeG907 alsG2228 JohannesG2491 2(wiewohlG2544 JesusG2424 selbstG846 nichtG3756 taufteG907, sondernG235 seineG846 JüngerG3101 ), 3verließ erG863 JudäaG2449 undG2532 zogG565 wiederG3825 nachG1519 GaliläaG1056. 4Er mußteG1163 aberG1161 durchG1223 SamariaG4540 ziehenG1330. 5Er kommtG2064 nunG3767 inG1519 eine StadtG4172 SamariasG4540, genanntG3004 SicharG4965, naheG4139 bei dem FeldeG5564, welches JakobG2384 seinemG846 SohneG5207 JosephG2501 gabG1325. 6Es warG2258 aberG1161 daselbstG1563 eine QuelleG4077 JakobsG2384. JesusG2424 nunG3767, ermüdetG2872 vonG1537 der ReiseG3597, setzte sichG2516 alsoG3779 anG1909 die QuelleG4077 niederG2516. Es warG2258 umG5616 die sechsteG1623 StundeG5610. 7Da kommtG2064 ein WeibG1135 ausG1537 SamariaG4540, WasserG5204 zu schöpfenG501. JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihrG846: GibG1325 mirG3427 zu trinkenG4095. 8(DennG1063 seineG846 JüngerG3101 waren weggegangenG565 inG1519 die StadtG4172, umG2443 SpeiseG5160 zu kaufenG59.) 9Das samaritischeG4542 WeibG1135 sprichtG3004 nunG3767 zu ihmG846: WieG4459 bittestG154 duG4771, der du ein JudeG2453 bistG5607, vonG3844 mirG1700 zu trinkenG4095, die ich ein samaritischesG4542 WeibG1135 binG5607 ? (DennG1063 die JudenG2453 verkehrenG4798 nichtG3756 mit den SamariternG4541.) 10JesusG2424 antworteteG611 undG2532 sprachG2036 zu ihrG846: WennG1487 duG1492 die GabeG1431 GottesG2316 kenntestG1492, undG2532 werG5101 es istG2076, derG3004 zu dirG4671 sprichtG3004: GibG1325 mirG3427 zu trinkenG4095, so würdestG302 duG4771 ihnG846 gebeten habenG154, undG2532 er hätteG302 dirG4671 lebendigesG2198 WasserG5204 gegebenG1325. 11Das WeibG1135 sprichtG3004 zu ihmG846: HerrG2962, du hastG2192 keinG3777 SchöpfgefäßG502, undG2532 der BrunnenG5421 istG2076 tiefG901; woherG4159 hast duG2192 dennG3767 das lebendigeG2198 WasserG5204 ? 12DuG4771 bistG1488 doch nichtG3361 größerG3187 als unserG2257 VaterG3962 JakobG2384, derG3739 unsG2254 den BrunnenG5421 gabG1325, undG2532 er selbstG846 trankG4095 aus demselbenG1537 G846 undG2532 seineG846 SöhneG5207 undG2532 seinG846 ViehG2353 ? 13JesusG2424 antworteteG611 undG2532 sprachG2036 zu ihrG846: Jeden, derG3956 vonG1537 diesemG5127 WasserG5204 trinktG4095, wirdG1372 wiederumG3825 dürstenG1372; 14wer irgendG3739 G302 aberG1161 vonG1537 dem WasserG5204 trinkenG4095 wird, dasG3739 ichG1473 ihmG846 gebenG1325 werde, den wirdG1372 nichtG3364 dürstenG1372 inG1519 EwigkeitG165; sondernG235 das WasserG5204, dasG3739 ich ihmG846 gebenG1325 werde, wirdG1096 inG1722 ihmG846 eine QuelleG4077 WassersG5204 werdenG1096, das insG1519 ewigeG166 LebenG2222 quilltG242. 15Das WeibG1135 sprichtG3004 zuG4314 ihmG846: HerrG2962, gibG1325 mirG3427 diesesG5124 WasserG5204, damitG3363 mich nichtG3363 dürsteG1372 und ich nichtG3366 hierherG1759 kommeG2064, um zu schöpfenG501. 16JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihrG846: Gehe hinG5217, rufeG5455 deinenG4675 MannG435 undG2532 kommG2064 hierherG1759. 17Das WeibG1135 antworteteG611 undG2532 sprachG2036 G3754: Ich habeG2192 keinenG3756 MannG435. JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihrG846: Du hastG2036 rechtG2573 gesagtG2036: Ich habeG3754 keinenG2192 G3756 MannG435; 18dennG1063 fünfG4002 MännerG435 hast du gehabtG2192, undG2532 der, denG3739 duG2192 jetztG3568 hastG2192, istG2076 nichtG3756 deinG4675 MannG435; hierinG5124 hastG2046 du wahrG227 geredetG2046. 19Das WeibG1135 sprichtG3004 zu ihmG846: HerrG2962, ich seheG2334, daßG3754 duG4771 ein ProphetG4396 bistG1488. 20UnsereG2257 VäterG3962 habenG4352 aufG1722 diesemG5129 BergeG3735 angebetetG4352, undG2532 ihrG5210 sagetG3004, daßG3754 inG1722 JerusalemG2414 der OrtG5117 seiG2076, woG3699 manG1163 anbetenG4352 müsseG1163. 21JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihrG846: WeibG1135, glaubeG4100 mirG3427, es kommtG3754 G2064 die StundeG5610, daG3753 ihr wederG3777 aufG1722 diesemG5129 BergeG3735, nochG3777 inG1722 JerusalemG2414 den VaterG3962 anbetenG4352 werdet. 22IhrG5210 betet anG4352 und wissetG1492 nichtG3756, wasG3739; wirG2249 beten anG4352 und wissenG1492, wasG3739, dennG3754 das HeilG4991 istG2076 ausG1537 den JudenG2453. 23Es kommtG2064 aberG235 die StundeG5610 undG2532 istG2076 jetztG3568, daG3753 die wahrhaftigenG228 AnbeterG4353 den VaterG3962 inG1722 GeistG4151 undG2532 WahrheitG225 anbeten werdenG4352; dennG2532 auchG1063 der VaterG3962 suchtG2212 solcheG5108 als seineG846 AnbeterG4352. 24GottG2316 ist ein GeistG4151, undG2532 die ihnG846 anbetenG4352, müssenG1163 inG1722 GeistG4151 undG2532 WahrheitG225 anbetenG4352. 25Das WeibG1135 sprichtG3004 zu ihmG846: Ich weißG1492, daßG3754 der MessiasG3323 kommtG2064, welcherG3588 ChristusG5547 genannt wirdG3004; wennG3752 jenerG1565 kommtG2064, wird erG312 unsG2254 allesG3956 verkündigenG312. 26JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihrG846: IchG1473 bin'sG1510, derG2980 mit dirG4671 redetG2980. 27UndG2532 überG1909 diesemG5129 kamenG2064 seineG846 JüngerG3101 undG2532 verwundertenG2296 sich, daßG3754 erG2980 mitG3326 einem WeibeG1135 redeteG2980. DennochG3305 sagteG2036 niemandG3762: WasG5101 suchst duG2212 ? oderG2228: WasG5101 redest duG2980 mitG3326 ihrG846 ? 28Das WeibG1135 nunG3767 ließG863 ihrenG846 WasserkrugG5201 stehenG863 undG2532 ging wegG565 inG1519 die StadtG4172 undG2532 sagtG3004 zu den LeutenG444: 29KommetG1205, sehetG1492 einen MenschenG444, derG3739 mirG3427 allesG3956 gesagt hatG2036, was irgendG3745 ich getan habeG4160; dieserG3778 istG2076 doch nicht etwaG3385 der ChristusG5547 ? 30SieG3767 gingenG1831 zuG1537 der StadtG4172 hinausG1537 undG2532 kamenG2064 zuG4314 ihmG846. 31InG1722 der ZwischenzeitG3342 [aber]G1161 batenG2065 ihnG846 die JüngerG846 G3101 und sprachenG3004: RabbiG4461, ißG5315. 32ErG2036 aberG1161 sprachG2036 zu ihnenG846: IchG1473 habeG2192 eine SpeiseG1035 zu essenG5315, dieG3739 ihrG5210 nichtG3756 kennetG1492. 33DaG3767 sprachenG3004 die JüngerG3101 zueinanderG4314 G240: HatG5342 ihmG846 wohl jemandG5100 G3387 zu essenG5315 gebrachtG5342 ? 34JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihnenG846: MeineG1699 SpeiseG1033 istG2076, daßG2443 ich den WillenG2307 dessen tueG4160, derG3992 michG3165 gesandt hatG3992, undG2532 seinG846 WerkG2041 vollbringeG5048. 35SagetG3004 ihrG5210 nichtG3756: EsG3754 sindG2076 nochG2089 vier MonateG5072, undG2532 die ErnteG2326 kommtG2064 ? SieheG2400, ich sageG3004 euchG5213: HebetG1869 eureG5216 AugenG3788 aufG1869 undG2532 schauetG2300 die FelderG5561 anG2300, dennG3754 sie sindG1526 schonG2235 weißG3022 zurG4314 ErnteG2326. 36DerG2532 da erntetG2325, empfängtG2983 LohnG3408 undG2532 sammeltG4863 FruchtG2590 zumG1519 ewigenG166 LebenG2222, auf daßG2443 beideG2532, der da sätG4687 undG2532 der da erntetG2325, zugleichG3674 sich freuenG5463. 37DennG1063 hierinG1722 G5129 istG2076 der SpruchG3056 wahrG228 G3754: Ein anderer ist esG243, der da sätG2076 G4687, undG2532 ein andererG243, der da erntetG2325. 38IchG1473 habeG649 euchG5209 gesandtG649, zu erntenG2325, woranG3739 ihrG5210 nichtG3756 gearbeitetG2872 habt; andereG243 haben gearbeitetG2872, undG2532 ihrG5210 seidG1525 inG1519 ihreG846 ArbeitG2873 eingetretenG1525. 39AusG1537 jenerG1565 StadtG4172 aberG1161 glaubtenG4100 vieleG4183 von den SamariternG4541 anG1519 ihnG846 umG1223 des WortesG3056 des WeibesG1135 willenG1223, welches bezeugteG3140 G3754: Er hatG2036 mirG3427 allesG3956 gesagtG2036, was irgendG3745 ich getan habeG4160. 40AlsG5613 nunG3767 die SamariterG4541 zuG4314 ihmG846 kamenG2064, baten sieG2065 ihnG846, beiG3844 ihnenG846 zu bleibenG3306; undG2532 er bliebG3306 daselbstG1563 zweiG1417 TageG2250. 41UndG2532 noch vieleG4183 mehrG4119 glaubtenG4100 umG1223 seinesG846 WortesG3056 willenG1223; 42undG5037 sie sagtenG3004 zu dem WeibeG1135 G3754 G3765: Wir glaubenG4100 nichtG3754 mehr umG1223 deinesG4674 RedensG2981 willenG1223, dennG1063 wir selbstG846 haben gehörtG191 undG2532 wissenG1492, daßG3754 dieserG3778 wahrhaftigG230 der HeilandG5547 G4990 der WeltG2889 istG2076. 43NachG3326 den zweiG1417 TagenG2250 aberG1161 zogG1831 er von dannenG1564 ausG565 [undG2532 ging hin] nachG1519 GaliläaG1056; 44dennG1063 JesusG2424 selbstG846 bezeugteG3140, daßG3754 ein ProphetG4396 inG1722 dem eigenenG2398 VaterlandeG3968 keineG3756 EhreG5092 hatG2192. 45AlsG3753 er nunG3767 nachG1519 GaliläaG1056 kamG2064, nahmenG1209 die GaliläerG1057 ihnG846 aufG1209, da sieG3708 allesG3956 gesehenG3708, wasG3739 erG4160 inG1722 JerusalemG2414 aufG1722 dem FesteG1859 getan hatteG4160; dennG1063 auchG2532 sieG846 kamenG2064 zuG1519 dem FestG1859. 46ErG2424 kamG2064 nunG3767 wiederumG3825 nachG1519 KanaG2580 in GaliläaG1056, woG3699 erG4160 das WasserG5204 zu WeinG3631 gemacht hatteG4160. UndG2532 es warG2258 ein gewisserG5100 königlicher BeamterG937, dessenG3739 SohnG5207 krank warG770, inG1722 KapernaumG2584. 47Als dieserG3778 gehört hatteG191, daßG3754 JesusG2424 ausG1537 JudäaG2449 nachG1519 GaliläaG1056 gekommen seiG2240, ging erG565 zuG4314 ihmG846 hinG565 undG2532 batG2065 [ihn]G846, daßG2443 er herabkommeG2597 undG2532 seinenG846 SohnG5207 heileG2390; dennG1063 er lagG599 imG3195 SterbenG599. 48JesusG2424 sprachG2036 nunG3767 zuG4314 ihmG846: WennG3362 ihrG1492 nichtG3362 ZeichenG4592 undG2532 WunderG5059 sehetG1492, so werdet ihrG4100 nichtG3364 glaubenG4100. 49Der königliche BeamteG937 sprichtG3004 zuG4314 ihmG846: HerrG2962, komm herabG2597, eheG4250 meinG3450 KindG3813 stirbtG599! 50JesusG2424 sprichtG3004 zu ihmG846: Gehe hinG4198, deinG4675 SohnG5207 lebtG2198. UndG2532 der MenschG444 glaubteG4100 dem WorteG3056, dasG3739 JesusG2424 zu ihmG846 sagteG2036, undG2532 ging hinG4198. 51AberG1161 schon währendG2235 er hinabgingG2597, begegnetenG528 ihmG846 seineG846 KnechteG1401 undG2532 berichtetenG518 G3004, daßG3754 seinG4675 KnabeG3816 lebeG2198. 52Er erforschteG4441 nunG3767 vonG3844 ihnenG846 die StundeG5610, inG1722 welcherG3739 es besserG2866 mit ihm geworden seiG2192; undG2532 sie sagtenG2036 zu ihmG846 G3754: GesternG5504 zur siebtenG1442 StundeG5610 verließG863 ihnG846 das FieberG4446. 53DaG3767 erkannteG1097 der VaterG3962, daßG3754 es inG1722 jenerG1565 StundeG5610 war, inG1722 welcherG3739 JesusG2424 zu ihmG846 sagteG2036 G3754: DeinG4675 SohnG5207 lebtG2198. UndG2532 erG846 glaubteG4100, er undG2532 seinG846 ganzesG3650 HausG3614. 54DiesG5124 tatG4160 JesusG2424 wiederumG3825 als zweitesG1208 ZeichenG4592, als er ausG1537 JudäaG2449 nachG1519 GaliläaG1056 gekommen warG2064.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 CHRIST AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA--THE SAMARITANS OF SYCHAR. (John 4:1-42)
the Lord knew--not by report, but in the sense of
John 2:25, for which reason He is here styled "the Lord."
2 Jesus baptized not--John being a servant baptized with his own hand; Christ as the Master, "baptizing with the Holy Ghost," administered the outward symbol only through His disciples.
3 left Judea--to avoid persecution, which at that early stage would have marred His work.
departed into Galilee--by which time John had been cast into prison (
Mark 1:14).
4 must needs go through Samaria--for a geographical reason, no doubt, as it lay straight in his way, but certainly not without a higher design.
5 cometh . . . to--that is, as far as: for He remained at some distance from it.
Sychar--the "Shechem" of the Old Testament, about thirty-four miles from Jerusalem, afterwards called "Neapolis," and now "Nablous."
6 wearied . . . sat thus--that is, "as you might fancy a weary man would"; an instance of the graphic style of St. John [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. In fact, this is perhaps the most human of all the scenes of our Lord's earthly history. We seem to be beside Him, overhearing all that is here recorded, nor could any painting of the scene on canvas, however perfect, do other than lower the conception which this exquisite narrative conveys to the devout and intelligent reader. But with all that is human, how much also of the divine have we here, both blended in one glorious manifestation of the majesty, grace, pity, patience with which "the Lord" imparts light and life to this unlikeliest of strangers, standing midway between Jews and heathens.
the sixth hour--noonday, reckoning from six A.M. From
Song 1:7 we know, as from other sources, that the very flocks "rested at noon." But Jesus, whose maxim was, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day" (
John 9:4), seems to have denied Himself that repose, at least on this occasion, probably that He might reach this well when He knew the woman would be there. Once there, however, He accepts . . . the grateful ease of a seat on the patriarchal stone. But what music is that which I hear from His lips, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (
Matt 11:28).
7 Give me to drink--for the heat of a noonday sun had parched His lips. But "in the last, that great day of the feast," Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst let him come unto Me and drink" (
John 7:37).
9 How is it that thou--not altogether refusing, yet wondering at so unusual a request from a Jew, as His dress and dialect would at once discover Him to be, to a Samaritan.
for, &c.--It is this national antipathy that gives point to the parable of the good Samaritan (
Luke 10:30-
Luke 10:37), and the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper (
Luke 17:16,
Luke 17:18).
10 If thou knewest, &c.--that is, "In Me thou seest only a petitioner to thee but if thou knewest who that Petitioner is, and the Gift that God is giving to men, thou wouldst have changed places with Him, gladly suing of Him living water--nor shouldst thou have sued in vain" (gently reflecting on her for not immediately meeting His request).
12 Art thou greater, &c.--already perceiving in this Stranger a claim to some mysterious greatness.
our father Jacob--for when it went well with the Jews, they claimed kindred with them, as being descended from Joseph; but when misfortunes befell the Jews, they disowned all connection with them [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 9.14,3].
13 thirst again . . . never thirst, &c.--The contrast here is fundamental and all comprehensive. "This water" plainly means "this natural water and all satisfactions of a like earthly and perishable nature." Coming to us from without, and reaching only the superficial parts of our nature, they are soon spent, and need to be anew supplied as much as if we had never experienced them before, while the deeper wants of our being are not reached by them at all; whereas the "water" that Christ gives--spiritual life--is struck out of the very depths of our being, making the soul not a cistern, for holding water poured into it from without, but a fountain (the word had been better so rendered, to distinguish it from the word rendered "well" in
John 4:11), springing, gushing, bubbling up and flowing forth within us, ever fresh, ever living. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of Christ is the secret of this life with all its enduring energies and satisfactions, as is expressly said (
John 7:37-
John 7:39). "Never thirsting," then, means simply that such souls have the supplies at home.
into everlasting life--carrying the thoughts up from the eternal freshness and vitality of these waters to the great ocean in which they have their confluence. "Thither may I arrive!" [BENGEL].
15 give me this water, &c.--This is not obtuseness--that is giving way--it expresses a wondering desire after she scarce knew what from this mysterious Stranger.
16 call thy husband--now proceeding to arouse her slumbering conscience by laying bare the guilty life she was leading, and by the minute details which that life furnished, not only bringing her sin vividly up before her, but preparing her to receive in His true character that wonderful Stranger to whom her whole life, in its minutest particulars, evidently lay open.
19 Sir, I perceive, &c.--Seeing herself all revealed, does she now break down and ask what hopes there might be for one so guilty? Nay, her convictions have not reached that point yet. She ingeniously shifts the subject from a personal to a public question. It is not, "Alas, what a wicked life am I leading!" but "Lo, what a wonderful prophet I got into conversation with! He will be able to settle that interminable dispute between us and the Jews. Sir, you must know all about such matters--our fathers hold to this mountain here," pointing to Gerizim in Samaria, "as the divinely consecrated place of worship, but ye Jews say that Jerusalem is the proper place--which of us is right?" How slowly does the human heart submit to thorough humiliation! (Compare the prodigal; see on
Luke 15:15). Doubtless our Lord saw through the fetch; but does He say, "That question is not the point just now, but have you been living in the way described, yea or nay? Till this is disposed of I cannot be drawn into theological controversies." The Prince of preachers takes another method: He humors the poor woman, letting her take her own way, allowing her to lead while He follows--but thus only the more effectually gaining His object. He answers her question, pours light into her mind on the spirituality of all true worship, as of its glorious Object, and so brings her insensibly to the point at which He could disclose to her wondering mind whom she was all the while speaking to.
21 Woman, &c.--Here are three weighty pieces of information: (1) The point raised will very soon cease to be of any moment, for a total change of dispensation is about to come over the Church. (2) The Samaritans are wrong, not only as to the place, but the whole grounds and nature of their worship, while in all these respects the truth lies with the Jews. (3) As God is a Spirit, so He both invites and demands a spiritual worship, and already all is in preparation for a spiritual economy, more in harmony with the true nature of acceptable service than the ceremonial worship by consecrated persons, place, and times, which God for a time has seen meet to keep up till fulness of the time should come.
neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem--that is, exclusively (
Mal 1:11;
1Tim 2:8).
worship the Father--She had talked simply of "worship"; our Lord brings up before her the great OBJECT of all acceptable worship--"THE FATHER."
22 Ye worship ye know not what--without any revealed authority, and so very much in the dark. In this sense, the Jews knew what they were about. But the most glorious thing here is the reason assigned,
for salvation is of the Jews--intimating to her that Salvation was not a thing left to be reached by any one who might vaguely desire it of a God of mercy, but something that had been revealed, prepared, deposited with a particular people, and must be sought in connection with, and as issuing from them; and that people, "the Jews."
23 hour cometh, and now is--evidently meaning her to understand that this new economy was in some sense being set up while He was talking to her, a sense which would in a few minutes so far appear, when He told her plainly He was the Christ.
25 I know Messias cometh . . . when He is come, &c.--If we take our Lord's immediate disclosure of Himself, in answer to this, as the proper key to its meaning to His ear, we can hardly doubt that the woman was already all but prepared for even this startling announcement, which indeed she seems (from
John 4:29) to have already begun to suspect by His revealing her to herself. Thus quickly, under so matchless a Teacher, was she brought up from her sunken condition to a frame of mind and heart capable of the noblest revelations.
tell us all things--an expectation founded probably on
Deut 18:15.
26 I that speak . . . am he--He scarce ever said anything like this to His own people, the Jews. He had magnified them to the woman, and yet to themselves He is to the last far more reserved than to her--proving rather than plainly telling them He was the Christ. But what would not have been safe among them was safe enough with her, whose simplicity at this stage of the conversation appears from the sequel to have become perfect. What now will the woman say? We listen, the scene has changed, a new party arrives, the disciples have been to Sychar, at some distance, to buy bread, and on their return are astonished at the company their Lord has been holding in their absence.
27 marvelled that he talked with the woman--It never probably occurred to them to marvel that He talked with themselves; yet in His eye, as the sequel shows, He was quite as nobly employed. How poor, if not false, are many of our most plausible estimates!
no man said . . . What? . . . Why?--awed by the spectacle, and thinking there must be something under it.
28 left her water-pot--How exquisitely natural! The presence of strangers made her feel that it was time for her to withdraw, and He who knew what was in her heart, and what she was going to the city to do, let her go without exchanging a word with her in the hearing of others. Their interview was too sacred, and the effect on the woman too overpowering (not to speak of His own deep emotion) to allow of its being continued. But this one artless touch--that she "left her water-pot"--speaks volumes. The living water was already beginning to spring up within her; she found that man doth not live by bread nor by water only, and that there was a water of wondrous virtue that raised people above meat and drink, and the vessels that held them, and all human things. In short, she was transported, forgot everything but One, and her heart running over with the tale she had to tell, she hastens home and pours it out.
29 is not this the Christ--The form of the question (in the Greek) is a distant, modest way of only half insinuating what it seemed hardly fitting for her to affirm; nor does she refer to what He said of Himself, but solely to His disclosure to her of the particulars of her own life.
30 Then they went out, &c.--How different from the Jews! and richly was their openness to conviction rewarded.
31 meantime--that is, while the woman was away.
Master, eat--Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject--hunger.
32 meat ye know not of--What spirituality of mind! "I have been eating all the while, and such food as ye dream not of." What can that be? they ask each other; have any supplies been brought Him in our absence? He knows what they are saying though He hears it not.
34 My meat is, &c.--"A Servant here to fulfil a prescribed work, to do and to finish, that is 'meat' to Me; and of this, while you were away, I have had My fill." And of what does He speak thus? Of the condescension, pity, patience, wisdom He had been laying out upon one soul--a very humble woman, and in some respects repulsive too! But He had gained her, and through her was going to gain more, and lay perhaps the foundations of a great work in the country of Samaria; and this filled His whole soul and raised Him above the sense of natural hunger (
Matt 4:4).
35 yet four months, and then harvest--that is, "In current speech, ye say thus at this season; but lift up your eyes and look upon those fields in the light of another husbandry, for lo! in that sense, they are even now white to harvest, ready for the sickle." The simple beauty of this language is only surpassed by the glow of holy emotion in the Redeemer's own soul which it expresses. It refers to the ripeness of these Sycharites for accession to Him, and the joy of this great Lord of the reapers over the anticipated ingathering. Oh, could we but so, "lift up our eyes and look" upon many fields abroad and at home, which to dull sense appear unpromising, as He beheld those of Samaria, what movements, as yet scarce in embryo, and accessions to Christ, as yet seemingly far distant, might we not discern as quite near at hand, and thus, amidst difficulties and discouragements too much for nature to sustain, be cheered--as our Lord Himself was in circumstances far more overwhelming--with "songs in the night!"
36 he that reapeth, &c.--As our Lord could not mean that the reaper only, and not the sower, received "wages," in the sense of personal reward for his work, the "wages" here can be no other than the joy of having such a harvest to gather in--the joy of "gathering fruit unto life eternal."
rejoice together--The blessed issue of the whole ingathering is the interest alike of the sower as of the reaper; it is no more the fruit of the last operation than of the first; and just as there can be no reaping without previous sowing, so have those servants of Christ, to whom is assigned the pleasant task of merely reaping the spiritual harvest, no work to do, and no joy to taste, that has not been prepared to their hand by the toilsome and often thankless work of their predecessors in the field. The joy, therefore, of the great harvest festivity will be the common joy of all who have taken any part in the work from the first operation to the last. (See
Deut 16:11,
Deut 16:14;
Ps 126:6;
Isa 9:3). What encouragement is here for those "fishers of men" who "have toiled all the night" of their official life, and, to human appearance, "have taken nothing!"
38 I sent you, &c.--The I is emphatic--I, the Lord of the whole harvest: "sent you," points to their past appointment to the apostleship, though it has reference only to their future discharge of it, for they had nothing to do with the present ingathering of the Sycharites.
ye bestowed no labour--meaning that much of their future success would arise from the preparation already made for them. (See on
John 4:42).
others laboured--Referring to the Old Testament laborers, the Baptist, and by implication Himself, though He studiously keeps this in the background, that the line of distinction between Himself and all His servants might not be lost sight of. "Christ represents Himself as the Husbandman [rather the Lord of the laborers], who has the direction both of the sowing and of the harvest, who commissions all the agents--those of the Old Testament as well as of the New--and therefore does not stand on a level with either the sowers or the reapers" [OLSHAUSEN].
39 many . . . believed, &c.--The truth of
John 4:35 begins to appear. These Samaritans were the foundation of the Church afterwards built up there. No miracle appears to have been wrought there (but unparalleled supernatural knowledge displayed): "we have heard Him ourselves" (
John 4:42) sufficed to raise their faith to a point never attained by the Jews, and hardly as yet by the disciples--that He was "the Saviour of the world" [ALFORD]. "This incident is further remarkable as a rare instance of the Lord's ministry producing an awakening on a large scale" [OLSHAUSEN].
40 abode two days--Two precious days, surely, to the Redeemer Himself! Unsought, He had come to His own, yet His own received Him not: now those who were not His own had come to Him, been won by Him, and invited Him to their town that others might share with them in the benefit of His wonderful ministry. Here, then, would He solace His already wounded spirit and have in this outfield village triumph of His grace, a sublime foretaste of the inbringing of the whole Gentile world into the Church.
43 SECOND GALILEAN MIRACLE--HEALING OF THE COURTIER'S SON. (
John 4:43-
John 4:54)
after two days--literally, the two days of His stay at Sychar.
44 For Jesus testified, &c.--This verse had occasioned much discussion. For it seems strange, if "His own country" here means Nazareth, which was in Galilee, that it should be said He came to Galilee because in one of its towns He expected no good reception. But all will be simple and natural if we fill up the statement thus: "He went into the region of Galilee, but not, as might have been expected, to that part of it called 'His own country,' Nazareth (see
Mark 6:4;
Luke 4:24), for He acted on the maxim which He oft repeated, that 'a prophet,'" &c.
45 received--welcomed Him.
having seen . . . at the feast--proud, perhaps, of their Countryman's wonderful works at Jerusalem, and possibly won by this circumstance to regard His claims as at least worthy of respectful investigation. Even this our Lord did not despise, for saving conversion often begins in less than this (so Zaccheus,
Luke 19:3-
Luke 19:10).
for they also went--that is, it was their practice to go up to the feast.
46 nobleman--courtier, king's servant, or one connected with a royal household; such as Chuza (
Luke 8:3), or Manaen (
Acts 13:1).
heard that Jesus was come out of Judea--"where he had doubtless seen or heard what things Jesus had done at Jerusalem" (
John 4:45), [BENGEL].
come down--for Capernaum was down on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
48 Except ye see signs, &c.--He did believe, both as his coming and his urgent entreaty show; but how imperfectly we shall see; and our Lord would deepen his faith by such a blunt and seemingly rough answer as He made to Nicodemus.
49 come down ere my child die--"While we talk, the case is at its crisis, and if Thou come not instantly, all is over." This was faith, but partial, and our Lord would perfect it. The man cannot believe the cure could be wrought without the Physician coming to the patient--the thought of such a thing evidently never occurred to him. But Jesus will in a moment bring him up to this.
50 Go thy way; thy son liveth--Both effects instantaneously followed:--"The man believed the word," and the cure, shooting quicker than lightning from Cana to Capernaum, was felt by the dying youth. In token of faith, the father takes his leave of Christ--in the circumstances this evidenced full faith. The servants hasten to convey the joyful tidings to the anxious parents, whose faith now only wants one confirmation. "When began he to amend? . . . Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him"--the very hour in which was uttered that great word, "Thy son liveth!" So "himself believed and his whole house." He had believed before this, first very imperfectly; then with assured confidence of Christ's word; but now with a faith crowned by "sight." And the wave rolled from the head to the members of his household. "To-day is salvation come to this house" (
Luke 19:9); and no mean house this!
second miracle Jesus did--that is, in Cana; done "after He came out of Judea," as the former before.
