Therefore when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
KJV
When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
Commentary
Commentary
It was, more than any thing else, the glory of the land of Israel, that
it was Emmanuel's land
( Isa. viii. 8 ),
not only the place of his birth, but the scene of his preaching and
miracles. This land in our Saviour's time was divided into three parts:
Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria lying between
them. Now, in this chapter, we have Christ in each of these three parts
of that land.
I. Departing out of Judea, ver. 1-3 .
II. Passing through Samaria, which, though a visit in transitu, here
takes up most room.
1. His coming into Samaria, ver. 4-6 .
2. His discourse with the Samaritan woman at a well, ver. 7-26 .
3. The notice which the woman gave of him to the city, ver. 27-30 .
4. Christ's talk with his disciples in the meantime, ver. 31-38 .
5. The good effect of this among the Samaritans, ver. 39-42 .
III. We find him residing for some time in Galilee
( ver. 43-46 ),
and his curing a nobleman's son there, that was at death's door, ver. 46-54 .
1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that
Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
3 He left Judæa, and departed again into Galilee.
We read of Christ's coming into Judea
( ch. iii. 22 ),
after he had kept the feast at Jerusalem; and now he left Judea four
months before harvest, as is said here
( v. 35 );
so that it is computed that he staid in Judea about six months, to
build upon the foundation John had laid there. We have no particular
account of his sermons and miracles there, only in general, v. 1 .
I. That he made disciples; he prevailed with many to embrace his
doctrine, and to follow him as a teacher come from God. His ministry
was successful, notwithstanding the opposition it met with
( Ps. cx. 2, 3 ); mathetas poiei --it signifies the same with matheteuo -- to disciples. Compare Gen. xii. 5 . The souls which they had gotten, which they had made (so
the word is), which they had made proselytes. Note, It is
Christ's prerogative to make disciples, first to bring them to
his foot, and then to form and fashion them to his will. Fit, non
nascitur, Christianus--The Christian is made such, not born such. Tertullian.
II. That he baptized those whom he made disciples, admitted them by washing them with water; not himself, but by
the ministry of his disciples, v. 2 .
1. Because he would put a difference between his baptism and that of
John, who baptized all himself; for he baptized as a servant, Christ as
a master.
2. He would apply himself more to preaching work, which was the more
excellent, 1 Cor. i. 17 .
3. He would put honour upon his disciples, by empowering and employing
them to do it; and so train them up to further services.
4. If he had baptized some himself, they would have been apt to value
themselves upon that, and despise others, which he would prevent, as
Paul, 1 Cor. i. 13, 14 .
5. He would reserve himself for the honour of baptizing with the Holy
Ghost, Acts i. 5 .
6. He would teach us that the efficacy of the sacraments depends not on
any virtue in the hand that administers them, as also that what is done
by his ministers, according to his direction, he owns as done by
himself.
III. That he made and baptized more disciples than John; not
only more than John did at this time, but more than he had done at any
time. Christ's converse was more winning than John's. His miracles were
convincing, and the cures he wrought gratis very inviting.
IV. That the Pharisees were informed of this; they heard what
multitudes he baptized, for they had, from his first appearing, a
jealous eye upon him, and wanted not spies to give them notice
concerning him. Observe,
1. When the Pharisees thought they had got rid of John (for he was by
this time imprisoned), and were pleasing themselves with that, Jesus
appears, who was a greater vexation to them than ever John had been.
The witnesses will rise again.
2. That which grieved them was that Christ made so many disciples. The
success of the gospel exasperates its enemies, and it is a good sign
that it is getting ground when the powers of darkness are enraged
against it.
V. That our Lord Jesus knew very well what informations were given in
against him to the Pharisees. It is probable the informers were willing
to have their names concealed, and the Pharisees loth to have their
designs known; but none can dig so keep as to hide their counsels
from the Lord ( Isa. xxix. 15 ),
and Christ is here called the Lord. He knew what was told the
Pharisees, and how much, it is likely, it exceeded the truth; for it is
not likely that Jesus had yet baptized more than John; but so
the thing was represented, to make him appear the more formidable; see 2 Kings vi. 12 .
VI. That hereupon our Lord Jesus left Judea and departed
again to go to Galilee.
1. He left Judea, because he was likely to be persecuted there
even to the death; such was the rage of the Pharisees against him, and
such their impious policy to devour the man-child in his infancy. To
escape their designs, Christ quitted the country, and went where what
he did would be less provoking than just under their eye. For,
(1.) His hour was not yet come
( ch. vii. 30 ),
the time fixed in the counsels of God, and the Old-Testament
prophecies, for Messiah's being cut off. He had not finished his
testimony, and therefore would not surrender or expose himself.
(2.) The disciples he had gathered in Judea were not able to bear
hardships, and therefore he would not expose them.
(3.) Hereby he gave an example to his own rule: When they persecute
you in one city, flee to another. We are not called to suffer,
while we may avoid it without sin; and therefore, though we may not,
for our own preservation, change our religion, yet we may change our
place. Christ secured himself, not by a miracle, but in a way common
to men, for the direction and encouragement of his suffering
people.
2. He departed into Galilee, because he had work to do there, and many
friends and fewer enemies. He went to Galilee now,
(1.) Because John's ministry had now made way for him there; for
Galilee, which was under Herod's jurisdiction, was the last scene of
John's baptism.
(2.) Because John's imprisonment had now made room for him
there. That light being now put under a bushel, the minds of people
would not be divided between him and Christ. Thus both the liberties
and restraints of good ministers are for the furtherance of the gospel, Phil. i. 12 .
But to what purpose does he go into Galilee for safety? Herod, the
persecutor of John, will never be the protector of Jesus. Chemnitius
here notes, Pii in hác vit´ quos fugiant habent; ad
quos vero fugiant ut in tuto sint non habent, nisi ad te, Deus, qui
solus regugium nostrum es -- The pious have those, in this life,
to whom they can fly; but they have none to fly to, who can afford them
refuge, except thee, O God.
4 And he must needs go through Samaria.
5 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.
6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied
with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the
sixth hour.
7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith
unto her, Give me to drink.
8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
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 have no dealings with the Samaritans.
10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest 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 living
water.
11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that
living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the
well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his
cattle?
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this
water shall thirst again:
14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that 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.
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I
thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said
unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast
is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a
prophet.
20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in
Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh,
when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for
salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father
seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which
is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
We have here an account of the good Christ did in Samaria, when he passed through that country in his way to Galilee. The
Samaritans, both in blood and religion, were mongrel
Jews, the posterity of those colonies which the king of Assyria
planted there after the captivity of the ten tribes, with whom the poor
of the land that were left behind, and many other Jews afterwards,
incorporated themselves. They worshipped the God of Israel only, to
whom they erected a temple on mount Gerizim, in competition with that
at Jerusalem. There was great enmity between them and the Jews; the
Samaritans would not admit Christ, when they saw he was going to
Jerusalem
( Luke ix. 53 );
the Jews thought they could not give him a worse name than to say, He is a Samaritan. When the Jews were in prosperity, the
Samaritans claimed kindred to them
( Ezra iv. 2 ),
but, when the Jews were in distress, they were Medes and Persians; see
Joseph. Antiq. 11. 340-341; 12. 257. Now observe,
I. Christ's coming into Samaria. He charged his disciples not to enter into any city of the Samaritans ( Matt. x. 5 ),
that is, not to preach the gospel, or work miracles; nor did he here
preach publicly, or work any miracle, his eye being to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel. What kindness he here did them was accidental; it was only a crumb of the children's bread
that casually fell from the master's table.
1. His road from Judea to Galilee lay through the country of Samaria
( v. 4 ): He must needs go through Samaria. There was no other way, unless
he would have fetched a compass on the other side Jordan, a
great way about. The wicked and profane are at present so intermixed
with God's Israel that, unless we will go out of the world, we
cannot avoid going through the company of such, 1 Cor. v. 10 .
We have therefore need of the armour or righteousness on the right hand
and on the left, that we may neither give provocation to them
nor contract pollution by them. We should not go into places of
temptation but when we needs must; and then we should not reside
in them, but hasten through them. Some think that Christ must needs go through Samaria because of the good work he had to
do there; a poor woman to be converted, a lost sheep to be sought and
saved. This was work his heart was upon, the therefore he must needs go this way. It was happy for Samaria that it lay in Christ's way, which gave him an opportunity of calling on
them. When I passed by thee, I said unto thee, Live, Ezek. xvi. 6 .
2. His baiting place happened to be at a city of Samaria. Now
observe,
(1.) The place described. It was called Sychar; probably the
same with Sichem, or Shechem, a place which we read much
of in the Old Testament. Thus are the names of places commonly
corrupted by tract of time. Shechem yielded the first proselyte that
ever came into the church of Israel
( Gen. xxxiv. 24 ),
and now it is the first place where the gospel is preached out of the
commonwealth of Israel; so Dr. Lightfoot observes; as also that the valley of Achor, which was given for a door of hope, hope
to the poor Gentiles, ran along by this city, Hos. ii. 15 .
Abimelech was made king here; it was Jeroboam's royal seat; but the
evangelist, when he would give us the antiquities of the place, takes
notice of Jacob's interest there, which was more its honour than its
crowned heads.
[1.] Here lay Jacob's ground, the parcel of ground which Jacob gave to his son Joseph, whose bones were buried in it, Gen. xlviii. 22; Josh. xxiv. 32 .
Probably this is mentioned to intimate that Christ, when he reposed
himself hard by here, took occasion from the ground which Jacob gave
Joseph to meditate on the good report which the elders by faith
obtained. Jerome chose to live in the land of Canaan, that the sight of
the places might affect him the more with scripture stories.
[2.] Here was Jacob's well which he digged, or at least used, for
himself and his family. We find no mention of this well in the Old
Testament; but the tradition was that it was Jacob's well.
(2.) The posture of our Lord Jesus at this place: Being wearied with
his journey, he sat thus on the well. We have here our Lord
Jesus,
II. His discourse with a Samaritan woman, which is here recorded at
large, while Christ's dispute with the doctors, and his discourse with
Moses and Elias on the mount, are buried in silence. This discourse is
reducible to four heads:--
(1.) Notice is taken of the circumstances that gave occasion to
this discourse.
(2.) Let us observe the particulars of this discourse.
First, He waives her objection of the feud between the Jews and
Samaritans, and takes no notice of it. Some differences are best healed by being slighted, and by avoiding all occasions
of entering into dispute about them. Christ will convert this
woman, not by showing her that the Samaritan worship was schismatical (though really it was so), but by showing her her
own ignorance and immoralities, and her need of a Saviour.
Secondly, He fills her with an apprehension that she had now an
opportunity (a fairer opportunity than she was aware of) of gaining
that which would be of unspeakable advantage to her. She had not the
helps that the Jews had to discern the signs of the times, and
therefore Christ tells her expressly that she had now a season of
grace; this was the day of her visitation.
a. He hints to her what she should know, but was ignorant
of: If thou knewest the gift of God, that is, as the next words
explain it, who it is that saith, Give me to drink. If thou
knewest who I am. She saw him to be a Jew, a poor weary
traveller; but he would have her know something more concerning him
that did yet appear. Note,
( a. ) Jesus Christ is the gift of God, the richest token
of God's love to us, and the richest treasure of all good for us; a
gift, not a debt which we could demand from God; not a loan, which he will demand from us again, but a gift, a free gift, ch. iii. 16 .
( b. ) It is an unspeakable privilege to have this gift of God
proposed and offered to us; to have an opportunity of embracing it: "He
who is the gift of God is now set before thee, and addresses himself to thee; it is he that saith, Give me to drink; this gift
comes a begging to thee."
( c. ) Though Christ is set before us, and sues to us in and by
his gospel, yet there are multitudes that know him not. They
know not who it is that speaks to them in the gospel, that saith, Give me to drink; they perceive not that it is the Lord that
calls them.
b. He hopes concerning her, what she would have done if she had
known him; to be sure she would not have given him such a rude and
uncivil answer; nay, she would have been so far from affronting him
that she would have made her addresses to him: Thou wouldest have
asked. Note,
( a. ) Those that would have any benefit by Christ must ask for
it, must be earnest in prayer to God for it.
( b. ) Those that have a right knowledge of Christ will seek to
him, and if we do not seek unto him it is a sign that we do not know
him, Ps. ix. 10 .
( c. ) Christ knows what they that want the means of knowledge
would have done if they had had them, Matt. xi. 21 .
c. He assures her what he would have done for her if she had
applied to him: "He would have given thee (and not have
upbraided thee as thou doest me) living water. " By this living
water is meant the Spirit, who is not like the water in the
bottom of the well, for some of which he asked, but like living or running water, which was much more valuable. Note,
( a. ) The Spirit of grace is as living water; see ch. vii. 38 .
Under this similitude the blessings of the Messiah had been promised in
the Old Testament, Isa. xii. 3; xxxv. 7; xliv. 3; lv. 1;
Zech. xiv. 8 .
The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul,
that knows its own nature and necessity.
( b. ) Jesus Christ can and will give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him; for he received that he might give.
First, She does not think him capable of furnishing her with any
water, no, not this in the well that is just at hand: Thou has
nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. This she said,
not knowing the power of Christ, for he who causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth needs nothing to draw. But
there are those who will trust Christ no further than they can see him,
and will not believe his promise, unless the means of the performance
of it be visible; as if he were tied to our methods, and could
not draw water without our buckets. She asks scornfully, " Whence
hast thou this living water? I see not whence thou canst have it."
Note, The springs of that living water which Christ has for those that
come to him are secret and undiscovered. The fountain of life is hid
with Christ. Christ has enough for us, though we see not whence he has
it.
Secondly, She does not think it possible that he should furnish
her with any better water than this which she could come at, but he
could not: Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the
well?
a. We will suppose the tradition true, that Jacob himself,
and his children, and cattle, did drink of this well. And we may
observe from it,
( a. ) The power and providence of God, in the continuance of the
fountains of water from generation to generation, by the constant
circulation of the rivers, like the blood in the body
( Eccl. i. 7 ),
to which circulation perhaps the flux and reflux of the sea, like the
pulses of the heart, contribute.
( b. ) The plainness of the patriarch Jacob; his drink was water,
and he and his children drank of the same well with his cattle.
b. Yet, allowing that to be true, she was out in several things;
as,
( a. ) In calling Jacob father. What authority had the
Samaritans to reckon themselves of the seed of Jacob? They were
descended from that mixed multitude which the king of Assyria had
placed in the cities of Samaria; what have they to do then with Jacob?
Because they were the invaders of Israel's rights, and the
unjust possessors of Israel's lands, were they therefore the inheritors of Israel's blood and honour? How absurd were those
pretensions!
( b. ) She is out in claiming this well as Jacob's gift, whereas
he did no more give it than Moses gave the manna, ch. vi. 32 .
But thus we are apt to call the messengers of God's gifts the donors of them, and to look so much at the hands they pass
through as to forget the hand they come from. Jacob gave it
to his sons, not to them. Yet thus the church's enemies not only usurp, but monopolize, the church's privileges.
( c. ) She was out in speaking of Christ as not worthy to be
compared with our father Jacob. An over-fond veneration for antiquity
makes God's graces, in the good people of our own day, to be
slighted.
First, That the water of Jacob's well yielded but a transient satisfaction and supply: " Whoso drinketh of this
water shall thirst again. It is no better than other water; it will
quench the present thirst, but the thirst will return, and in a few
hours a man will have as much need, and as much desire, of water as ever he had." This intimates,
1. The infirmities of our bodies in this present state; they are
still necessitous, and ever craving. Life is a fire, a lamp, which will soon go out, without continual
supplies of fuel and oil. The natural heat preys upon itself.
2. The imperfections of all our comforts in this world; they are
not lasting, nor our satisfaction in them remaining. Whatever waters of
comfort we drink of, we shall thirst again. Yesterday's meat and
drink will not do to-day's work.
Secondly, That the living waters he would give should yield a
lasting satisfaction and bliss, v. 14 .
Christ's gifts appear most valuable when they come to be compared with
the things of this world; for there will appear no comparison between
them. Whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the
everlasting gospel,
a. He shall never thirst, he shall never want that which
will abundantly satisfy his soul's desires; they are longing, but not languishing. A desiring thirst he has, nothing
more than God, still more and more of God; but not a despairing thirst.
b. Therefore he shall never thirst, because this water that
Christ gives shall be in him a well of water. He can never be
reduced to extremity that has in himself a fountain of supply
and satisfaction.
( a. ) Ever ready, for it shall be in him. The
principle of grace planted in him is the spring of his comfort;
see ch. vii. 38 .
A good man is satisfied from himself, for Christ dwells in
his heart. The anointing abides in him; he needs not sneak to the
world for comfort; the work and the witness of the Spirit
in the heart furnish him with a firm foundation of hope and an
overflowing fountain of joy.
( b. ) Never failing, for it shall be in him a well of
water. He that has at hand only a bucket of water needs not thirst
as long as this lasts, but it will soon be exhausted; but
believers have in them a well of water, overflowing, ever
flowing. The principles and affections which Christ's
holy religion forms in the souls of those that are brought under
the power of it are this well of water. [ a. ] It is springing up, ever in motion, which bespeaks
the actings of grace strong and vigorous. If good truths stagnate in our souls, like standing water, they do not answer
the end of our receiving them. If there be a good treasure in the
heart, we must thence bring forth good things.
[ b. ] It is springing up unto everlasting life; which
intimates, First, The aims of gracious actings. A
sanctified soul has its eye upon heaven, means this, designs this, does
all for this, will take up with nothing short of this. Spiritual life
springs up towards its own perfection in eternal life. Secondly, The constancy of those actings; it will
continue springing up till it come to perfection. Thirdly, The
crown of them, eternal life at last. The living water rises from heaven, and therefore rises towards heaven; see Eccl. i. 7 .
And now is not this water better than that of Jacob's well?
2. The next subject of discourse with this woman in concerning her
husband, v. 16-18 .
It was not to let fall the discourse of the water of life that Christ
started this, as many who will bring in any impertinence in
conversation that they may drop a serious subject; but it was with a
gracious design that Christ mentioned it. What he had said concerning
his grace and eternal life he found had made little impression upon
her, because she had not been convinced of sin: therefore, waiving the
discourse about the living water, he sets himself to awaken her
conscience, to open the wound of guilt, and then she would more easily
apprehend the remedy by grace. And this is the method of dealing with
souls; they must first be made weary and heavy-laden under the burden of sin, and then brought to Christ for rest; first
pricked to the heart, and then healed. This is the course of spiritual
physic; and if we proceed not in this order we begin at the wrong
end.
Observe,
(1.) How discreetly and decently Christ introduces this discourse
( v. 16 ): Go, call thy husband, and come hither. Now,
[1.] The order Christ gave her had a very good colour: "Call thy
husband, that he may teach thee, and help thee to understand these
things, which thou art so ignorant of" The wives that will learn must ask their husbands ( 1 Cor. xiv. 35 ),
who must dwell with them as men of knowledge, 1 Pet. iii. 7 .
" Call thy husband, that he may learn with thee; that then you
may be heirs together of the grace of life. Call thy husband, that he may be witness to what passes between us." Christ would thus
teach us to provide things honest in the sight of all men, and
to study that which is of good report.
[2.] As it had a good colour, so it had a good design; for hence
he would take occasion to call her sin to remembrance. There is need of
art and prudence in giving reproofs; to fetch a compass, as the woman
of Tekoa, 2 Sam. xiv. 20 .
(2.) How industriously the woman seeks to evade the conviction, and yet
insensibly convicts herself, and, ere she is aware, owns her fault; she
said, I have no husband. Her saying this intimated no more than
that she did not care to have her husband spoken of, nor that matter
mentioned any more. She would not have her husband come thither, lest,
in further discourse, the truth of the matter should come out, to her
shame; and therefore, "Pray go on to talk of something else, I have
no husband; " she would be thought a maid or a widow, whereas, though she had no husband, she was neither. The carnal mind is
very ingenious to shift off convictions, and to keep them from
fastening, careful to cover the sin.
(3.) How closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her
conscience. It is probable that he said more than is here recorded, for
she thought that he told her all that ever she did
( v. 29 ),
but that which is here recorded is concerning her husbands. Here is,
[1.] A surprising narrative of her past conversation: Thou has had five husbands. Doubtless, it was not her affliction (the burying of so many husbands), but her sin, that Christ intended to upbraid her with; either she had eloped (as the law speaks), had run away from her husbands, and married others, or by her undutiful, unclean,
disloyal conduct, had provoked them to divorce her, or by
indirect means had, contrary to law, divorced them. Those who
make light of such scandalous practices as these, as no more than nine days' wonder, and as if the guilt were over as soon as the
talk is over, should remember that Christ keeps account of all.
[2.] A severe reproof of her present state of life: He whom thou now
hast is not thy husband. Either she was never married to him at
all, or he had some other wife, or, which is most probable, her former
husband or husbands were living: so that, in short, she lived in
adultery. Yet observe how mildly Christ tells her of it; he doth
not call her strumpet, but tells her, He with whom thou
livest is not thy husband: and then leaves it to her own conscience
to say the rest. Note, Reproofs are ordinarily most profitable when they are least provoking. [3.] Yet in this he puts a better construction than it would well bear
upon what she said by way of shuffle and evasion: Thou has well said
I have no husband; and again, In that saidst thou truly. What she intended as a denial of the fact (that she had none
with whom she lived as a husband) he favourably interpreted, or at
least turned upon her, as a confession of the fault. Note, Those
who would win souls should make the best of them, whereby they
may hope to work upon their good-nature; for, if they make the worst of them, they certainly exasperate their ill-nature.
3. The next subject of discourse with this woman is concerning the
place of worship, v. 19-24 .
Observe,
(1.) A case of conscience proposed to Christ by the woman, concerning
the place of worship, v. 19, 20 .
First, As for the Samaritans: Our fathers worshipped in this
mountain, near to this city and this well; there the Samaritan
temple was built by Sanballat, in favour of which she insinuates,
1. That whatever the temple was the place was holy; it was mount Gerizim, the mount in which the blessings were pronounced; and
some think the same on which Abraham built his altar
( Gen. xii. 6, 7 ),
and Jacob his, Gen. xxxiii. 18-20 .
2. That it might plead prescription: Our fathers worshipped
here. She thinks they have antiquity, tradition, and succession, on
their side. A vain conversation often supports itself with this,
that it was received by tradition from our fathers. But she had
little reason to boast of their fathers; for, when Antiochus
persecuted the Jews, the Samaritans, for fear of sharing with them in
their sufferings, not only renounced all relation to the Jews, but
surrendered their temple to Antiochus, with a request that it might be
dedicated to Jupiter Olympius, and called by his name. Joseph. Antiq. 12. 257-264.
Secondly, As to the Jews: You say that in Jerusalem is
the place where men ought to worship. The Samaritans governed
themselves by the five books of Moses, and (some think) received only them as canonical. Now, though they found frequent mention
there of the place God would choose, yet they did not find it named
there; and they saw the temple at Jerusalem stripped of many of its
ancient glories, and therefore thought themselves at liberty to set up
another place, altar against altar.
(2.) Christ's answer to this case of conscience, v. 21 ,
&c. Those that apply themselves to Christ for instruction shall find
him meek, to teach the meek his way. Now here,
First, As to the present state of the controversy, he determines against the Samaritan worship, and in favour of the
Jews, v. 22 .
He tells here,
1. That the Samaritans were certainly in the wrong; not merely
because they worshipped in this mountain, though, while Jerusalem's
choice was in force, that was sinful, but because they were out in the
object of their worship. If the worship itself had been as it should
have been, its separation from Jerusalem might have been connived at,
as the high places were in the best reigns: But you worship
you know not what, or that which you do not know. They
worshipped the God of Israel, the true God
( Ezra iv. 2; 2 Kings xvii. 32 );
but they were sunk into gross ignorance; they worshipped him as the God of that land ( 2 Kings xvii. 27, 33 ),
as a local deity, like the gods of the nations, whereas God must be
served as God, as the universal cause and Lord. Note, Ignorance
is so far from being the mother of devotion that it is the murderer of it. Those that worship God ignorantly offer
the blind for sacrifice, and it is the sacrifice of
fools. 2. That the Jews were certainly in the right. For,
(1.) " We know what we worship. We go upon sure grounds in our
worship, for our people are catechised and trained up in the knowledge
of God, as he has revealed himself in the scripture." Note, Those who
by the scriptures have obtained some knowledge of God (a certain though not a perfect knowledge) may worship him comfortably to themselves, and acceptably to him, for
they know what they worship. Christ elsewhere condemns the
corruptions of the Jews' worship
( Matt. xv. 9 ),
and yet here defends the worship itself; the worship may be true where yet it is not pure and entire. Observe, Our Lord
Jesus was pleased to reckon himself among the worshippers of
God: We worship. Though he was a Son (and then are the children
free), yet learned he this obedience, in the days of his
humiliation. Let not the greatest of men think the worship of God below
them, when the Son of God himself did not.
(2.) Salvation is of the Jews; and therefore they know what they
worship, and what grounds they go upon in their worship. Not that all
the Jews were saved, nor that it was not possible but that many of the
Gentiles and Samaritans might be saved, for in every nation he
that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him; but,
[1.] The author of eternal salvation comes of the Jews, appears among
them
( Rom. ix. 5 ),
and is sent first to bless them.
[2.] The means of eternal salvation are afforded to them. The word
of salvation ( Acts xiii. 26 )
was of the Jews. It was delivered to them, and other nations
derived it through them. This was a sure guide to them in their
devotions, and they followed it, and therefore knew what they
worshipped. To them were committed the oracles of God ( Rom. iii. 2 ),
and the service of God, ( Rom. ix. 4 ).
The Jews therefore being thus privileged and advanced, it was
presumption for the Samaritans to vie with them.
Secondly, He describes the evangelical worship which alone God
would accept and be well pleased with. Having shown that the place is indifferent, he comes to show what is necessary and essential --that we worship God in spirit and in truth, v. 23, 24 .
The stress is not to be laid upon the place where we worship
God, but upon the state of mind in which we worship him. Note,
The most effectual way to take up differences in the minor matters of
religion is to be more zealous in the greater. Those who daily make it
the matter of their care to worship in the spirit, one would
think, should not make it the matter of their strife whether he should
be worshipped here or there. Christ had justly preferred the Jewish
worship before the Samaritan, yet here he intimates the imperfection of
that. The worship was ceremonial, Heb. ix. 1, 10 .
The worshippers were generally carnal, and strangers to the inward part of divine worship. Note, It is possible that we may
be better than our neighbours, and yet not so good as we should be. It
concerns us to be right, not only in the object of our worship,
but in the manner of it; and it is this which Christ here
instructs us in. Observe,
a. The great and glorious revolution which should introduce this
change: The hour cometh, and now is --the fixed stated time,
concerning which it was of old determined when it should come, and how
long it should last. The time of its appearance if fixed to an hour, so punctual and exact are the divine counsels; the time of
its continuance is limited to an hour, so close and
pressing is the opportunity of divine grace, 2 Cor. vi. 2 .
This hour cometh, it is coming in its full strength, lustre, and
perfection, it now is in the embryo and infancy. The perfect
day is coming, and now it dawns.
b. The blessed change itself. In gospel times the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. As
creatures, we worship the Father of all: as Christians, we
worship the Father of our Lord Jesus. Now the change shall be,
( a. ) In the nature of the worship. Christians shall
worship God, not in the ceremonial observances of the Mosaic
institution, but in spiritual ordinances, consisting less in bodily exercise, and animated and invigorated more with divine
power and energy. The way of worship which Christ has instituted is
rational and intellectual, and refined from those external rites and
ceremonies with which the Old-Testament worship was both clouded and
clogged. This is called true worship, in opposition to that which was
typical. The legal services were figures of the true, Heb. ix. 3, 24 .
Those that revolted from Christianity to Judaism are said to begin
in the spirit, and end in the flesh, Gal. iii. 3 .
Such was the difference between Old-Testament and New-Testament
institutions.
( b. ) In the temper and disposition of the
worshippers; and so the true worshippers are good Christians,
distinguished from hypocrites; all should, and they will,
worship God in spirit and in truth. It is spoken of
( v. 23 )
as their character, and
( v. 24 )
as their duty. Note, It is required of all that worship God that they
worship him in spirit and in truth. We must worship God,
[ a. ] In spirit, Phil. iii. 3 .
We must depend upon God's Spirit for strength and assistance,
laying our souls under his influences and operations; we must devote our own spirits to, and employ them in, the service of God
( Rom. i. 9 ),
must worship him with fixedness of thought and a flame of affection,
with all that is within us. Spirit is sometimes put for the new
nature, in opposition to the flesh, which is the corrupt nature;
and so to worship God with our spirits is to worship him with
our graces, Heb. xii. 28 .
[ b. ] In truth, that is, in sincerity. God requires
not only the inward part in our worship, but truth in the
inward part, Ps. li. 6 .
We must mind the power more than the form, must aim at God's glory, and
not to be seen of men; draw near with a true heart, Heb. x. 22 .
Thirdly, He intimates the reasons why God must be thus
worshipped.
a. Because in gospel times they, and they only, are accounted
the true worshippers. The gospel erects a spiritual way of
worship, so that the professors of the gospel are not true in their
profession, do not live up to gospel light and laws, if they do not
worship God in spirit and in truth.
b. Because the Father seeketh such worshippers of him. This intimates,
( a. ) That such worshippers are very rare, and seldom met with, Jer. xxx. 21 .
The gate of spiritual worshipping is strait.
( b. ) That such worship is necessary, and what the God of heaven
insists upon. When God comes to enquire for worshippers, the
question will not be, "Who worshipped at Jerusalem?" but, "Who
worshipped in spirit?" That will be the touchstone.
( c. ) That God is greatly well pleased with and graciously
accepts such worship and such worshippers. I have desired it, Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14; Cant. ii. 14 .
( d. ) That there has been, and will be to the end, a remnant of
such worshippers; his seeking such worshippers implies his making them such. God is in all ages gathering in to himself a
generation of spiritual worshippers.
c. Because God is a spirit. Christ came to declare
God to us
( ch. i. 18 ),
and this he has declared concerning him; he declared it to this poor
Samaritan woman, for the meanest are concerned to know God; and with
this design, to rectify her mistakes concerning religious worship, to
which nothing would contribute more than the right knowledge of God.
Note,
( a. ) God is a spirit, for he is an infinite and eternal
mind, an intelligent being, incorporeal, immaterial, invisible, and
incorruptible. It is easier to say what God is not than what he is; a
spirit has not flesh and bones, but who knows the way of a
spirit? If God were not a spirit, he could not be perfect, nor infinite, nor eternal, nor independent, nor the
Father of spirits.
( b. ) The spirituality of the divine nature is a very good reason
for the spirituality of divine worship. If we do not worship God, who
is a spirit, in the spirit, we neither give him the glory due
to his name, and so do not perform the act of worship, nor
can we hope to obtain his favour and acceptance, and so we miss of the end of worship, Matt. xv. 8, 9 .
4. The last subject of discourse with this woman is concerning the
Messiah, v. 25, 26 .
Observe here,
(1.) The faith of the woman, by which she expected the Messiah: I
know that Messias cometh--and he will tell us all things. She had
nothing to object against what Christ had said; his discourse was, for
aught she knew, what might become the Messiah then expected; but from him she would receive it, and in the mean time she thinks
it best to suspend her belief. Thus many have no heart to the price in their hand ( Prov. xvii. 16 ),
because they think they have a better in their eye, and deceive
themselves with a promise that they will learn that hereafter which they neglect now. Observe here,
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he
talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or,
Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the
city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did:
is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master,
eat.
32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not
of.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man
brought him ought to eat?
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that
sent me, and to finish his work.
35 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.
36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit
unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth
may rejoice together.
37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another
reapeth.
38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other
men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
39 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.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him
that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy
saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
We have here the remainder of the story of what happened when Christ
was in Samaria, after the long conference he had with the woman.
I. The interruption given to this discourse by the disciples'
coming. It is probable that much more was said than is recorded; but
just when the discourse was brought to a head, when Christ had made
himself known to her as the true Messiah, then came the
disciples. The daughters of Jerusalem shall not stir up
nor awake my love till he please. 1. They wondered at Christ's converse with this woman, marvelled that
he talked thus earnestly (as perhaps they observed at a distance) with
a woman, a strange woman alone (he used to be more reserved ),
especially with a Samaritan woman, that was not of the lost sheep of
the house of Israel; they thought their Master should be as shy of the
Samaritans as the other Jews were, at least that he should not preach
the gospel to them. They wondered he should condescend to talk with
such a poor contemptible woman, forgetting what despicable men they
themselves were when Christ first called them into fellowship with
himself.
2. Yet they acquiesced in it; they knew it was for some good reason,
and some good end, of which he was not bound to give them an account,
and therefore none of them asked, What seekest thou? or, Why
talkest thou with her? Thus, when particular difficulties occur in
the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves with
this in general, that all is well which Jesus Christ saith and doeth.
Perhaps there was something amiss in their marveling that Christ talked with the woman: it was something like the
Pharisees being offended at his eating with publicans and sinners. But,
whatever they thought, they said nothing. If thou hast
thought evil at any time, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, to
keep that evil thought from turning into an evil word, Prov. xxx. 32; Ps. xxxix. 1-3 .
The notice which the woman gave to her neighbours of the extraordinary
person she had happily met with, v. 28, 29 .
Observe here,
1. How she forgot her errand to the well, v. 28 .
Therefore, because the disciples were come, and broke up the discourse,
and perhaps she observed they were not pleased with it, she went her
way. She withdrew, in civility to Christ, that he might have
leisure to eat his dinner. She delighted in his discourse, but
would not be rude; every thing is beautiful in its season. She
supposed that Jesus, when he had dined, would go forward in his
journey, and therefore hastened to tell her neighbours, that they might
come quickly. Yet a little while is the light with you. See how
she improved time; when one good work was done, she applied herself to
another. When opportunities of getting good cease, or are
interrupted, we should seek opportunities of doing good; when we
have done hearing the word, then is a time to be speaking of it. Notice is taken of her leaving her water-pot or pail. (1.) She left it in kindness to Christ, that he might have water to
drink; he turned water into wine for others, but not for himself.
Compare this with Rebecca's civility to Abraham's servant
( Gen. xxiv. 18 ),
and see that promise, Matt. x. 42 .
(2.) She left it that she might make the more haste into the city, to
carry thither these good tidings. Those whose business it is to
publish the name of Christ must not encumber or entangle themselves
with any thing that will retard or hinder them therein. When the
disciples are to be made fishers of men they must forsake all. (3.) She left her water-pot, as one careless of it, being wholly
taken up with better things. Note, Those who are brought to the
knowledge of Christ will show it by a holy contempt of this world and
the things of it. And those who are newly acquainted with the
things of God must be excused, if at first they be so taken up
with the new world into which they are brought that the things of this
world seem to be for a time wholly neglected. Mr. Hildersham, in one of
his sermons on this verse, from this instance largely justifies those
who leave their worldly business on week-days to go to hear
sermons.
2. How she minded her errand to the town, for her heart was upon
it. She went into the city, and said to the men, probably
the aldermen, the men in authority, whom, it may be, she found met
together upon some public business; or to the men, that is, to
every man she met in the streets; she proclaimed it in the chief places
of concourse: Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I
did. Is not this the Christ? Observe,
(1.) How solicitous she was to have her friends and
neighbours acquainted with Christ. When she had found that
treasure, she called together her friends and neighbours (as Luke xv. 9 ),
not only to rejoice with her, but to share with her, knowing
there was enough to enrich herself and all that would partake with her.
Note, They that have been themselves with Jesus, and have found comfort
in him, should do all they can to bring others to him. Has he done us
the honour to make himself known to us? Let us do him the honour to
make him known to others; nor can we do ourselves a greater honour.
This woman becomes an apostle. Quæ scortum fuerat egressa,
regreditur magistra evangelica--She who went forth a specimen of
impurity returns a teacher of evangelical truth, saith Aretius. Christ had told her to call her husband, which
she thought was warrant enough to call every body. She went into the city, the city where she dwelt, among her kinsfolks and
acquaintance. Though every man is my neighbour that I have opportunity
of doing good to, yet I have most opportunity, and therefore lie
under the greatest obligations, to do good to those that live
near me. Where the tree falls, there let it be made useful.
(2.) How fair and ingenuous she was in the notice she gave them
concerning this stranger she had met with.
[1.] She tells them plainly what induced her to admire him: He has told me all things that ever I did. No more is recorded
than what he told her of her husbands; but it is not improbable that he
had told her of more of her faults. Or, his telling her that which she
knew he could not by any ordinary means come to the knowledge of
convinced her that he could have told her all that she ever did. If he
has a divine knowledge, it must be omniscience. He told her that
which none knew but God and her own conscience. Two things affected
her:-- First, the extent of his knowledge. We ourselves cannot
tell all things that ever we did (many things pass unheeded, and more pass away and are forgotten); but Jesus
Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children
of men; see Heb. iv. 13 .
He hath said, I know thy works. Secondly, The power of his word. This made a great impression upon her, that he told her her secret
sins with such an unaccountable power and energy that, being told
of one, she is convinced of all, and judged of all. She does not
say, "Come, see a man that has told me strange things concerning
religious worship, and the laws of it, that has decided the controversy
between this mountain and Jerusalem, a man that calls himself the Messias; " but, " Come see a man that has told me of my
sins." She fastens upon that part of Christ's discourse which one would
think she would have been most shy of repeating; but experimental
proofs of the power of Christ's word and Spirit are of all others the
most cogent and convincing; and that knowledge of Christ into
which we are led by the conviction of sin and humiliation is most
likely to be sound and saving. [2.] She invites them to come and see him of whom she had
conceived so high an opinion. Not barely, "Come and look upon him" (she
does not invite them to him as a show ), but, "Come and converse
with him; come and hear his wisdom, as I have done, and you will
be of my mind." She would not undertake to manage the arguments which
had convinced her, in such a manner as to convince others; all that see
the evidence of truth themselves are not able to make others see it;
but, "Come, and talk with him, and you will find such a power in his
word as far exceeds all other evidence." Note, Those who can do little
else towards the conviction and conversion of others may and should
bring them to those means of grace which they themselves have found
effectual. Jesus was now at the town's end. "Now come see him." When
opportunities of getting the knowledge of God are brought to our doors
we are inexcusable if we neglect them; shall we not go over the
threshold to see him whose day prophets and kings desired to see?
[3.] She resolves to appeal to themselves, and their own
sentiments upon the trial. Is not this the Christ? She does not
peremptorily say, "He is the Messiah," how clear soever she was in her
own mind, and yet she very prudently mentions the Messiah, of whom
otherwise they would not have thought, and then refers it to
themselves; she will not impose her faith upon them, but only propose
it to them. By such fair but forcible appeals as these men's judgments
and consciences are sometimes taken hold of ere they are aware.
(3.) What success she had in this invitation: They went out of the
city, and came to him, v. 30 .
Though it might seem very improbable that a woman of so small a
figure, and so ill a character, should have the honour of the
first discovery of the Messiah among the Samaritans, yet it pleased God
to incline their hearts to take notice of her report, and not to slight
it as an idle tale. Time was when lepers were the first that brought
tidings to Samaria of a great deliverance, 2 Kings vii. 3 ,
&c. They came unto him; did not send for him into the city to
them, but in token of their respect to him, and the earnestness of
their desire to see him, they went out to him. Those that would
know Christ must meet him where he records his name.
III. Christ's discourse with his disciples while the woman was absent, v. 31-38 .
See how industrious our Lord Jesus was to redeem time, to
husband every minute of it, and to fill up the vacancies of it.
When the disciples were gone into the town, his discourse with the
woman was edifying, and suited to her case; when she was gone
into the town, his discourse with them was no less edifying, and suited
to their case; it were well if we could thus gather up the
fragments of time, that none of it may be lost. Two things are
observable in this discourse:--
1. How Christ expresses the delight which he himself had in his
work. His work was to seek and save that which was lost, to go
about doing good. Now with this work we here find him wholly taken up.
For,
(1.) He neglected his meat and drink for his work. When he sat
down upon the well, he was weary, and needed refreshment; but
this opportunity of saving souls made him forget his weariness and
hunger. And he minded his food so little that,
[1.] His disciples were forced to invite him to it: They prayed
him, they pressed him, saying, Master, eat. It was an
instance of their love to him that they invited him, lest he
should be faint and sick for want of some support; but it was a greater
instance of his love to souls that he needed invitation. Let us
learn hence a holy indifference even to the needful supports of life,
in comparison with spiritual things.
[2.] He minded it so little that they suspected he had had meat brought
him in their absence
( v. 33 ): Has any man brought him aught to eat? He had so little appetite
for his dinner that they were ready to think he had dined already.
Those that make religion their business will, when any of its affairs
are to be attended, prefer them before their food; as Abraham's
servant, that would not eat till he had told his errand
( Gen. xxiv. 33 ),
and Samuel, that would not sit down till David was anointed, 1 Sam. xvi. 11 .
(2.) He made his work his meat and drink. The work he had to
do among the Samaritans, the prospect he now had of doing good to
many, this was meat and drink to him; it was the greatest
pleasure and satisfaction imaginable. Never did a hungry man, or an
epicure, expect a plentiful feast with so much desire, nor feed upon
its dainties with so much delight, as our Lord Jesus expected and
improved an opportunity of doing good to souls. Concerning this he
saith,
[1.] That it was such meat as the disciples knew not of. They did not imagine that he had any design or prospect of planting his
gospel among the Samaritans; this was a piece of usefulness they never
thought of. Note, Christ by his gospel and Spirit does more good to the
souls of men than his own disciples know of or expect. This may be said of good Christians too, who live by faith, that they
have meat to eat which others know not of, joy with which a stranger
does not intermeddle. Now this word made them ask, Has any man
brought him aught to eat? so apt were even his own disciples to
understand him after a corporal and carnal manner when he used
similitudes.
[2.] That the reason why his work was his meat and drink was because it
was his Father's work, his Father's will: My meat is to do the will
of him that sent me, v. 34 .
Note, First, The salvation of sinners is the will of God, and the instruction of them in order thereunto is his work. See 1 Tim. ii. 4 .
There is a chosen remnant whose salvation is in a particular manner his
will. Secondly, Christ was sent into the world on this
errand, to bring people to God, to know him and to be happy in him. Thirdly, He made this work his business and delight. When his
body needed food, his mind was so taken up with this that he forgot
both hunger and thirst, both meat and drink. Nothing could be more
grateful to him than doing good; when he was invited to meat he
went, that he might do good, for that was his meat always. Fourthly, He was not only ready upon all occasions to go to his
work, but he was earnest and in care to go through it,
and to finish his work in all the parts of it. He resolved never
to quit it, nor lay it down, till he could say, It is finished. Many have zeal to carry them out at first, but not zeal to carry
them on to the last; but our Lord Jesus was intent upon finishing his work. Our Master has herein left us an example,
that we may learn to do the will of God as he did;
1. With diligence and close application, as those that make a business
of it.
2. With delight and pleasure in it, as in our element.
3. With constancy and perseverance; not only minding to do, but
aiming to finish, our work.
2. See here how Christ, having expressed his delight in his work, excites his disciples to diligence in their work; they
were workers with him, and therefore should be workers like
him, and make their work their meat, as he did. The work
they had to do was to preach the gospel, and to set up the
kingdom of the Messiah. Now this work he here compares to harvest
work, the gathering in of the fruits of the earth; and this
similitude he prosecutes throughout the discourse, v. 35-38 .
Note, gospel time is harvest time, and gospel work harvest work. The
harvest is before appointed and expected; so was the gospel.
Harvest time is busy time; all hands must be then at work: every
one must work for himself, that he may reap of the graces and
comforts of the gospel: ministers must work for God, to gather
in souls to him. Harvest time is opportunity, a short and
limited time, which will not last always; and harvest work is work that
must be done then or not at all; so the time of the enjoyment of
the gospel is a particular season, which must be improved for its
proper purposes; for, once past, it cannot be recalled. The disciples
were to gather in a harvest of souls for Christ. Now he here suggests
three things to them to quicken them to diligence:--
(1.) That it was necessary work, and the occasion for it
very urgent and pressing
( v. 35 ): You say, It is four months to harvest; but I say, The fields
are already white. Here is,
(2.) That it was profitable and advantageous work, which
they themselves would be gainers by
( v. 36 ):
" He that reapeth receiveth wages, and so shall you." Christ has
undertaken to pay those well whom he employs in his work; for he will
never do as Jehoiakim did, who used his neighbour's service without
wages ( Jer. xxii. 13 ),
or those who by fraud kept back the hire of those particularly who reaped their corn-fields, Jam. v. 4 .
Christ's reapers, though they cry to him day and night, shall
never have cause to cry against him, nor to say they served a
hard Master. He that reapeth, not only shall but does receive wages. There is a present reward in the service of Christ, and
his work is its own wages. [1.] Christ's reapers have fruit: He gathereth fruit unto life
eternal; that is, he shall both save himself and those that hear
him, 1 Tim. iv. 16 .
If the faithful reaper save his own soul, that is fruit abounding to
his account, it is fruit gathered to life eternal; and if, over
and above this, he be instrumental to save the souls of others too,
there is fruit gathered. Souls gathered to Christ are fruit,
good fruit, the fruit that Christ seeks for
( Rom. i. 13 );
it is gathered for Christ
( Cant. viii. 11, 12 );
it is gathered to life eternal. This is the comfort of faithful
ministers, that their work has a tendency to the eternal salvation of
precious souls.
[2.] They have joy: That he that sows and they that reap may rejoice
together. The minister who is the happy instrument of beginning a
good work is he that sows, as John Baptist; he that is employed
to carry it on and perfect it is he that reaps: and both shall
rejoice together. Note, First, Though God is to have all the
glory of the success of the gospel, yet faithful ministers may
themselves take the comfort of it. The reapers share in the joy of
harvest, though the profits belong to the master, 1 Thess. ii. 19 . Secondly, Those ministers who are variously gifted and employed
should be so far from envying one another that they should rather
mutually rejoice in each other's success and usefulness. Though all
Christ's ministers are not alike serviceable, nor alike successful, yet, if they have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, they shall all enter together into the joy of their
Lord at last.
(3.) That it was easy work, and work that was half done to their
hands by those that were gone before them: One soweth, and another
reapeth, v. 37, 38 .
This sometimes denotes a grievous judgment upon him that sows, Mic. vi. 15; Deut. xxviii. 30 , Thou shalt sow, and another shall reap; as Deut. vi. 11 , Houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not. So
here. Moses, and the prophets, and John Baptist, had paved the
way to the gospel, had sown the good seed which the New-Testament
ministers did in effect but gather the fruit of. I send you to reap
that whereon you bestowed, in comparison, no labour. Isa. xl. 3-5 .
[1.] This intimates two things concerning the Old-Testament
ministry:-- First, That it was very much short of the
New-Testament ministry. Moses and the prophets sowed, but they
could not be said to reap, so little did they see of the fruit
of their labours. Their writings have done much more good since they
left us than ever their preaching did. Secondly, That it was
very serviceable to the New-Testament ministry, and made way for
it. The writings of the prophets, which were read in the synagogues
every sabbath day, raised people's expectations of the Messiah, and so
prepared them to bid him welcome. Had it not been for the seed sown by
the prophets, this Samaritan woman could not have said, We know that
Messias cometh. The writings of the Old Testament are in some
respects more useful to us than they could be to those to whom they
were first written, because better understood by the accomplishment of
them. See 1 Pet. i. 12;
Heb. iv. 2; Rom. xvi. 25, 26 .
[2.] This also intimates two things concerning the ministry of
the apostles of Christ. First, That it was a fruitful ministry: they were reapers that gathered in a great harvest of souls
to Jesus Christ, and did more in seven years towards the setting up of
the kingdom of God among men than the prophets of the Old Testament had
done in twice so many ages. Secondly, That it was much facilitated, especially among the Jews, to whom they were first
sent, by the writings of the prophets. The prophets sowed in
tears, crying out, We have laboured in vain; the apostles reaped in joy, saying, Thanks be to God, who always causeth
us to triumph. Note, From the labours of ministers that are dead
and gone much good fruit may be reaped by the people that survive them and the ministers that succeed them. John
Baptist, and those that assisted him, had laboured, and the
disciples of Christ entered into their labours, built upon their
foundation, and reaped the fruit of what they sowed. See what reason we
have to bless God for those that are gone before us, for their
preaching and their writing, for what they did and suffered in their day, for we are entered into their
labours; their studies and services have made our work the easier.
And when the ancient and modern labourers, those that came into the
vineyard at the third hour and those that came in at the eleventh, meet
in the day of account, they will be so far from envying one another the
honour of their respective services that both they that sowed and they that reaped shall rejoice together; and the great Lord
of thee harvest shall have the glory of all.
IV. The good effect which this visit Christ made to the
Samaritans ( en passant ) had upon them, and the fruit which was
now presently gathered among them, v. 39-42 .
See what impressions were made on them,
1. By the woman's testimony concerning Christ; though a
single testimony, and of one of no good report, and the testimony no
more than this, He told me all that ever I did, yet it had a
good influence upon many. One would have thought that his telling the
woman of her secret sins would have made them afraid of coming to him,
lest he should tell them also of their faults; but they will venture
that rather than not be acquainted with one who they had reason to
think was a prophet. And two things they were brought to:--
(1.) To credit Christ's word ( v. 39 ): Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying
of the woman. So far they believed on him that they took him
for a prophet, and were desirous to know the mind of God from
him; this is favourably interpreted as believing on him. Now observe,
[1.] Who they were that believed: Many of the Samaritans, who
were not of the house of Israel. Their faith was not only an aggravation of the unbelief of the Jews, from whom better
might have been expected, but an earnest of the faith of
the Gentiles, who would welcome that which the Jews rejected.
[2.] Upon what inducement they believed: For the saying of the
woman. See here, First, How God is sometimes pleased to use
very weak and unlikely instruments for the beginning and carrying on of
a good work. A little maid directed a great prince to Elisha, 2 Kings v. 2 . Secondly, How great a matter a little fire kindles. Our Saviour,
by instructing one poor woman, spread instruction to a whole town. Let
not ministers be either careless in their preaching, or discouraged in it, because their hearers are few and mean; for, by doing good to them, good may be conveyed to more, and those that are more considerable. If they teach
every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, a great
number may learn at second hand. Philip preached the gospel to a
single gentleman in his chariot upon the road, and he not only received
it himself, but carried it into his country, and propagated it there. Thirdly, See how good it is to speak experimentally of
Christ and the things of God. This woman could say little of Christ,
but what she did say she spoke feelingly: He told me all that ever I
did. Those are most likely to do good that can tell what God has
done for their souls, Ps. lxvi. 16 .
(2.) They were brought to court his stay among them
( v. 40 ):
When they were come to him they besought him that he would tarry
with them. Upon the woman's report, they believed him to be a
prophet, and came to him; and, when they saw him, the
meanness of his appearance and the manifest poverty of his outward
condition did not lessen their esteem of him and expectations from him,
but still they respected him as a prophet. Note, There is hope of those
who are got over the vulgar prejudices that men have against true
worth in a low estate. Blessed are they that are not
offended in Christ at the first sight. So far were they from
being offended in him that they begged he would tarry with them;
[1.] That they might testify their respect to him, and treat him
with the honour and kindness due to his character. God's prophets and
ministers are welcome guests to all those who sincerely embrace the
gospel; as to Lydia, Acts xvi. 15 .
[2.] That they might receive instruction from him. Those that are
taught of God are truly desirous to learn more, and to be better
acquainted with Christ. Many would have flocked to one that would tell
them their fortune, but these flocked to one that would tell
them their faults, tell them of their sin and duty. The
historian seems to lay an emphasis upon their being Samaritans; as Luke x. 33; xvii. 16 .
The Samaritans had not that reputation for religion which the Jews had;
yet the Jews, who saw Christ's miracles, drove him from them: while the
Samaritans, who saw not his miracles, nor shared in his favours,
invited him to them. The proof of the gospel's success is not
always according to the probability, nor what is experienced according to what is expected either way. The
Samaritans were taught by the custom of their country to be shy of
conversation with the Jews. There were Samaritans that refused to let
Christ go through their town
( Luke ix. 53 ),
but these begged him to tarry with them. Note, It adds much to the
praise of our love to Christ and his word if it conquers the prejudices
of education and custom, and sets light by the censures of men. Now we
are told that Christ granted their request.
First, He abode there. Though it was a city of the
Samaritans nearly adjoining to their temple, yet, when he was invited, he tarried there; though he was upon a journey,
and had further to go, yet, when he had an opportunity of doing good,
he abode there. That is no real hindrance which will further our account. Yet he abode there but two days, because he had other places to visit and other work to do, and those two days were as many as came to the share of this city, out of
the few days of our Saviour's sojourning upon earth.
Secondly, We are told what impressions were made upon them by
Christ's own word, and his personal converse with them
( v. 41, 42 );
what he said and did there is not related, whether he
healed their sick or no; but it is intimated, in the effect, that he
said and did that which convinced them that he was the Christ; and the
labours of a minister are best told by the good fruit of them. Their
hearing of him had a good effect, but now their eyes saw
him; and the effect was,
1. That their number grew
( v. 41 ): Many more believed: many that would not be persuaded to go out
of the town to him were yet wrought upon, when he came among them, to
believe in him. Note, It is comfortable to see the number of believers;
and sometimes the zeal and forwardness of some may be a means to
provoke many, and to stir them up to a holy emulation, Rom. xi. 14 .
2. That their faith grew. Those who had been wrought upon by the
report of the woman now saw cause to say, Now we believe, not
because of thy saying, v. 42 .
Here are three things in which their faith grew: --
(1.) In the matter of it, or that which they did believe. Upon the
testimony of the woman, they believed him to be a prophet, or
some extraordinary messenger from heaven; but now that they have
conversed with him they believe that he is the Christ, the Anointed One, the very same that was promised to the fathers and
expected by them, and that, being the Christ, he is the Saviour of the world; for the work to which he was anointed was
to save his people from their sins. They believed him to be the
Saviour not only of the Jews, but of the world, which they hoped
would take them in, though Samaritans, for it was promised that he
should be Salvation to the ends of the earth, Isa. xlix. 6 .
(2.) In the certainty of it; their faith now grew up to a full
assurance: We know that this is indeed the Christ; alethos -- truly; not a pretended Christ, but a real
one; not a typical Saviour, as many under the Old Testament, but truly one. Such an assurance as this of divine truths is what we
should labour after; not only, We think it probable, and are willing to
suppose that Jesus may be the Christ, but, We know that
he is indeed the Christ. (3.) In the ground of it, which was a kind of spiritual
sensation and experience: Now we believe, not because of thy saying,
for we have heard him ourselves. They had before believed for
her saying, and it was well, it was a good step; but now they find further and much firmer footing for their faith: " Now
we believe because we have heard him ourselves, and have
heard such excellent and divine truths, accompanied with such
commanding power and evidence, that we are abundantly satisfied and
assured that this is the Christ. " This is like what the queen of
Sheba said of Solomon
( 1 Kings x. 6, 7 ):
The one half was not told me. The Samaritans, who believed for
the woman's saying, now gained further light; for to him that hath
shall be given; he that is faithful in a little shall be trusted
with more. In this instance we may see how faith comes by
hearing. [1.] Faith comes to the birth by hearing the report of
men. These Samaritans, for the sake of the woman's saying, believed
so far as to come and see, to come and make trial. Thus the
instructions of parents and preachers, and the testimony of the church
and our experienced neighbours, recommend the doctrine of Christ to our acquaintance, and incline us to entertain it as highly
probable. But,
[2.] Faith comes to its growth, strength, and maturity, by
hearing the testimony of Christ himself; and this goes further, and
recommends his doctrine to our acceptance, and obliges us to
believe it as undoubtedly certain. We were induced to look into the
scriptures by the saying of those who told us that in them they
had found eternal life; but when we ourselves have found it in them
too, have experienced the enlightening, convincing, regenerating,
sanctifying, comforting, power of the word, now we believe, not for
their saying, but because we have searched them ourselves: and our
faith stands not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God, 1 Cor. ii. 5; 1 John v. 9, 10 .
43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into
Galilee.
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour
in his own country.
45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilæans received
him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the
feast: for they also went unto the feast.
46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the
water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick
at Capernaum.
47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judæa into
Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come
down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders,
ye will not believe.
49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child
die.
50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the
man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went
his way.
51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.
52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.
And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever
left him.
53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the
which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed,
and his whole house.
54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he
was come out of Judæa into Galilee.
I. Christ's coming into Galilee, v. 43 .
Though he was as welcome among the Samaritans as he could be any where,
and had better success, yet after two days he left them, not so
much because they were Samaritans, and he would not confirm those in
their prejudices against him who said, He is a Samaritan ( ch. viii. 48 ),
but because he must preach to other cities, Luke iv. 43 . He went into Galilee, for there he spent much of his time. Now
see here,
1. Whither Christ went; into Galilee, into the country of Galilee, but
not to Nazareth, which was strictly his own country. He went
among the villages, but declined going to Nazareth, the head city, for
a reason here given, which Jesus himself testified, who knew the
temper of his countrymen, the hearts of all men, and the experiences of
all prophets, and it is this, That a prophet has no honour in his
own country. Note,
(1.) Prophets ought to have honour, because God has put honour upon
them and we do or may receive benefit by them.
(2.) The honour due to the Lord's prophets has very often been denied
them, and contempt put upon them.
(3.) This due honour is more frequently denied them in their
own country; see Luke iv. 24; Matt. xiii. 57 .
Not that it is universally true (no rule but has some exceptions), but
it holds for the most part. Joseph, when he began to be a prophet, was
most hated by his brethren; David was disdained by his brother
( 1 Sam. xvii. 28 );
Jeremiah was maligned by the men of Anathoth
( Jer. xi. 21 ),
Paul by his countrymen the Jews; and Christ's near kinsmen spoke most
slightly of him, ch. vii. 5 .
Men's pride and envy make them scorn to be instructed by those who once
were their school-fellows and play-fellows. Desire of novelty, and of
that which is far-fetched and dear-bought, and seems to drop out of the
sky to them, makes them despise those persons and things which they
have been long used to and know the rise of.
(4.) It is a great discouragement to a minister to go among a people
who have no value for him or his labours. Christ would not go to
Nazareth, because he knew how little respect he should have there.
(5.) It is just with God to deny his gospel to those that despise the
ministers of it. They that mock the messengers forfeit the benefit of
the message. Matt. xxi. 35, 41 .
2. What entertainment he met with among the Galileans in the country
( v. 45 ):
They received him, bade him welcome, and cheerfully attended on
his doctrine. Christ and his gospel are not sent in vain; if they have
not honour with some, they shall have with others. Now
the reason given why these Galileans were so ready to receive Christ is
because they had seen the miracles he did at Jerusalem, v. 45 .
Observe,
(1.) They went up to Jerusalem at the feast, the feast of the passover.
The Galileans lay very remote from Jerusalem, and their way thither lay
through the country of the Samaritans, which was troublesome for a Jew
to pass through, worse than Baca's valley of old; yet, in obedience to
God's command, they went up to the feast, and there they became
acquainted with Christ. Note, They that are diligent and constant in
attending on public ordinances some time or other meet with more
spiritual benefit than they expect.
(2.) At Jerusalem they saw Christ's miracles, which recommended
him and his doctrine very much to their faith and affections. The
miracles were wrought for the benefit of those at Jerusalem; yet the
Galileans who were accidentally there got more advantage by them than
they did for whom they were chiefly designed. Thus the word preached
to a mixed multitude may perhaps edify occasional hearers
more than the constant auditory.
3. What city he went to. When he would go to a city, he chose to go to
Cana of Galilee, where he had made the water wine ( v. 46 );
thither he went, to see if there were any good fruits of that miracle
remaining; and, if there were, to confirm their faith, and water what
he had planted. The evangelist mentions this miracle here to teach us
to keep in remembrance what we have seen of the works of
Christ.
II. His curing the nobleman's son that was sick of a
fever. This story is not recorded by any other of the evangelists; it
comes in Matt. iv. 23 .
Observe,
1. Who the petitioner was, and who the patient: the
petitioner was a nobleman; the patient was his son: There was
a certain nobleman. Regulus (so the Latin), a little king; so called, either for the largeness of his estate, or the extent of his
power, or the royalties that belonged to his manor. Some understand it
as denoting his preferment --he was a courtier in some office
about the king; others as denoting his party --he was an
Herodian, a royalist, a prerogative-man, one that espoused the
interests of the Herods, father and son; perhaps it was Chuza, Herod's
steward
( Luke viii. 3 ),
or Manæn, Herod's foster-brother, Acts xiii. 1 .
There were saints in Cæsar's household. The father a nobleman,
and yet the son sick; for dignities and titles of honour will be no
security to persons and families from the assaults of sickness and
death. It was fifteen miles from Capernaum where this nobleman lived to
Cana, where Christ now was; yet this affliction in his family sent him
so far to Christ.
2. How the petitioner made his application to the physician.
Having heard that Jesus was come out of Judea to Galilee, and
finding that he did not come towards Capernaum, but turned off towards
the other side of the country, he went to him himself, and besought him to come and heal his son, v. 47 .
See here,
(1.) His tender affection to his son, that when he was sick he
would spare no pains to get help for him.
(2.) His great respect to our Lord Jesus, that he would come
himself to wait upon him, when he might have sent a servant; and that
he besought him, when, as a man in authority, some would think
he might have ordered his attendance. The greatest men, when they come
to God, must become beggars, and sue sub forma pauperis--as
paupers. As to the errand he came upon, we may observe a mixture in his faith. [1.] There was sincerity in it; he did believe that Christ could
heal his son, though his disease was dangerous. It is probable he had
physicians to him, who had given him over; but he believed that Christ
could cure him when the case seemed deplorable.
[2.] Yet there was infirmity in his faith; he believed that
Christ could heal his son, but, as it should seem, he thought he could
not heal him at a distance, and therefore he besought him that he would come down and heal him, expecting, as Naaman did, that he would
come and strike his hand over the patient, as if he could not
cure him but by a physical contact. Thus we are apt to limit
the Holy One of Israel, and to stint him to our forms. The
centurion, a Gentile, a soldier, was so strong in faith as to say, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, Matt. viii. 8 .
This nobleman, a Jew, must have Christ to come down, though it was a
good day's journey, and despairs of a cure unless he come down, as if
he must teach Christ how to work. We are encouraged to pray, but
we are not allowed to prescribe: Lord, heal me; but, whether with a
word or a touch, thy will be done.
3. The gentle rebuke he met with in this address
( v. 48 ): Jesus said to him, "I see how it is; except you see signs and
wonders, you will not believe, as the Samaritans did, though they
saw no signs and wonders, and therefore I must work miracles among
you." Though he was a nobleman, and now in grief about
his son, and had shown great respect to Christ in coming so far to him,
yet Christ gives him a reproof. Men's dignity in the world shall not
exempt them from the rebukes of the word or providence; for Christ
reproves not after the hearing of his ears, but with
equity, Isa. xi. 3, 4 .
Observe, Christ first shows him his sin and weakness, to prepare him
for mercy, and then grants his request. Those whom Christ intends to
honour with his favours he first humbles with his frowns. The Comforter shall first convince. Herod
longed to see some miracle
( Luke xxiii. 8 ),
and this courtier was of the same mind, and the generality of the
people too. Now that which is blamed is,
(1.) That, whereas they had heard by credible and incontestable report
of the miracles he had wrought in other places, they would not believe
except they saw them with their own eyes, Luke iv. 23 .
They must be honoured, and they must be humoured, or they
will not be convinced. Their country must be graced, and their
curiosity gratified, with signs and wonders, or else, though the
doctrine of Christ be sufficiently proved by miracles wrought
elsewhere, they will not believe. Like Thomas, they will yield
to no method of conviction but what they shall prescribe.
(2.) That, whereas they had seen divers miracles, the evidence of which
they could not gainsay, but which sufficiently proved Christ to be a
teacher come from God, and should now have applied themselves to him
for instruction in his doctrine, which by its native excellency would
have gently led them on, in believing, to a spiritual
perfection, instead of this they would go no further in believing than
they were driven by signs and wonders. The spiritual power of the word did not affect them, did not attract them, but only the sensible power of miracles, which were for
those who believe not, while prophesying was for those
that believe, 1 Cor. xiv. 22 .
Those that admire miracles only, and despise prophesying, rank themselves with unbelievers.
4. His continued importunity in his address
( v. 49 ): Sir, come down ere my child die. Kyrie -- Lord; so it should be rendered. In this
reply of his we have,
(1.) Something that was commendable: he took the reproof patiently; he
spoke to Christ respectfully. Though he was one of those that wore soft
clothing, yet he could bear reproof. It is none of the privileges of
peerage to be above the reproofs of the word of Christ; but it is a
sign of a good temper and disposition in men, especially in great men,
when they can be told of their faults and not be angry. And, as he did
not take the reproof for an affront, so he did not take it for a
denial, but still prosecuted his request, and continued to wrestle till
he prevailed. Nay, he might argue thus: "If Christ heal my
soul, surely he will heal my son; if he cure my unbelief, he will cure his fever." This is the method Christ
takes, first to work upon us, and then to work for us;
and there is hope if we find him entering upon this method.
(2.) Something that was blameworthy, that was his infirmity; for,
[1.] He seems to take no notice of the reproof Christ gave him, says
nothing to it, by way either of confession or of excuse, for he is so
wholly taken up with concern about his child that he can mind nothing
else. Note, The sorrow of the world is a great prejudice to our
profiting by the word of Christ. Inordinate care and grief are thorns
that choke the good seed; see Exod. vi. 9 .
[2.] He still discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of
Christ. First, He must have Christ to come down, thinking that
else he could do the child no kindness. It is hard to persuade
ourselves that distance of time and place are no obstructions to the
knowledge and power of our Lord Jesus; yet so it is: he sees afar off,
for his word, the word of his power, runs very swiftly.
Secondly, He believes that Christ could heal a sick child,
but not that he could raise a dead child, and therefore, "O come down, ere my child die, " as if then it would be too late;
whereas Christ has the same power over death that he has over bodily
diseases. He forgot that Elijah and Elisha had raised dead children;
and is Christ's power inferior to theirs? Observe what haste he is in: Come down, ere my child die; as if there were danger of Christ's
slipping his time. He that believeth does not make haste, but
refers himself to Christ. "Lord, what and when and how thou pleasest."
5. The answer of peace which Christ gave to his request at last
( v. 50 ): Go thy way, thy son liveth. Christ here gives us an instance,
(1.) Of his power, that he not only could heal, but could heal
with so much ease, without the trouble of a visit. Here is nothing said, nothing done, nothing ordered to be done,
and yet the cure wrought: Thy son liveth. The healing beams of
the Sun of righteousness dispense benign influences from one end of
heaven to another, and there is nothing hid from the heat
thereof. Though Christ is now in heaven, and his church on earth,
he can send from above. This nobleman would have Christ come
down and heal his son; Christ will heal his son, and not come
down. And thus the cure is the sooner wrought, the nobleman's
mistake rectified, and his faith confirmed; so that the thing was
better done in Christ's way. When he denies what we ask, he gives what
is much more to our advantage; we ask for ease, he gives patience.
Observe, His power was exerted by his word. In saying, Thy son
lives, he showed that he has life in himself, and power to quicken whom he will. Christ's saying, Thy soul lives, makes it alive.
(2.) Of his pity; he observed the nobleman to be in pain about his son, and his natural affection discovered itself in that
word, Ere my child, my dear child, die; and therefore Christ
dropped the reproof, and gave him assurance of the recovery of his
child; for he knows how a father pities his children.
6. The nobleman's belief of the word of Christ: He believed, and went away. Though Christ did not gratify him so far as to go
down with him, he is satisfied with the method Christ took, and reckons
he has gained his point. How quickly, how easily, is that which is
lacking in our faith perfected by the word and power of Christ. Now he sees no sign or wonder, and yet believes the wonder done.
(1.) Christ said, Thy son liveth, and the man believed him; not only believed the omniscience of Christ, that he knew the child had recovered, but the omnipotence of Christ, that the cure
was effected by his word. He left him dying; yet, when
Christ said, He lives, like the father of the faithful, against hope he believed in hope, and staggered not through
unbelief. (2.) Christ said, Go thy way; and, as an evidence of the
sincerity of his faith, he went his way, and gave neither Christ
nor himself any further disturbance. He did not press Christ to come
down, did not say, "If he do recover, yet a visit will be acceptable;"
no, he seems no further solicitous, but, like Hannah, he goes his way,
and his countenance is no more sad. As one entirely satisfied,
he made no great haste home; did not hurry home that night, but
returned leisurely, as one that was perfectly easy in his own mind.
7. The further confirmation of his faith, by comparing notes with his
servants at his return.
(1.) His servants met him with the agreeable news of the child's
recovery, v. 51 .
Probably they met him not far from his own house, and, knowing what
their master's cares were, they were willing as soon as they could to
make him easy. David's servants were loth to tell him when the child
was dead. Christ said, Thy son liveth; and now the servants say
the same. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word.
(2.) He enquired what hour the child began to recover
( v. 52 );
not as if he doubted the influence of Christ's word upon the child's
recovery, but he was desirous to have his faith confirmed, that he
might be able to satisfy any to whom he should mention the miracle; for
it was a material circumstance. Note,
[1.] It is good to furnish ourselves with all the corroborating proofs
and evidences that may be, to strengthen our faith in the word of
Christ, that it may grow up to a full assurance. Show me a token
for good. [2.] The diligent comparison of the works of Christ with his word will
be of great use to us for the confirming of our faith. This was the
course the nobleman took: He enquired of the servants the hour when
he began to amend; and they told him, Yesterday at the seventh
hour (at one o'clock in the afternoon, or, as some think this
evangelist reckons, at seven o'clock at night) the fever left
him; not only he began to amend, but he was perfectly well on a
sudden; so the father knew that it was at the same hour when
Jesus said to him, Thy son liveth. As the word of God,
well-studied, will help us to understand his providences, so the
providence of God, well observed, will help us to understand his word;
for God is every day fulfilling the scripture. Two things would
help to confirm his faith:-- First, That the child's recovery was sudden and not gradual. They name the precise time to an
hour: Yesterday, not about, but at the seventh
hour, the fever left him; not it abated, or began to decrease, but it left him in an instant. The word of
Christ did not work like physic, which must have time to operate, and
produce the effect, and perhaps cures by expectation only; no,
with Christ it was dictum factum--he spoke and it was done; not, He spoke and it was set a doing. Secondly, That it was just
at the same time that Christ spoke to him: at that very hour. The synchronisms and coincidents of events add very much to the beauty
and harmony of Providence. Observe the time, and the thing itself will be more illustrious, for every thing is
beautiful in its time; at the very time when it is promised, as Israel's deliverance
( Exod. xii. 41 );
at the very time when it is prayed for, as Peter's deliverance, Acts xii. 12 .
In men's works, distance of place is the delay of time and the
retarding of business; but it is not so in the works of Christ. The
pardon, and peace, and comfort, and spiritual healing, which he speaks
in heaven, are, if he pleases, at the same time effected and wrought in
the souls of believers; and, when these two come to be compared in the great day, Christ will be glorified in his saints, and
admired in all them that believe.
8. The happy effect and issue of this. The bringing of the cure
to the family brought salvation to it.
(1.) The nobleman himself believed. He had before believed the word of Christ, with reference to this particular
occasion; but now he believed in Christ as the Messiah promised,
and became one of his disciples. Thus the particular experience
of the power and efficacy of one word of Christ may be a happy
means to introduce and settle the whole authority of Christ's dominion
in the soul. Christ has many ways of gaining the heart, and by the
grant of a temporal mercy may make way for better things.
(2.) His whole house believed likewise.
[1.] Because of the interest they all had in the miracle, which
preserved the blossom and hopes of the family; this
affected them all, and endeared Christ to them, and recommended him to
their best thoughts.
[2.] Because of the influence the master of the family had upon
them all. A master of a family cannot give faith to those under
his charge, nor force them to believe, but he may be
instrumental to remove external prejudices, which obstruct the
operation of the evidence, and then the work is more than half done. Abraham was famous for this
( Gen. xviii. 19 ),
and Joshua, ch. xxiv. 15 .
This was a nobleman, and probably he had a great
household; but, when he comes into Christ's school, he brings them
all along with him. What a blessed change was here in this house,
occasioned by the sickness of the child! This should reconcile us to
afflictions; we know not what good may follow from them. Probably, the
conversion of this nobleman and his family at Capernaum might
induce Christ to come afterwards, and settle at Capernaum, as his
head-quarters in Galilee. When great men receive the gospel, they may
be instrumental to bring it to the places where they live.
9. Here is the evangelist's remark upon this cure
( v. 54 ); This is the second miracle, referring to ch. ii. 11 ,
where the turning of water into wine is said to be the first; that was
soon after his first return out of Judea, this soon after his second.
In Judea he had wrought many miracles, ch. iii. 2; iv. 45 .
They had the first offer; but, being driven thence, he wrought miracles
in Galilee. Somewhere or other Christ will find a welcome. People may,
if they please, shut the sun out of their own houses, but they
cannot shut it out of the world. This is noted to be the second miracle,
1. To remind us of the first, wrought in the same place some months
before. Fresh mercies should revive the remembrance of former
mercies, as former mercies should encourage our hopes of further
mercies. Christ keeps account of his favours, whether we do or no.
2. To let us know that this cure was before those many
cures which the other evangelists mention to be wrought in Galilee, Matt. iv. 23;
Mark i. 34; Luke iv. 40 .
Probably, the patient being a person of quality, the cure was the more
talked of and sent him crowds of patients; when this nobleman applied
himself to Christ, multitudes followed. What abundance of good may
great men do, if they be good men!
Ver. 1. When therefore our Lord knew,.... Or Jesus, as some copies, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read; who is Lord of all, Lord of lords, the one and only Lord of saints: and who knew all things as God; every man, and what is in man; who would believe in him, and who not, and who would betray him; he knew his adversaries, what they thought, said, or did; what was told them, and how it operated in them; and what were the secret motions of their hearts, and their most private counsels and designs; for this is not merely to be understood of his knowledge as man, which he might have by private intelligence from others; though what is here said, might be true also in this sense:
how the Pharisees; the inveterate and implacable enemies of Christ, and particularly those that dwelt at Jerusalem, and were of the great sanhedrim, or council of the nation:
had heard; either by their spies, which they constantly kept about Christ; or by John s disciples, who, through envy, might apply to the sanhedrim, to put a stop to, or check upon the baptism and ministry of Christ; or by common fame:
that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John; see Joh 3:26. The method Christ took was, he first made men disciples, and then baptized them; and the same he directed his apostles to, saying, "go and teach", or "disciple all nations, baptizing them", &c. And this should be a rule of conduct to us, to baptize only such, who appear to have been made the disciples of Christ: now a disciple of Christ, is one that has learned of Christ, and has learned Christ; the way of life, righteousness, and salvation by him; who is a believer in him; who has seen a beauty, glory, fulness, and suitableness in him, as a Saviour; and is come to him, and has ventured on him, and trusted in him; and who has been taught to deny himself, sinful self, and righteous self; to part with his sins, and to renounce his own righteousness, and all dependence on it, for justification before God; and who has been made willing to leave and forsake all worldly things and advantages, and to bear all reproach, indignities, and persecutions, for Christ's sake: and such who are Christ's disciples in this sense, are the only proper persons to be baptized; these are they, that ought to put on this badge, and wear Christ's livery: nor can baptism be of any use to any others; for such only are baptized into him, and into his death, and partake of the saving benefits of it; for whatsoever is not of faith, is sin; and without it also, it is impossible to please God.
John 4:2
Ver. 2. Though Jesus himself baptized not,.... And therefore as Nonnus observes, it was a false report that was made to the Pharisees; at least in part, so far as concerns the act of baptizing: though it may be this is observed, not so much to show the falsehood of that report, as to correct what is said of Christ's baptizing; lest it should be understood, as if he baptized in his own person; whereas he did not, that not so, well comporting with his greatness and majesty: wherefore "the king did not baptize in water", as Nonnus expresses it, but left that for his disciples and servants to do; he had other and greater work to perform, as to preach the Gospel, and work miracles, heal diseases, cast out devils, &c. And besides, had another sort of baptism, of a more excellent nature to administer, namely, the baptism of the Spirit; and since water baptism is administered in his name, as well as in the name of the Father and of the Spirit, it does not seem that it would have been administered with that propriety by himself, in his own name; add to which, as is also observed by others, it might have occasioned contentions and disputes among the baptized, had some, been baptized by Christ, and others by his disciples; the one valuing themselves on that account, above the others. The Persic version indeed suggests, as if both Christ and his disciples baptized, rendering the words thus, "Jesus was not alone who baptized, but the disciples also baptized": whereas the truth of the matter is, that Christ did not baptize in water at all:
but his disciples; they baptized in his name, and by his orders, such who were first made disciples by him.
John 4:3
Ver. 3. He left ,.... Where he had been for some time: at the feast of the passover he went up to Jerusalem, and after a short stay there, he came into the country part of Judea, where he tarried longer; and in both about the space of eight months; for it was now but four months to harvest, which began at the passover; see Joh 2:13. And now upon thee Pharisees being made acquainted with his success in these parts, he leaves them; not through fear of them, but because he would not irritate and provoke them, and stir up their malice and envy against him, which might put them upon measures to seek to take away his life; whereas his time was not yet come, and he had other work to do elsewhere:
and departed again into Galilee; where he had spent the greatest part of his time, in private life; from whence he came to Jordan unto John to be baptized by him; and after that went thither again, where he wrought his first miracle: and now having been in Judea some time, he removes to Galilee again; and of this journey of his thither, after the imprisonment of John, an account is given, in Mt 4:12. The Persic version leaves out the word "again", and so do the Alexandrian copy, and many copies; but is by others retained, and very justly.
John 4:4
Ver. 4. And he must needs go through . Not the city, but the country of Samaria; for the way to Galilee from Judea, lay through the midst of Samaria; nor was there any other way, without going a great way about; see Lu 9:51; and which is also confirmed by Josephus {c}: and this accounts for his going through Samaria, consistently with his forbidding his apostles going in the way of the Gentiles, or into any of the cities of the Samaritans; since here was a necessity for it, or otherwise he himself would not have gone, where he forbid his disciples; though the prohibition may be understood, not of barely going into a Samaritan city; for it was lawful for them, notwithstanding that, to go into one of them, as appears from Joh 4:8; but of going to preach there,
Mt 10:5. And besides this necessity, there was another thing that lay upon him, and obliged him to take this tour, and that is, the calling and conversion of a certain woman, and other Samaritans, whom the Father had given to him, and he was to redeem by his blood; and the time of whose effectual calling was now come; and therefore he must needs go this way, and at this particular time. The Arabic and Persic versions represent it, as a purpose and determination in his mind to go this way.
{c} Antiqu. Jud. 50:20. c 5. & in vita sua, p. 1019.
John 4:5
Ver. 5. Then cometh he to a city of , which is called Sychar,.... Now called Neapolis {d}; the same with "Sichem", or "Shechem", as appears from its situation,
near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; see
Ge 33:18; and is either the same, only its termination is changed from "em" into "ar", as Achan into Achar, 1Ch 2:7. Or it is a new name that was given it, and by which it went in the time of Christ; and might be so called, either from
rkwo, "Socher", which signifies a grave; because here, Joseph and the rest of the patriarchs were buried, Jos 24:32. Or rather, it was a name of reproach, and so called, from rkv, "drunken"; since the Ephraimites, the posterity of Joseph, which dwelt in these parts, were infamous for the sin of drunkenness; see
Isa 28:1. Hence "Sychar Sichem", is "drunken Sichem"; mention is made in the Talmud {e}, of a place called arkyo, "Sichra". The "parcel of ground", or of a "field", as in Ge 33:19, is in the Persic version, called "a vineyard"; and so Nonnus renders it, "a field planted with vines"; and which may serve to confirm the above conjecture, concerning "Sychar" being a nickname.
{d} Hieron. Epitaph. Paulae, Tom. fol. 59. & R. Benjamin Itin. p. 38. {e} T. Bab. Bava Metzia, foi. 42. 1. & 83. 1. & Cholin, fol. 94.
John 4:6
Ver. 6. Now Jacob's well was there,.... So called, either because it was dug by him; or because he and his family made use of it, when in those parts, as in Joh 4:12, though no mention is made of it elsewhere, unless any reference is had to it in the blessing of Joseph, to whom this place belonged, Ge 49:22, as Dr. Lightfoot thinks, or in De 33:28, as Grotius suggests: in the Talmud {f} there is mention made, of rkwo Nye, "the fountain of Sochar"; and may not improperly be rendered, "the well of Sychar": but whether the same with this, is not certain; that appears to be a great way from Jerusalem, as this also was, even forty miles:
Jesus therefore being wearied with his journey; having travelled on foot, from Judea thither; and he having a body like to ours, subject to weariness, and which proves the truth and reality of it, was greatly fatigued; having very probably travelled all that morning, if not a day, or days before:
sat thus on the well; or by it; by the side of it, upon the brink of it, as Nonnus paraphrases it, upon the bare ground. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out "thus"; and the Ethiopic version reads it, "there"; but it is rightly retained, and is emphatical; and signifies, that he sat like a weary person, glad to set himself down any where; and not caring how, or where, he sat to rest his weary limbs:
and it was about the sixth hour; about twelve o'clock at noon. The Ethiopic version adds by way of explanation, and "it was then noon"; and all the Oriental versions omit wsei, "about"; rendering it, "it was the sixth hour": and now Christ had been travelling all the morning, and it was a time of day to take some refreshment, which as yet he had not, the disciples being gone to buy food; and a time of day also, when the sun if out, and has any strength, beats with its greatest vehemence; and all which considered, it is no wonder that he should be weary, faint, and thirsty.
{f} T. Hieron. Shekalim, fol. 48. 4. T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 82. 2. & Menachot, fol. 64. 2. & Gloss. in Sanhedrin, fol. 11. 2.
John 4:7
Ver. 7. There cometh a woman of ,.... Or "out of Samaria"; not out of the city of Samaria, but out of the country of Samaria; out of Sychar, a city of Samaria: her coming was not by chance, but by the providence of God, and agreeably to his purpose, who orders all things according to the counsel of his will; and it is an amazing instance of grace, that a woman, a Samaritan woman, a lewd and infamous one, should be a chosen vessel of salvation, should be the object of divine favour, and be effectually called by the grace of God; when so many wise, learned, and religious men in Judea, were passed by; and not only so, but she was the happy means of conveying the knowledge of the Saviour to many of her neighbours: she came, indeed,
to draw water; for her present temporal use and service; she little thought of meeting at Jacob's well, with Christ the fountain of gardens, and well of living water; she came for natural water, having no notion of water in a spiritual sense: or of carrying back with her the water of life, even a well of it, springing up to everlasting life:
Jesus saith unto her, give me to drink; that is, water to drink, out of the pot or pitcher, she brought with her, for he was athirst; which is another proof of the truth of his human nature, and of his taking it, with the sinless infirmities of it: though indeed this request was made, to introduce a discourse with the woman, he having a more violent thirst, and a stronger desire, after the welfare of her immortal soul.
John 4:8
Ver. 8. For his disciples were gone away,.... This is related, not so much to give a reason why Christ asked the woman for water, because his disciples were not present, to minister to him; but rather to show, that Christ took the opportunity, in their absence, to converse with her; partly to avoid the scandal and offence they might take, at his conversation with her, being a Samaritan; as it appears to have been astonishing to them, when they found him talking with her, Joh 4:27. And partly, that he might not put the woman to shame and blushing before them all; he chooses to tell her of the sins of her former life, in a private way. The disciples were gone
unto the city: to the city Sychar, which was hard by; and their business there, was
to buy meat: for though it is said, in the following verse, that the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans; yet this is not to be understood in the strictest sense; for they had dealings with them in some respects, as will be seen hereafter; particularly their food, eatables, and drinkables, were lawful to be bought of them, and used: it is said by R. Juda bar Pazi, in the name of R. Ame {g},
"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,''
for these were forbidden: hence it is often said {h}, that
"the unleavened bread of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), is lawful, and that a man is allowed the use of it at the passover.''
And there was a time when their wine was lawful; for one of their canons runs thus {i};
"he that buys wine of the Cuthites (Samaritans), says, the two logs that I shall separate, lo, they are first fruits, &c.''
It is indeed said in one place, R. Eliezer {k}
"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.''
Upon which the commentators serve {l}, that this is not to be understood strictly; cause he that eats bread of the Samaritans, does deserve stripes according to the law, but according to the constitutions of the wise men; but these, Christ and his disciples had no regard to.
{g} T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. {h} T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 10. 1. & Cholin, fol. 4. 1. & Kiddushin, fol. 76. 1. {i} Misn. Demai, c. 7. sect. 4. Vid. Bartenora in ib. {k} Misna Sheviith, c. 8. sect. 10. Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. {l} Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. ib.
John 4:9
Ver. 9. Then saith the woman of unto him,.... In a scoffing, jeering way,
how is it, that thou being a Jew; which she might know, by his language and his dress:
askest drink of me, which am a woman of ? not that the waters of Samaria were unlawful for a Jew to drink of; for as
"the land of the Cuthites (or Samaritans), was pure, or clean, so, hytwqm, "their collections of water", and their habitations, and their ways were clean {m},''
and might be used; but because the Jews used no familiarity with the Samaritans, nor would they receive any courtesy or kindness from them, as follows:
for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans: some take these to be the words of the evangelist, commenting upon, and explaining the words of the woman; but they seem rather to be her own words, giving a reason why she returned such an answer; and which must be understood, not in the strictest sense, as if they had no dealings at all with them: indeed in some things they had no dealings with them, and at some certain times; hence that discourse of the Samaritans with a Jewish Rabbi {n}.
"The Cuthites (or Samaritans) inquired of R. Abhu, your fathers, Nyqptom wyh, "used to deal with us" (or minister to us, or supply us with necessaries), wherefore do not ye deal with us? (or take a supply from us;) he replied unto them, your fathers did not corrupt their works, you have corrupted your works.''
They might not use their wine and vinegar, nor admit them to their tables; they say of a man {o},
"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.''
And they forbid a man to enter into partnership with a Cuthite (or Samaritan {p}): and particularly,
"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 {q} &c.''
But then at other times, and in other respects, they had dealings with them; they might go into their cities and buy food of them, as the disciples did, Joh 4:8; they might send their wheat to a Samaritan miller, to be ground {r}; and as it appears from the above citations, their houses and habitations were clean, and might be lodged in, with which compare Lu 9:52; the poor of the Samaritans were maintained with the poor of Israel {s}; wherefore the sense is, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, that the Jews refused to receive the least favour or kindness at the hand of a Samaritan; and therefore the woman might justly wonder, that Christ should ask so small a favour of her, as a little water. The reason of this distance and aversion, was religion; and so the Ethiopic version, rather paraphrasing than translating, renders the words, "the Jews do not agree in religion, nor do they communicate with the Samaritans, nor mix together": and this was of long standing, and had been occasioned and increased by various incidents; for when the ten tribes revolted in Jeroboam's time, the calves were set up in Dan and Bethel, in order to draw off the people from worship at Jerusalem, which gave great umbrage to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; and when the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, he planted the cities of Samaria with colonies in their room, consisting of Heathenish and idolatrous persons, brought from Babylon, and other places; to whom he sent a priest, to instruct them in the manner of the God of the land; but with these instructions, they still retained their idols, and their idolatrous practices; see 2Ki 17:24, which must render them odious to the Jews: and these were the principal adversaries of the Jews, after their return from captivity; and discouraged them, and weakened their hands, in the building of the second temple: but what latest, and most of all had fixed this aversion and enmity, was this; Manasseh, brother to Jaddua the high priest, having married Sanballat's daughter, governor of Samaria, was for it removed from the priesthood; who applying to his father-in-law, he proposed building for him a temple on Mount Gerizim, and making him an high priest; for which he obtained leave of Alexander the Great, and accordingly built one, and made his son-in-law high priest; which drew a great many profligate Jews over to him, who mixing with the Samaritans, set up a worship, religion, and priesthood, in distinction from the Jews; and this was ever after a matter of contention and quarrel between these people, and the reason why they would have no dealings with them.
{m} T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. {n} Ib. {o} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 104. 1. {p} T. Bab. Becorot, fol. 7. 2. Piske Toseph. ib. art. 4. & in Megilla, art 102. {q} Misna Avoda Zara, c. 1. sect. 1. {r} Misua Demai, c. 3. sect. 4. {s} Piske Tosephot Yoma, art. 63.
John 4:10
Ver. 10. Jesus answered and said unto her,.... In a very serious manner, in a different way from hers:
if thou knewest the gift of God; meaning, not the Holy Spirit with his gifts and graces, as some think, but himself; for the following clause is explanatory of it;
and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; and Christ is also spoken of in the Old Testament, as the gift of God, Isa 9:6 and he had lately spoken of himself as such, Joh 3:16 and he is, by way of eminency, "the gift of God"; which is comprehensive of all others, is exceeding large, and very suitable to the wants and cases of men; and is irrevocable, unchangeable, and unspeakable: for he is God's gift, as he is his own and only begotten Son; and he is given for a covenant to the people, with all the promises and blessings of it; and as an head, both of eminence and influence; and to be a Saviour of them, and a sacrifice for their sins; and as the bread of life, for them to feed and live upon; of which gift, men are naturally ignorant, as this woman was: they know not the dignity of his person; nor the nature and usefulness of his offices; nor the way of peace, righteousness, and salvation by him; nor do they see any amiableness, or loveliness in him; and whatever notional knowledge some natural men may have of him, they know him not spiritually and experimentally, or as the gift of God to them:
thou wouldst have asked of him; a favour and benefit; for such who truly know Christ, the worth and value of him, and their need of him, will apply to him for grace, as they have encouragement to do; since all grace is treasured up in him, and he gives it freely, and upbraideth not; and souls are invited to ask it of him, and take it freely; nor is it to be had anywhere else: but knowledge of Christ, is absolutely necessary, to asking anything of him; for till he is known, he will not be applied to; but when he is made known to any, in his fulness and suitableness, they will have recourse to him, and ask grace and mercy of him; and which is freely had: the Vulgate Latin very wrongly adds, "perhaps"; reading it, "perhaps thou wouldst have asked"; whereas our Lord's meaning is, that she would certainly have asked:
and he would have given thee living water; pardoning and justifying grace, every branch of sanctifying grace, and all the supplies of it; so called, because his grace quickens sinners dead in sin, and dead in law, and in, their own apprehensions; and causes them to live in themselves, and before God; and because it refreshes and comforts, revives and cheers, and is like rivers of water in a dry land; and because it maintains and supports spiritual life in their souls; and it ever abides, and continues, and springs up unto everlasting life: for the allusion is to spring water, that bubbles up in a fountain, and is ever running; for such water the Jews call "living water"; see Ge 26:19; where in the Hebrew text it is "living water"; which we, and also the Chaldee paraphrase, render "springing water". So living waters with them, are said to be always flowing, and never cease {t}.
{t} Bartenora in Misn. Negaim, c. 14. sect. 1.
John 4:11
Ver. 11. The woman saith unto him, Sir,.... Which was an usual, way in those countries, of addressing men, and especially strangers; and expresses no uncommon respect to Christ, of whose dignity and greatness she was, entirely ignorant; and at whom she was now scoffing; for so the following words are to be understood:
thou hast nothing to draw with; no pail, or bucket, or rope, to let it down with, as Nonnus adds; for it seems, there was no bucket, or vessel, fastened at the well for the common use, but everyone brought one with them, when they came to draw: though it is strange there was not one; since, according to common usage, and even of the Jews {u},
"a public well had, lwq, "a bucket", or pitcher; but a private well had no bucket:''
and the well is deep; that which is now called Jacob's well, is by some said to be forty cubits deep, and by others thirty five yards:
from whence then hast thou that living water? this she said in a sneering, scoffing manner: she reasoned with him, either that he must have it out of this well; but that could not be, since he had no vessel to draw with, and the well was so deep, that he could not come at the water without one; or he must have it from some neighbouring spring; upon which she scoffs at him in the following manner.
{u} T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 20. 2.
John 4:12
Ver 12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob,.... A person of greater worth and character than he, who was content to drink of this water; or wiser and more knowing than he, who could find out no better fountain of water in all these parts? she calls Jacob the father of them, according to the common notion and boasting of these people, when it served their turn; otherwise they were not the descendants of Jacob; for after the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, he placed in their room, in the cities of Samaria, men from Babylon, Cuthah Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, Heathenish and idolatrous people; see 2Ki 17:24. And from these, the then Samaritans sprung; only upon Sanballat's building a temple on Mount Gerizzim, for Manasseh his son-in-law, when put away from the priesthood by the Jews, for his marriage of his daughter, several wicked persons of the like sort, came out of Judea, and joined themselves to the Samaritans: and such a mixed medley of people were they at this time, though they boasted of Jacob as their father, as this woman did; and so to this day, they draw their genealogy from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and particularly call Joseph their father, and say, from whence are we, but from the tribe of Joseph the just, from Ephraim {w}? as they formerly did {x};
"R. Meir saw a Samaritan, he said to him, from whence comest thou? (that is, from what family;) he answered, from the (tribe) of Joseph.''
Which gave us the well; Jacob gave it indeed to Joseph and his posterity, along with the parcel of ground in which it was; see Joh 4:5; but not to this mixed company:
and drank thereof himself and his children, and his cattle; which shows both the goodness and plenty of the water: though our Lord had spoken of living water, this woman understood him of no other water, but spring water; called living water, from its motion, because it is continually springing up, bubbling, and ever running: so carnal persons, when they hear of spiritual things under earthly metaphors, think of nothing but carnal things; as Nicodemus, when Christ talked of being born again; and the Jews at Capernaum, when he discoursed concerning eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; for spiritual things are neither known nor received by the natural man.
{w} Epist. Samar. ad Scaliger. in Antiqu. Eccl. Oriental. p. 123, 124, 126. {x} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 94. fol. 82. 1.
John 4:13
Ver. 13. Jesus answered and said unto her,.... In a mild and gentle manner, patiently bearing all her scoffs and flouts, and continuing to instruct and inform her, concerning this living water, showing the preferableness of it to all others:
whosoever drinketh of this water; meaning in that well called Jacob's well, or any other common water:
shall thirst again; as this woman had often done, and would again, as she herself knew, Joh 4:15, and as Jesus did, who very likely afterwards drank of it, Joh 19:28. For though water allays heat, quenches thirst, and refreshes and revives the spirits for a while, yet in process of time, natural heat increases, and thirst returns, and there is a necessity of drinking water again.
John 4:14
Ver. 14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him,.... Meaning, the Spirit and his grace; see Joh 7:38; and which he more than once speaks of, as his gift here, and in the context: of which, whoever truly partakes,
shall never thirst; either after sinful lusts and pleasures, and his former vicious way of living, which he now disrelishes: not but there are desires and lustings after carnal things in regenerate persons, as there were lustings in the Israelites, after the onions, garlic, and flesh pots in Egypt, when they were come out from thence; yet these are not so strong, prevalent, and predominant; they are checked and restrained by the grace of God; so that they do not hanker after sin as they did, nor drink up iniquity like water, or commit sin with greediness, as before: or else it means thirsting after the grace of God; thirsty persons are invited to take and drink of the water of life freely, and are pronounced blessed; and it is promised, that they shall be filled, or satisfied; yet not so in this life, that they shall never thirst or desire more; for as they need more grace, and it is promised them, they thirst after it, and desire it; and the more they taste and partake of it, the more they desire it: but the sense is, either as some read the words, "they shall not thirst for ever"; though they may for a time, and be in a distressed condition for want of a supply of it, yet they shall always; God will open rivers and fountains for them, and give drink to his people, his chosen; and the other state, they shall hunger and thirst no more; for the Lamb shall lead them to fountains of living waters: or rather, they shall never thirst, so as to be like the thirsty and parched earth, dried up, and have no moisture in them; for however this may seem sometimes to be their case, God will, and does, pour out water and floods upon them; yea, that grace which is infused into their souls, is an abundant and an abiding principle, which will preserve them from languishing, so as to perish:
but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water; which denotes the plenty of it; for the grace of God given at conversion is exceeding abundant, it superabounds all the aboundings of sin; it comes in large flows into the hearts of regenerate persons, and flows out of them, as rivers of living water: and which also abides, for it continues
springing up into everlasting life: it is a seed which remains, an immortal and never dying principle; it is inseparably connected with eternal life; it is the beginning of it, and it issues in it; whoever has grace, shall have glory; and whoever are called, sanctified, justified, and pardoned, shall be glorified: such is the nature, influence, and use of this living water, in Christ's gift: the words of the law are, in the Targum on So 4:15 compared to a well of living water.
John 4:15
Ver. 15. The woman saith unto him, Sir,....
See Gill on "Joh 4:11";
give me this water, that I thirst not. The Syriac and Persic versions add, "again":
neither come hither; the Ethiopic version adds here, "again";
to draw. This she said also, in the same sneering and scoffing way, as her talking of not thirsting and coming thither to draw water, shows; and it is as if she had said, pray give me some of this fine water you talk of, that I may never thirst again; and so have no occasion to be at all this fatigue and trouble, to come daily to this well for water: though some think, that she now spoke seriously, having some little knowledge of what our Lord meant by living water, but with a mixture of much ignorance, and that she heartily desired it; but the reason she gives, shows the contrary.
John 4:16
Ver. 16. Jesus saith unto her,.... Observing that she continued an ignorant scoffer at him, and his words, determined to take another method with her; and convince her, that he was not a common and ordinary person she was conversing with, as she took him to be; and also what a sinner she was, and what a vicious course of life she had lived; so that she might see that she stood in need of him, as the gift of God, and Saviour of men; and of the grace he had been speaking of, under the notion of living water: saying to her,
go, call thy husband, and come hither; go directly from hence to the city of Sychar, and call thy husband, and come back hither along with him again: this Christ said, not to have him come to teach and instruct him, and as if he would more readily and easily understand him, and that he might be with her, a partaker of the same grace; but to bring on some further conversation, by which she would understand that he knew her state and condition, and what a course of life she now lived, and so bring her under a conviction of her sin and danger, and need of him and his grace.
John 4:17
Ver. 17. The woman answered and said, I have no husband,.... Which was a truth she would not have spoke at another time and place, or to any of her neighbours; but Christ being a stranger, and no odium incurring upon her by it; and this serving a purpose to excuse her going to call him, she declares the truth of the matter:
Jesus said unto her, thou hast well said, I have no husband; this is the truth, it is really fact, and is the true state of the case, between thee and him, who goes for thy husband.
John 4:18
Ver. 18. For thou hast had five husbands,.... Which she either had had lawfully, and had buried one after another; and which was no crime, and might be: the Sadducees propose a case to Christ, in which a woman is said to have had seven husbands successively, in a lawful manner, Mt 22:25. Or rather, she had had so many, and had been divorced from everyone of them, for adultery; for no other cause it should seem did the Samaritans divorce; seeing that they only received the law of Moses, and rejected, at least, many of the traditions of the elders; and since they are particularly said {y}
"not to be expert in the law of marriages and divorces:''
and the rather this may seem to be the case, as Dr. Lightfoot observes; since these husbands are mentioned, as well as he with whom she lived in an adulterous manner; and which suggests, that she had not lived honestly with them:
and he whom thou now hast, is not thy husband; that is, not thy lawful husband, as the Persic version reads, and Nonnus paraphrases; being not married to him at all, though they cohabited as man and wife, when there was no such relation between them:
in that saidst thou truly; or that which is truth: thus Christ the omniscient God, who knew her full well, and the whole of her past infamous conversation, and her present lewd and wicked way of living, exposes all unto her.
{y} T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol 76. 1.
John 4:19
Ver. 19. The woman saith unto him, Sir,.... With another countenance, and a different air and gesture, with another accent and tone of speech, dropping her scoffs and jeers:
I perceive that thou art a prophet; such an one as Samuel was, who could tell Saul what was in his heart, and that his father's asses were found, and where they were, 1Sa 9:19; and as Elisha, whose heart went with his servant Gehazi, when Naaman turned to him to meet him, and give him presents; and who could tell, ere the king's messenger came to him, that the son of a murderer had sent to take away his head, 2Ki 5:26. And such a prophet, that had such a spirit of discerning, this woman took Christ to be; and who indeed is greater than a prophet, and is the omniscient God; who knows all men's hearts, thoughts, words and actions, and needs not that any should testify of them to him; for he knows what is in them, and done by them; and can tell them all that ever they did, as he did this woman, Joh 4:29. Now in order either to shift off the discourse from this subject, which touched her to the quick; or else being truly sensible of her sin, and willing to reform, and for the future to worship God in the place and manner he had directed, she addressed Christ in the following words.
John 4:20
Ver. 20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain,.... Mount Gerizim, which was just by, and within sight; so that the woman could point to it; it was so near to Shechem, or Sychar, that Jotham's voice was heard from the top of it thither, Jud 9:6. By the "fathers", this woman claims as theirs, are meant, not the immediate ancestors of the Samaritans, or those only of some few generations past; but the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose descendants they would be thought to be; and they improved every instance of their worshipping in these parts, in favour of this mountain, being a sacred place. And Abraham did indeed build an altar to the Lord, in the plain of Moreh, Ge 12:6 and which the Jews themselves {z} own, is the same with Sichem; but their tradition which Theophylact reports, that Isaac was offered upon the Mount of Gerizim, is entirely false: Jacob, it is true, came to Shalem, a city of Shechem; and upon this very spot of ground, the parcel of a field, he bought of the children of Hammor, and gave to his son Joseph, he built an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel,
Ge 33:18. And also upon this very mountain, the tribe of Joseph, with others stood, when they were come over Jordan, and blessed the people; all which circumstances, the Samaritans failed not to make use of in vindication of themselves, and their worship in this mountain; and which this woman might be acquainted with, and might refer unto: but as for any temple, or place of worship on this mount, there was none till of late years, even after the second temple was built. The occasion of it, as Josephus {a} relates, was this; Manasseh, brother to Jaddua the high priest, having married Nicasso, daughter of Sanballat, governor of Samaria, was on that account driven from the priesthood; he fled to his father-in-law, and related the case to him, expressing great love to his daughter, and yet a regard to his office; upon which Sanballat proposed to build him a temple on Mount Gerizim, for which he did not doubt of obtaining leave of Darius the Persian monarch, and make him an high priest. Darius being overcome by Alexander the Great, Sanballat made his court to him, and petitioned him for the building of this temple, who granted him his request; and accordingly he built one, and Manasseh became the high priest; and many of the profligate Jews, that had married strange wives, or violated the sabbath, or had eaten forbidden meat, came over and joined him. This temple, we are told {b}, was built about forty years after the second temple at Jerusalem: and stood two hundred years, and then was destroyed by Jochanan, the son of Simeon, the son of Mattathiah, who was called Hyrcanus, and so says Josephus {c}; it might now be rebuilt: however, this did not put a stop to worship in this place, about which there were great contentions, between the Jews and the Samaritans; of which we have some instances, in the writings of the former: it is said {d}, that
"R. Jonathan went to pray in Jerusalem, and passed by that mountain (the gloss says, Mount Gerizim), and a certain Samaritan saw him, and said to him, whither art thou going? he replied, that he was going to pray at Jerusalem; he said to him, is it not better for thee to pray in this blessed mountain, and not in that dunghill house? he replied, why is it blessed? he answered, because it was not overflowed by the waters of the flood; the thing was hid from the eyes of R. Jonathan, and he could not return an answer.''
This story is told elsewhere {e}, with a little variation, and more plainly as to the place, thus;
"it happened to R. Jonathan, that he went to Neapolis, of the Cuthites, or Samaritans, (i.e. to Sichem, for Sichem is now called Naplous,) and he was riding upon an ass, and an herdsman with him; a certain, Samaritan joined himself to them: when they came to Mount Gerizim, the Samaritan said to R. Jonathan, how came it to pass that we are come to this holy mountain? R. Jonathan replied, whence comes it to be holy? the Samaritan answered him, because it was not hurt by the waters of the flood.''
Much the same story is told of R. Ishmael bar R. Jose {f}. It is to be observed in this account, that the Samaritans call this mountain the holy mountain, they imagined there was something sacred in it; and the blessed mountain, or the mountain of blessing; no doubt, because the blessings were pronounced upon it; though a very poor reason is given by them in the above passages. And they not only urged the above instances of the worship or the patriarchs at, or about this place, which this woman refers to; but even falsified a passage in the Pentateuch, as is generally thought, in favour of this mount; for in De 27:4, instead of Mount Ebal, in the Samaritan Pentateuch Mount Gerizim is inserted. So stood the ease on one side of the question; on the other hand, the Jews pleaded for the temple at Jerusalem.
And ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship; that is, in the temple, there; who urged, and very rightly, that God had chosen that place to put his name, and fix his worship there; and had ordered them to come thither, and bring their offerings and sacrifices, and to keep their passover and other feasts; see De 12:5. This was built by Solomon, according to the command and direction of God, some hundreds of years before Mount Gerizim was made use of for religious worship; and they had not only these things to plead, but also the worship which was here given to God in this place before the temple was built upon it, which they failed not to do. So the Targumist on 2Ch 3:1 enlarges on this head;
"and Solomon began to build the sanctuary of the Lord in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, in the place where Abraham worshipped and prayed in the name of the Lord: anxlwp era
rta awh, "this place is the land of worship"; for there all generations worshipped before the Lord; and there Abraham offered up his son Isaac, for a burnt offering, and the word of the Lord delivered him, and a ram was appointed in his stead; there Jacob prayed when he fled from Esau his brother; there the angel of the Lord appeared to David, when he disposed the sacrifice in the place he bought of Ornan, in the floor of Ornan the Jebusite.''
And since, now there were so many things to be said on each side of the question, this woman desires, that seeing Christ was a prophet, he would be pleased to give her his sense of the matter, and inform her which was the right place of worship.
{z} Misna Sota, c. 7. sect. 5. T. Bab. Sota, fol. 33. 2. {a} Antiqu. l. 12. c. 1. Vid. Juchasin, fol. 14. 2. {b} Juchasin, fol. 14. 2. & 15. 1. {c} Antiqu. l. 13. c. 17. {d} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 32. fol. 27. 4. & Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 16. 3. {e} Debarim Rabba, sect. 3. fol. 238. 2. {f} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1.
John 4:21
Ver. 21. Jesus saith unto her, woman, believe me,.... In what I am now going to say, since you own me to be a prophet:
the hour cometh; the time is at hand; it is very near; it is just coming:
when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father; that is, God, whom the Jews, and so the Samaritans, knew under the character of the Father of all men, as the Creator and preserver of them; for not God as the Father of Christ, or of the saints by adopting grace, is here intended, which this ignorant woman at least had no knowledge of: and the reason of our Lord's speaking after this manner, signifying, that she need not trouble herself about the place of worship, was, partly, because in a little time Jerusalem, and the temple in it, would be destroyed, and not one stone left upon another; and that Samaria, and this mountain of Gerizim, with whatsoever edifice might be upon it, would be laid desolate, so that neither of them would continue long to be places of religious worship; and partly, because all distinction of places in religion would entirely cease; and one place would be as lawful, and as proper to worship in, as another; and men should lift up holy hands, and pray, and offer up spiritual sacrifices in every place, even from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, Mal 1:11.
John 4:22
Ver. 22. Ye worship ye know not what,.... However, as to her question, he more directly replies by condemning the Samaritans, and their ignorance in worship, and by approving the Jews; and so manifestly gives the preference to the Jews, not only with respect to the place, and object of worship, but with respect to knowledge and salvation. As for the Samaritans, he suggests, that they were ignorant, not only of the true object of worship, but knew not what they themselves worshipped; or, at least, were not agreed in it. The original inhabitants of those parts, from whence these Samaritans sprung, were idolatrous Heathens, placed by the king of Assyria in the room of the ten tribes he carried away captive; and these feared not the Lord, for they "knew not the manner of the God of the land": wherefore lions were sent among them which slew many of them; upon which the king of Assyria ordered a priest to be sent to instruct them: but notwithstanding this, they had everyone gods of their own, some one, and some another; and so served divers graven images, they and their children, and their children's children, to the time of the writer of the Book of Kings; see 2Ki 17:24. And though after Manasseh, and other Jews were come among them, and they had received the law of Moses, they might have some knowledge of the true God, yet they glorified him not as God; and though they might in words profess him, yet in works they denied him; and even after this they are very highly charged by the Jews with idolatrous practices on this mount. Sometimes they say {g} the Cuthites, or Samaritans, worshipped fire; and at other times, and which chiefly prevails with them, they assert {h}, that their wise men, upon searching, found that they worshipped the image of a dove on Mount Gerizim; and sometimes they say {i}, they worshipped the idols, the strange gods, or Teraphim, which Jacob hid under the oak in Sichem; which last, if true, may serve to illustrate these words of Christ, that they worshipped they knew not what, since they worshipped idols hid in the mount.
"R. Ishmael bar Jose, they say {k} went to Neapolis, (Sichem, called Naplous,) the Cuthites, or Samaritans came to him (to persuade him to worship with them in their mountain); he said unto them, I will show you that ye do not "worship at this mountain", but "the images which are hid under it"; for it is written, Ge 35:4; "and Jacob hid them" under the oak which was by Shechem.''
And elsewhere {l} it is reported of the same Rabbi, that he went to Jerusalem to pray, as before related on Joh 4:20, and after what passed between him, and the Samaritan he met with at Mount Gerizim, before mentioned, he added;
"and said to him, I will tell you what ye are like, (ye are like) to a dog that lusts after carrion; so because ye know the idols are hid under it, (the mountain,) as it is written, Ge 35:4 and Jacob hid them, therefore ye lust after it: they said--this man knows that idols are hid here, and perhaps he will take them away; and they consulted together to kill him: he arose, and made his escape in the night.''
But this was not the case of the Jews:
we know what we worship; Christ puts himself among them, for he was a Jew, as the woman took him to be; and, as man, was a worshipper of God; he feared, loved, and obeyed God; he trusted in him, and prayed unto him; though, as God, he was the object of worship himself: and the true worshippers among the Jews, of which sort Christ was, knew God, whom they worshipped, spiritually and savingly; and the generality of that people had right notions of the God of Israel, having the oracles, and service of God, and being instructed out of Moses, and the prophets:
for salvation is of the Jews; the promises of salvation, and of a Saviour, were made to them, when the Gentiles were strangers to them; the means of salvation, and of the knowledge of it, as the word, statutes, and ordinances, were enjoyed by them, when others were ignorant of them; and the Messiah, who is sometimes styled "Salvation", see Ge 49:18, was not only prophesied of in their books, and promised unto them, but came of them, as well as to them; and the number of the saved ones had been for many hundreds of years, and still was among them; the line of election ran among them, and few among the Gentiles were called and saved, as yet.
{g} T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 5. 2. {h} Maimon. in Misn. Beracot, c. 8. sect. 8. & Bartenora in ib. c. 7. sect. 1. & in Nidda, c. 4. sect. 1. {i} Shalshelet Hakkabala, fol. 15. 2. {k} T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 44. 4. {l} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 81. fol. 71. 1.
John 4:23
Ver. 23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers,.... The worshippers of the true God, and who worship in a right manner, whether Jews or Samaritans, or of whatsoever nation:
shall worship the Father; the one true God, the Father of spirits, and of all flesh living:
in spirit; in opposition to all carnal conceptions of him, as if he was a corporeal being, or circumscribed in some certain place, dwelling in temples made with hands, or was to be worshipped with men's hands; and in distinction from the carnal worship of the Jews, which lay greatly in the observation of carnal ordinances: and this shows they should not worship with their bodies only, for bodily exercise profiteth little; but with their souls or spirits, with their whole hearts engaged therein; and by, and under the influence and assistance of the Spirit of God, without whom men cannot perform worship, neither prayer, praise, preaching, or hearing, aright:
and in truth; in opposition to hypocrisy, with true hearts, in the singleness, sincerity, and integrity of their souls; and in distinction from Jewish ceremonies, which were only shadows, and had not the truth and substance of things in them; and according to the word of truth, the Gospel of salvation; and in Christ, who is the truth, the true tabernacle, in, and through whom accent is had to God, prayer is made to him, and every part of religious worship with acceptance: so Enoch is said, ajvwqb xlp, "to worship in truth", before the Lord, in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem, in Ge 5:24. And it may be that the worship of all the three persons in the Godhead, as more distinctly performed under the Gospel dispensation, is here intended: for the words may be thus read, "shall worship the Father, with the Spirit", and with the truth; so the preposition en, is rendered in Eph 6:2; and elsewhere; and then the sense is, they shall "worship the Father"; the first person in the Trinity, who is the Father of Christ, his only begotten Son, and together and equally with him "the Spirit"; the holy Spirit, as the Ethiopic version reads; and Nonnus calls it the divine Spirit: and the rather he may be thought to be intended, since it follows in Joh 4:24, "the Spirit is God"; for so the words lie in the Greek text; and are so rendered in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; and therefore is the proper object of religious worship, whose temples the saints are, with whom they have communion, to whom they pray, and in whose name they are baptized: and also together "with the truth"; with Christ the way, the truth, and the life; who is the true God, and eternal life; and who is equally to be worshipped as the Father and Spirit, as he is by the angels in heaven, and by the saints on earth; who pray unto him, trust in him, and are also baptized in his name, as in the name of the other two persons: and the rather this may be thought to be the sense, since Christ is speaking, not of the manner, but of the object of worship, in the preceding verse:
for the Father seeketh such to worship him; it being agreeable to him to be worshipped in the manner, as above related; and his desire is, that the Son and Spirit should be honoured equally as himself; and such worshippers he has found, having made them such, both among the Jews and Gentiles; and such only are acceptable to him; see Php 3:3.
John 4:24
Ver. 24. God is a spirit,.... Or "the Spirit is God"; a divine person, possessed of all divine perfections, as appears from his names, works, and worship ascribed unto him; See Gill on "Joh 4:23"; though the Arabic and Persic versions, and others, read as we do, "God is a spirit"; that is, God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: for taking the words in this light, not one of the persons is to be understood exclusive of the other; for this description, or definition, agrees with each of them, and they are all the object of worship, and to be worshipped in a true and spiritual manner. God is a spirit, and not a body, or a corporeal substance: the nature and essence of God is like a spirit, simple and uncompounded, not made up of parts; nor is it divisible; nor does it admit of any change and alteration. God, as a spirit, is immaterial, immortal, invisible, and an intelligent, willing, and active being; but differs from other spirits, in that he is not created, but an immense and infinite spirit, and an eternal one, which has neither beginning nor end: he is therefore a spirit by way of eminency, as well as effectively, he being the author and former of all spirits: whatever excellence is in them, must be ascribed to God in the highest manner; and whatever is imperfect in them, must be removed from him:
and they that worship him; worship is due to him on account of his nature and perfections, both internal and external; with both the bodies and souls of men; and both private and public; in the closet, in the family, and in the church of God; as prayer, praise, attendance on the word and ordinances:
must worship him in spirit and in truth; in the true and spiritual manner before described, which is suitable to his nature, and agreeably to his will.
John 4:25
Ver. 25. The woman saith unto him,.... Not knowing well what to say to these things Christ had been discoursing about, as the place, object, and manner of worship; and being undetermined in her judgment of them, by what he had said, was willing to refer them to the Messiah's coming; of which she, and the Samaritans, had some knowledge,
I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ: the last clause, "which is called Christ", are not the words of the woman explaining the Hebrew word Messiah; for as, on the one hand, she did not understand Greek, so, on the other, she could not think that the person she was conversing with, who she knew was a Jew, needed that word to be explained to him; but they are the words of the evangelist, interpreting the Hebrew word "Messiah", by the Greek word "Christ", in which language he wrote: hence this clause is left out in the Syriac version, as unnecessary to a Syriac reader, not needing the word to be explained to him. The Arabic and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read in the plural number, "we know that Messias cometh"; the knowledge of the coming of the Messiah was not peculiar to this woman, but was common to all the Samaritans; for as they received the five books of Moses, they might learn from thence, that a divine and excellent person was to come, who is called the seed of the woman, that should bruise the serpent's head; Shiloh, to whom the gathering of the people should be; and a prophet like unto Moses: and though the word "Messiah" is not found in those books, yet, as it was usual with the Jews to call the same person by this name, they might easily take it from them, and make use of it; and they not only knew that there was a Messiah to come, and expected him, but that he was coming, just ready to come; and this they might conclude, not only from the general expectation of the Jewish nation about this time, but from Ge 49:10. And it is certain, that the Samaritans to this day do expect a Messiah, though they know not his name, unless it be bhvh; the meaning of which they do not understand {m} to me it seems to be an abbreviation of abhvh, or abh rva awh, "he that is to come"; by which circumlocution the Jews understand the Messiah; see Mt 11:3; and to which this Samaritan woman seems to have some respect:
when he is come he will tell us all things; the whole mind and will of God; all things relating to the worship of God, and to the salvation of men. This the Samaritans might conclude from his general character as a prophet, like unto Moses, to whom men were to hearken, De 18:15, and from a common prevailing notion among the Jews, that the times of the Messiah would be times of great knowledge, founded on several prophecies, as Isa 2:3, and which they sometimes express in the following manner {n}:
"in the days of the Messiah, even the little children in the world shall find out the hidden things of wisdom, and know in it the ends and computations (of times), and at that time he shall be made manifest unto all.''
And again {o},
"says R. Judah, the holy blessed God will reveal the deep mysteries of the law in the times of the King Messiah; for "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord", &c. and it is written, "they shall not teach every man his brother", &c.''
And elsewhere {p},
"the whole world shall be filled with the words of the Messiah, and with the words of the law, and with the words of the commandments; and these things shall extend to the isles afar off; to many people, the uncircumcised in heart, and the uncircumcised in flesh; and they shall deal in the secrets of the law.--And there shall be no business in the world, but to know the Lord only; wherefore the Israelites shall be exceeding wise, and know secret things, and comprehend the knowledge of their Creator, as much as is possible for a man to do, as it is said, "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord", &c.''
Accordingly, the Messiah is come, who lay in the bosom of the Father, and has made known all things to his disciples, he hath heard of him; he has declared him to them, his love, grace, and mercy. God has spoken all he has to say that appertains to his own worship, and the salvation of the children of men by his Son Jesus Christ.
{m} 1 Epist. Samar. ad Scaliger, in Antiq. Eccl. Oriental, p. 125. {n} Zohar in Gen. fol, 74. 1. {o} Zohar in Lev. x. 1. {p} Maimon. Hilch. Melachim, c. 11. sect. 4. & 12. 5.
John 4:26
Ver. 26. Jesus saith unto her,.... Upon her making mention of the Messiah, of his coming, and of his work, he took the opportunity of making himself known unto her:
I that speak unto thee am [he]; the Messiah; see Isa 52:6. This is a wonderful instance of the grace of Christ to this woman, that he should make himself known in so clear and plain a manner, to so mean a person, and so infamous a creature as she had been: we never find that he ever made so clear a discovery of himself, in such express terms, to any, as to her, unless it were to his immediate disciples; and these he would sometimes charge not to tell who he was.
John 4:27
Ver. 27. And upon this came his disciples,.... Just as he was saying the above words, and making himself known in this full manner, his disciples, who had been into the city to buy food, came up to them:
and marvelled that he talked with the woman; or with a woman; for, according to the Jewish canons, it was not judged decent, right, and proper, nor indeed lawful, to enter into a conversation, or hold any long discourse with a woman. Their rule is this,
"do not multiply discourse with a woman, with his wife they say, much less with his neighbour's wife: hence the wise men say, at whatsoever time a man multiplies discourse with a woman, he is the cause of evil to himself, and ceases from the words of the law, and at last shall go down into hell {q}.''
And especially this was thought to be very unseemly in any public place, as in an inn, or in the street: hence that direction {r},
"let not a man talk with a woman in the streets, even with his wife; and there is no need to say with another man's wife.''
And particularly it was thought very unbecoming a religious man, a doctor, or scholar, or a disciple of a wise man so to do. This is one of the six things which are a reproach to a scholar, "to talk with a woman in the street" {s}. And it is even said {t},
"let him not talk with a woman in the street, though she is his wife, or his sister, or his daughter.''
And besides, the disciples might marvel, not only that he talked with a woman, but that he should talk with that woman, who was a Samaritan; since the Jews had no familiar conversation with Samaritans, men or women: and the woman was as much astonished that Christ should have anything to say to her, and especially to ask a favour of her; for though they might, and did converse in a way of trade and business, yet did they not multiply discourse, or enter into a free conversation with one another: and it may be, that the disciples might overhear what he said to the woman, just as they came up; so that their astonishment was not merely at his talking with a woman, and with a Samaritan woman, but at what he said unto her, that he should so plainly tell her that he was the Messiah, when he so strictly charged them to tell no man.
Yet no man said; no, not Peter, as Nonnus observes, who was bold and forward to put and ask questions: "what seekest thou?" or inquirest of her about? is it food, or drink, or what? "or why talkest thou with her?" when it is not customary, seemly, and lawful. It may be considered, whether or no these two questions may not relate separately, the one to the woman, the other to Christ; as, the first,
what seekest thou? to the woman; and the sense be, that no man said to her, what do you want with our master? what are you inquiring about of him? what would you have of him? or what do you seek for from him? and the latter,
why talkest thou with her? peculiarly to Christ. The Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and Beza's ancient copy indeed read, "no man said to him"; which confines both the questions to Christ. Now this shows the reverence the disciples had for Christ, and the great opinion they entertained of him, that whatever he did was well, and wisely done, though it might seem strange to them, and they could not account for it: however, they did not think that he, who was their Lord and master, was accountable to them for what he did; and they doubted not but he had good reasons for his conduct.
{q} Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 5. Abot R, Nathan, c. 7. fol. 3. 3. & Derech Eretz, fol. 17. 3. {r} Bemidbar Rabba, sect 10. fol. 200. 2. {s} T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 43. 2. {t} Maimon. Hilch. Dayot, c. 5. sect. 7.
John 4:28
Ver. 28. The woman then left her water pot,.... Her pail, or bucket, she brought with her to the well to draw water in: this she left, either for Christ and his disciples to make use of; or rather through forgetfulness, her mind being greatly impressed, and her thoughts much taken up with what Christ had said to her, and she being in haste to acquaint others with it: so the disciples left their nets, their business, their friends, and all for Christ; and so the saints are brought to quit their earthly and worldly things for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel. The Ethiopic version renders it, "she left her disputation": she left off discoursing with Christ upon the disciples coming to him.
And went her way into the city: the city of Sychar, to inform her friends, relations, and neighbours what she had met with: so Andrew and Philip, when they had found Christ themselves, acquaint others with it, and bring them to him; so Levi, the publican, being called himself by Christ, makes a feast for Christ, and invites many publicans and sinners to sit down with him, that they might know him as well as himself; so the Apostle Paul, when converted, expresses a great concern for his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh; and such is the nature of true grace, that those that have it would have others partakers of it likewise:
and saith to the men. The Ethiopic version adds, "of her house"; no doubt the men of the place in general are meant; not only those of her family, but the inhabitants of the city. The Syriac version leaves out the words, "to the men". The Jews will not allow the Cuthites, or Samaritans, to be called "men"; this they peculiarly ascribe to priests, Levites, and Israelites {u}.
{u} T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 61. 1. & Tosephot in ib.
John 4:29
Ver. 29. Come, see a man,.... An uncommon, an extraordinary man, a prophet, and, who himself says, he is the Messiah, who is now at Jacob's well; come, go along with me, and see him and converse with him, and judge for yourselves, who, and what he is: she does not say, "go and see"; for she proposed to go along with them herself, that she might have more conversation with him, and knowledge of him, and grace from him: so such that have tasted that the Lord is gracious, desire more grace from him, and communion with him.
Which told me all things that ever I did; the more remarkable things that had been done by her in the whole series of her life and conversation; referring more especially to the account he had given her of her having had five husbands, and what the man was she now lived with; when no doubt, all the transactions of her life were laid before her, and she had, at once, a view of all her iniquities; when her sins stared her in the face, and her conscience was filled with guilt and remorse, and her soul with shame and confusion; and so it is when Christ, by his Spirit, convinces of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment:
is not this the Christ? that was to come, has been promised and prophesied of, and we have expected, who is of quick understanding, and even God omniscient; surely this must be he, as he himself says he is.
John 4:30
Ver. 30. Then they went out of the city,.... "The men", as the Syriac version expresses it; the inhabitants of Sychar left their business, and came out of the city:
and came unto him; to Christ, to see him, and converse with him, that they might know who he was: for though the woman had been a woman of ill fame, yet such was the account that she gave of Christ, and such power went along with her words, that what with the strangeness of the relation, and the curiosity with which they were led, and chiefly through the efficacy of divine grace, at least in many of them, they were moved to regard what she said, and to follow her directions and solicitations.
John 4:31
Ver. 31. In the mean while,.... Whilst the woman was gone into the city, and had acquainted the inhabitants, that such a wonderful person was at Jacob's well, and invited them to come and see him:
his disciples prayed him, saying, master, eat; for they perceived a disinclination in him to food; and they knew that he was weary with his journey, and that it was the time of day, and high time, that he had had some food; and therefore out of great respect to him, and in concern for his health and welfare, they entreated him that he would take some food: so far was Christ from indulging his sensual appetite; and so little reason had the Scribes and Pharisees to traduce him as a wine bibber and glutton.
John 4:32
Ver. 32. But he said unto them,.... That is, "Jesus", as the Persic, or the Lord Jesus, as the Ethiopic versions express it:
I have meat to eat that ye know not of: meaning the conversion of the Samaritan woman, and of other Samaritans, who were flocking in great numbers to him, which he knew, though his disciples did not; and the harvest of souls he had a prospect of, see Joh 4:35, was as meat unto him, delightful and refreshing; and his mind and thoughts were so taken up with these things, that he had no inclination to any corporeal food.
John 4:33
Ver. 33. Therefore said the disciples one to another,.... Privately, among themselves, though in his hearing; at least he knew what they said by answer;
hath any man; or anyone, any angel from heaven, or any of the inhabitants of the city, or any man or woman, or this woman they had found him talking with:
brought him [ought] to eat? for they thought of nothing else but bodily food; just as when he cautioned them against the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees, they imagined he said it, because they had taken no bread; whereas he meant the doctrine of these persons: so dull of understanding spiritual things were the disciples themselves, that it is not so much to be wondered at that the Samaritan woman, whilst in her carnal state, when Christ spoke of living water, should understand him of material water, or spring water.
John 4:34
Ver. 34. Jesus saith unto them,.... His disciples:
my meat is to do the will of him that sent me. The Ethiopic version reads, "of my Father that sent me", and who is undoubtedly intended. Now as food is pleasant, and delightful, and refreshing to the body of man, so doing the will of God was as delightful and refreshing to the soul of Christ: he took as much pleasure in it, as an hungry man does in eating and drinking. One part of the will of God was to assume human nature; this he had done, and with delight and pleasure: another part of it was to fulfil the law; and this was in his heart, and was his delight, and he was now doing it: and another branch of it was to suffer and die, in the room and stead of his people; and as disagreeable as this was in itself to the human nature, yet he cheerfully agreed to it; and was sometimes, as it were, impatient till it was accomplished; and he voluntarily became obedient to it: no man could, with greater eagerness, fall to eating, when hungry, than Christ went about his Father's will and work, even that which was most ungrateful to him, as man.
And to finish his work; one part of which was to preach the Gospel, and for, which he was anointed and sent; and which he did with great assiduity and constancy: and another part of it was the conversion of sinners by it, whom he was sent to call, and with whom he delighted to be; and was the work he was now about, and took the pleasure in, the text expresses: and beside these miracles were works his Father gave him to finish; such as healing diseases, and dispossessing of devils, and which he went about doing continually, with great delight: but the chief, work of all is, that of redemption and salvation of his chosen ones: this was a work his Father called him to, and sent him into this world to perform, which he gave unto him, and Christ accepted of, and agreed to do; and though it was a very toilsome and laborious one, there being a righteous law to be fulfilled, justice to be satisfied, the sins of all his people to bear, as well as the wrath of God, and the curse of the law, and numerous enemies to grapple with, and an accursed death to undergo; yet with pleasure he performed this: for the joy of his Father's will, accomplishing his counsels and covenant, and his own engagements, and procuring the salvation of his people, he endured the cross patiently, and despised the shame of it. The whole of the and work of God was done by him, just as the Lord commanded it; exactly, according to the pattern given him, with all faithfulness and integrity; with the most consummate wisdom and prudence; with all application, diligence, and constancy, and so as to finish it, and that without the help of any other; and in such a manner that nothing can be added to it to make it more perfect, or that it can be undone again by men or devils: and that the doing and finishing of this were his meat, or as delightful and refreshing to him as meat is to the body, appears from his ready and cheerful engaging in it in eternity; from his early and industrious entrance on it in time; from his constancy in it, when he had begun, insomuch that nothing could deter him from it; nor did he sink and fail under it, nor left it till he had finished it.
John 4:35
Ver. 35. Say not ye, there are yet four months,.... Our Lord had been in Jerusalem and Judea, about eight months from the last passover, and there remained four more to the next passover:
and then cometh harvest? barley harvest, which began at that time. Now as the passover was in the middle of the month Nisan, which was about the latter end of our March; reckoning four months back from thence shows, that it was about the latter end of our November, or beginning of December, that Christ was in Samaria, and at Jacob's well. Some think, that this does not refer to the then present time, as if there were so many months from thence to the next harvest, but to a common way of speaking, that there were four months from seed time to harvest; during which time there was a comfortable hope, and longing expectation of it: but this will, by no means, agree either with the wheat or barley harvest. The wheat was sown before this time, and the barley a good while after.
"Half Tisri, Marcheshvan, and half Cisleu, were, erz, seed time {w}''
The earliest they sowed their wheat was in Tisri, which answers to our September and October; i.e. to half one, and half the other. The month of Marcheshvan, which answers to October and November, was the principal month for sowing it {x}: hence that paraphrase on
Ec 11:2:
"give a good part of thy seed to thy field in Tisri, and do not refrain from sowing even in Cisleu.''
As for the barley, that was sown in the months of Shebet and Adar, and usually in the latter {y}; the former of which answers to January and February, and the latter to February and March. And we read {z} of their sowing seventy days before the passover, which was within six weeks of the beginning of barley harvest.
Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields: pointing to the lands which lay near the city of Sychar:
for they are white already to harvest; alluding to the corn fields, which, when ripe, and near harvest, look white: hence we read {a} of
Nblh hdv, "the white field": which the Jews say is a field sown with wheat or barley, and so called to distinguish it from a field planted with trees; though it may be rather, that it is so called from its white look when ripe. So the three Targums paraphrase
Ge 49:12:
"his hills (his valleys, or fields, as Onkelos) Nrwwxy, "are white" with corn, and flocks of sheep.''
Christ here speaks not literally; for the fields could not be white at such a distance from harvest; but spiritually, of a harvest of souls; and has regard to the large number of Samaritans that were just now coming out of the city, and were within sight, and covered the adjacent fields: and these he calls upon his disciples to lift up their eyes and behold; and suggests to them, that it was not a time for eating and drinking, but for working, since here was such a number of souls to be gathered in: and thus as from corporeal food he proceeded to treat of spiritual food; so from a literal harvest he goes on to speak of a spiritual one, and encourages his disciples to labour in it, by the following arguments.
{w} T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 106. 2. {x} Gloss in T. Bab. Roshhashana, fol. 16. 1. {y} Gloss in Bava Metzia & in Roshhashana ib. {z} Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 2. {a} Misn. Sheviith, c. 2. sect. 1. & Moed Katon, c. 1. sect. 4.
John 4:36
Ver. 36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages,.... Angels are sometimes called reapers, and so are ministers of the Gospel here. The works and ministry of the apostles are here expressed by "reaping": for as in reaping, when the corn is ripe, the sickle is put in, and the corn is cut down, and laid to the ground, and then bound in sheaves, and gathered into the barn; so when things are ripe in providence, and God's set time is come to convert any of his people, he makes use of his ministers for the cutting them down, laying low the loftiness and haughtiness of man, stripping him of all his goodliness, and taking him off of a dependence on his own righteousness and works, and for the gathering them into his churches, which is done with a great deal of joy and pleasure: and such as are so employed, and in this way made useful, shall "receive wages", shall not only be taken care of in providence, and have a sufficient and comfortable maintenance, the labourer being worthy of his hire; but shall have pleasure, delight, and satisfaction in their work, that being blessed for the good of souls, and the glory of Christ, and they having the presence God in it; and also shall hereafter receive the crown of righteousness, when they have finished their course, and shall shine like the stars for ever and ever.
And gathereth fruit unto life eternal: by fruit are meant sinners converted and turned from the error of their ways which are the fruit of a Gospel ministry, of the efficacy and power of divine grace accompanying it; see Joh 15:16; and these are gathered, by the preaching of the Gospel, out from among the rest of mankind, unto Christ, the Shiloh, or peace maker, and into his churches, and remain, abide, and persevere to the end; that grace, which is implanted in their souls, being a well of living water, springing up to everlasting life; so that they are at last gathered into Christ's garner, into heaven, where they shall live with him for ever:
that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together. The sowers are the prophets of the Old Testament, who sowed that seed in the prophecies, which sprung up in Gospel times, and laid the foundation therein of the great success of the apostles of Christ in preaching the word; for they so clearly described the Messiah, and pointed out Christ, his offices, and his work, in so distinct a manner, that when he was come he was readily known, and cheerfully embraced; they greatly facilitated the work of the apostles, who had nothing to do but to preach Christ, as come in the flesh: and hence they reaped and gathered a vast harvest of souls every where. John the Baptist also was one that sowed; he prepared the way of the Lord, and made straight his paths: and our Lord himself was a sower, that went forth to sow, and who sowed good seed in the field; all which succeeded well, and were ripening apace for a general harvest, which began on the day of Pentecost, after our Lord's ascension to heaven. This was in Judea; and in the Gentile world there was a sowing in providence, which contributed to make the work of the disciples more easy there, and to bring on, in time, a large harvest. The books of the Old Testament were translated into the Greek language; and the Jews were scattered in the several parts of the world; and the Greek tongue, in which the New Testament was to be written, was every where generally spoken; and these providences were ripening apace to bring on a great work there. And now, as before observed, the apostles were the reapers; they were remarkably successful in the gathering in of souls, even more than the prophets, than John the Baptist, or Christ himself; never was such a harvest of souls, either in Judea, or in the Gentile world, before or since; of which the conversion of these Samaritans was a pledge or earnest. Now when the whole harvest is gathered in, at the end of the world, all these will rejoice together, the "patriarchs" and prophets, the forerunner of Christ, and Christ himself, and all his apostles and ministers; the different parts they have had in this work all concurring and agreeing together, and issuing in the glory of God, and the good of souls.
John 4:37
Ver. 37. And herein is that saying true,.... This verifies that proverbial expression so much in use, and which may be applied to different persons and cases:
one soweth, and another reapeth; the prophets sowed, and the apostles reaped.
John 4:38
Ver. 38. I sent you to reap,.... To preach the Gospel, and gather in souls by your ministry; referring to the mission of them in
Mt 10:6;
that whereon ye bestowed no labour; being sent to the Jews, who had the writings of the prophets, and were versed in them; and had learned from them that the Messiah was to come, and were now in general expectation of him; so that they had nothing more to do, than to declare to those persons who were cultivated by the prophets, and were like to ground tilled and manured, that the Messiah was come, and the kingdom of heaven was at hand.
Other men laboured; the prophets, and John the Baptist:
and ye are entered into their labours; to finish the work they had begun, and which was almost done to their hands.
John 4:39
Ver. 39. And many of the Samaritans of that city,.... Of Sychar, which was a city of Samaria;
believed on him; that he was the true Messiah he had told the woman he was; and she put it to them whether he was or not: before they saw him, or had any conversation with him themselves, they believed in him; see Joh 20:29;
for the saying of the woman which testified, he told me all that ever I did: the account she gave was so plain, and honest, and disinterested, that they could not but give credit to it; and since the person was an utter stranger to her, and yet had laid before her the whole series of her past life and conversation, they concluded he could be no other than the Messiah, who should tell all things; and being of quick understanding or smell, was able to disclose the secrets of men.
John 4:40
Ver. 40. So when the Samaritans were come unto him,.... The Ethiopic version reads, all the Samaritans; they came to him at Jacob's well, upon the woman's solicitations, and the account she gave of this extraordinary person: and after they had conversed with him, and heard him themselves, they were taken with his divine discourses, and being thoroughly persuaded that he was the Messiah,
they besought him that he would tarry with them; they were not like the Gergesenes, who besought him to depart out of their coasts as soon he was in them: but these men were delighted with his company; and notwithstanding his being a Jew, desired a conversation with him, and entreated that he would go along with them to their city, and stay with them:
and he abode there two days; he went with them to Sychar. He would not deny their request, lest they should be discouraged; and yet would not make any long stay with them, that he might give no umbrage to the Jews; though it is very likely from this short stay in Samaria, they afterwards reproached him as a Samaritan, Joh 8:48. Our Lord's direction to his disciples not to enter into any of the cities of the Samaritans, was not a rule to himself, or binding upon him, and was only a rule to them "pro tempore".
John 4:41
Ver. 41. And many more believed,.... The Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions add, "on him": when he was come into the city, and had preached to the inhabitants in general, a larger multitude than before believed in him as the Messiah, and professed him, and became followers of him.
Because of his own word; which came to them, not in word only, but in power, and was the power of God unto salvation to them; and was received by them, not as the word of man, but as the word of God; and it wrought effectually in them, and was an hammer to break their rocky hearts in pieces, and to bring them into subjection to himself, his Gospel and ordinances: whether his word or doctrine was accompanied with miracles is not certain; this shows, that their faith in him was founded on his own word, which fell with great weight upon them. It seems to have an emphasis laid upon it, his own word, in distinction from the woman's saying.
John 4:42
Ver. 42. And said unto the woman,.... Who, it appears, kept hearing Christ, attending on him, and conversing with him; for having tasted of his grace, she could not leave him:
now we believe, not because of thy saying; not on account of that only: it should seem that these were the same persons that believed upon her word before they went out of the city; and who, when come to Christ, invited him into it; and now, having heard his excellent discourses, were confirmed in the faith of him:
for we have heard him ourselves; not only externally with their bodily ears, but internally, having ears given them to hear, so as to understand what he said; to mix it with faith, and receive it in love; to feel the power of it in their hearts, and taste the sweetness of it, and be nourished by it; and so as to distinguish his voice from another's, as Christ's true sheep are capable of.
And know that this is indeed the Christ; the true Messiah, and not a false one; the Messiah spoken of by Moses, whose books the Samaritans received, as the seed of the woman, the Shiloh, and prophet, like to Moses; the Christ of God, who is anointed to be prophet, priest, and King. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions leave out the word "Christ", and only read what follows,
the Saviour of the world: they knew him to be the Saviour, he who was spoken of as such; for his work to bruise the serpent's head implies it, and his name Shiloh imports as much: and besides, he is called by Jacob God's salvation, Ge 49:18. God appointed him as a Saviour; he sent him, and he came as such, and is become the author of salvation; and his name is called Jesus, on this account: and a great Saviour he is; both able, and willing; and he is suitable to the case of sinners; and is a complete, and an only one: and these Samaritans knew him to be "the Saviour of the world"; not of every individual person in it, for all are not saved by him; nor of the Jewish world, for many of them died in their sins; but of the Gentiles, in distinction from the Jews; see Joh 3:16; even of all God's elect, whether among Jews or Gentiles; of all that believe in him, of whatsoever nation, and in whatsoever state and condition: so that their knowledge of him, and faith in him, were beyond that of the Jews, who looked upon the Messiah only as a Saviour of their nation; and that the Gentiles would have no manner of benefit and advantage by him: though the Jews {b} do call the angel in Ex 23:20 amled aqwrp, "the Saviour", or "Redeemer of" the world. And this the Samaritans might know from the writings of Moses, as from Ge 22:18 their present knowledge of Christ was not a mere notional, speculative, and general one, but was special, spiritual, and saving, which they had from the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ; they approved of him as their Saviour; they trusted in him as such; they had an experimental acquaintance with him, and practically owned him; and which they attained to by hearing him.
{b} Zohar in Gen. fol. 124. 4.
John 4:43
Ver. 43. Now after two days he departed thence,.... When he had stayed two days at Sychar conversing with, and discoursing to the Samaritans, which were the means of the conversion of many of them; he departed out of that country, and passed on his way:
and went into Galilee; as he first intended; see Joh 4:3.
John 4:44
Ver. 44. For Jesus himself testified,.... Mt 13:57;
that a prophet hath no honour in his own country: all the Oriental versions read, "in his own city"; that is, Nazareth: for these words must not be understood as a reason why Christ left Judea, and went into Galilee, because he had no honour in Judea, in which was Bethlehem, the place of his nativity; but are a reason why, when he came into Galilee, he did not go to Nazareth, his own city, where he was educated, and had been brought up, and had lived the greatest part of his life, because they treated him with great disrespect and contempt; See Gill on "Mt 13:57".
John 4:45
Ver. 45. Then when he was come into Galilee,.... That part of it in which Cana lay, as appears by what follows:
the Galilaeans received him; willingly, readily, and cheerfully, with much delight and pleasure, and with marks of great esteem and respect: they received him into their houses, and entertained him, and provided for him and his disciples:
having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover; the miracles he wrought there, see Joh 2:23;
for they also went unto the feast; as well as Jesus and his disciples: they kept the feast of the passover, and went yearly to Jerusalem on that account: so Josephus speaks of the Galilaeans going to the Jewish festivals at Jerusalem, when he says {c};
"it was the custom, or usual with the Galilaeans, when they went to the holy city at the festivals, to go through the country of the Samaritans;''
which was the way that Christ now came from thence to them.
{c} Antiqu. Jud. l. 20. c. 5.
John 4:46
Ver. 46. So Jesus came again unto Cana of Galilee,.... Where he had been once before; see Joh 2:1. The Syriac version here, as there, calls it "Kotne" of Galilee; and the Persic version, "Catneh" of Galilee:
where he made the water wine; see Joh 2:9;
there was a certain nobleman; the Vulgate Latin renders it, "a petty king"; the Arabic version, and Nonnus, call him, "a royal man"; and the Syriac version renders it, "a king's servant"; with which agrees the Ethiopic, calling him "a minister, a steward, the king's domestic". The Persic version makes it to be his name, reading it, "there was a great man, whose name was Abdolmelic", which signifies a king's servant: from the whole he seems to be one that belonged to the palace of Herod Antipas, and was one of his courtiers; who, though he was but tetrarch of Galilee, yet is sometimes called a king, Mr 6:14;
whose son was sick at Capernaum; some versions, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic, read the phrase, "in Capernaum", with the former clause, "there was a nobleman in Capernaum": and others, as we do with this; and both may be true; for he might be an inhabitant of Capernaum, and his house be there where his son lay sick. Some think this nobleman was either Chuza, Herod's steward, Lu 8:3, or Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod, Ac 13:1.
John 4:47
Ver. 47. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea,.... For the fame of Christ, for his doctrine and miracles, was spread every where; so that it was known, and talked of, in most places, where he was, and what course he was steering: and this nobleman understanding that he had left Judea, and was come
into Galilee; and having inquired in what parts of Galilee he was,
he went unto him; though it was many miles from Capernaum, where Jesus was, at least a day's journey; since, when the servants met their master, the child had been healed at one o'clock the day before; see Joh 4:52. Some reckon it about fifteen miles, but one would think it should be more:
and besought him, that he would come down; for Capernaum, though it was built on a hill, lay lower down in the country of Galilee than Cana did, near the sea of Tiberias: a like way of speaking is used in Joh 2:12;
and heal his son. The nobleman believed that Christ had power to do it, by what he had heard concerning him, but thought his corporeal presence was absolutely necessary to it:
for he was at the point of death; or "would die": he was very near it; there was no likelihood of his recovery; the physicians had given him over; and when he left him, he seemed to be near his death, and must die for any human help that could be obtained, or natural means that could be used.
John 4:48
Ver. 48. Then said Jesus unto him,.... With some degree of roughness in his speech, and severity in his countenance, in a way of reproof for his unbelief, as if he could not heal his son without going down to Capernaum along with him:
except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. This was the cast of the Jews every where, both in Judea and Galilee; they required signs and miracles to be wrought, in confirmation of Christ's being the Messiah, and which indeed was but right; and Christ did perform them for that purpose: but their sin of unbelief lay in this, that they wanted still more and more signs; they could not be contented with what they had seen, but required more, being sluggish and backward to believe. Our Lord seems to say this chiefly for the sake of the Galilaeans, that were about him; who, though they might be acquainted with his former miracles, when among them, of turning water into wine, and had seen his wondrous works at the feast at Jerusalem, yet were very desirous of seeing more, and perhaps very pressing for this cure.
John 4:49
Ver. 49. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir,.... Notwithstanding this reproof, and seeming denial, he presses him again, and addressing him in a handsome and courteous manner, importunately entreats him, saying:
come down ere my son die; here was faith with a mixture of unbelief; he believed that Christ was able to heal his son, but he still thought that his going down with him was necessary; that he must be corporeally present, and must lay his hands on him, or touch him, or speak, and command the distemper off, or something of this kind, and which must be done before he died; for otherwise, should he die first, all hope was then gone; he had no notion of Christ being able to raise him from the dead.
John 4:50
Ver. 50. Jesus saith unto him, go thy way,.... Return home in peace, be not over much troubled and distressed about this matter; leave it with me, I will take care of it; all will be well: so the Persic version reads, "be not anxious, and go thy way"; do not be solicitous for my presence, or urge me to go with thee; depart alone, there is no necessity for my being upon the spot:
thy son liveth; he is now recovered of his disease, and is well, and in perfect health, and lives, and will live:
and the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken to him; such power went along with the words of Christ, as not only cured the son at that distance, who lay at the point of death, but also the father of his unbelief; and he no more insisted on his going down with him, but firmly believed that his son was alive, and well, as Christ had said he was:
and he went his way; he took his leave of Christ, and set out for Capernaum; very probably, not the same day, it being now in the afternoon of the day; but the next morning, as it should seem from what follows.
John 4:51
Ver. 51. And as he was now going down,.... From Cana to Capernaum, the day after he had been with Christ:
his servants met him, and told [him], saying, thy son liveth; as soon as this cure was wrought, though it was not known in the family how, and by whom it was done, immediately some of the servants were dispatched to carry the news to their master, that his sorrow might be removed; and he give himself no further trouble in seeking for a cure: these meeting him on the road, with an air of pleasure, at once address him with the joyful news, that his son was thoroughly recovered of his disorder, and was alive, and well; news which he was acquainted with, and believed before; though it must give him an additional, pleasure to have it confirmed.
John 4:52
Ver. 52. Then inquired he of them the hour,.... He did not at all hesitate about the truth of it, or was in any surprise upon it; but that he might compare things together, he asked the exact time,
when he began to amend; or grow better; for he seemed to think, that his recovery might be gradual, and not all at once, as it was:
and they said unto him, yesterday at the seventh hour; which was one o'clock in the afternoon:
the fever left him; entirely at once, so that he was perfectly well immediately.
John 4:53
Ver. 53. So the father knew that it was at the same hour,.... Precisely;
in that which Jesus said to him, thy son liveth: he had observed what time of day it was, in which he conversed with Jesus; and particularly, when he told him his son was alive and well, and when he took his leave of him; and by comparing the account of his servants, with that, found that things entirely agreed, and that the cure was wrought exactly at the time, that Jesus spoke the words:
and himself believed, and his whole house; when he came home, he related the whole affair to his family, and he and they all believed, that Jesus was the Messiah, and became his disciples and followers: if this nobleman was Chuza, Herod's steward, we have an account of his wife, whose name was Joanna, that she followed Christ, and ministered to him of her substance, with other women, Lu 8:3. There is a story, told by the Jews, and which seems somewhat like to this {d};
"it is reported concerning R. Chanina ben Dosa, that when he prayed for the sick, he used to say, yx hz, "this liveth", and this dies; it was said to him, whence knowest thou this? he replied, if my prayer be ready in my mouth, I know that he is accepted (of God, i.e. the sick man for whom he prayed); but if not, I know that he will be snatched away (by the disease):''
upon which the Gemarists give the following relation {e};
"it happened that the son of Rabban Gamaliel (the Apostle Paul's master) was sick, he sent two disciples to R. Chanina ben Dosa, to ask mercy for him; when he saw them, he went up to a chamber, and sought mercy for him; and when he came down, he said unto them, hmx wtulxv wkl, "go your way, for the fever has left him"; they said unto him, art thou a prophet? he replied, I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet; but so I have received, that if my prayer is ready in my mouth, I know that he is accepted; and if not, I know that he shall be snatched away; and they sat and wrote and observed "the very hour"; and when they came to Rabban Gamaliel, he said unto them, this service ye have not been wanting in, nor abounded in; but so the thing was, that in that hour the fever left him, and he asked of us water to drink.''
Which story perhaps is told, to vie with this miracle of Christ, and to obscure the glory of it.
{d} Misn. Beracot, c. 5. sect. 5. {e} T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 34. 2.
John 4:54
Ver. 54. This [is] again the second miracle [that] Jesus did,.... That is, in that place, in Cana of Galilee; for otherwise, in Jerusalem and Judea, he had done many miracles, between the former and this; see Joh 2:23; and so the following words explain it:
when he was come out of Judea into Galilee; this was the first he wrought, after his coming out of Judea into Galilee, this time, and was the second that he wrought in Cana of Galilee; see Joh 2:11.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the
more excellent, 7 Corinthians 1:17, than to baptism. He would put
honour upon his disciples, by employing them to baptize. He
teaches us that the benefit of sacraments depends not on the hand
that administers them.
Jesus applied himself more to preaching, which was the
more excellent, 7 Corinthians 1:17, than to baptism.
He
teaches us that the benefit of sacraments depends not on the hand
that administers them.
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary