JHN 4:1-26

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

1When therefore Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John — [4:2] though indeed Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were — [4:3] he left Judea and went away again into Galilee. [4:4] Now it was necessary for him to pass through Samaria. [4:5] He comes therefore to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. [4:6] Now there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore, already wearied from the journey, was sitting thus at the well. The hour was about the sixth. [4:7] A woman out of Samaria comes to draw water. Jesus says to her, "Give me a drink." [4:8] For his disciples had gone away into the city that they might buy food. [4:9] The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?" — for Jews have no common dealings with Samaritans. [4:10] Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you yourself would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." [4:11] The woman says to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then do you have the living water? [4:12] Are you yourself greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, and his sons, and his livestock?" [4:13] Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; [4:14] but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst into the age — but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life." [4:15] The woman says to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not thirst and may not come here to draw." [4:16] Jesus says to her, "Go, call your husband and come here, come here." [4:17] The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus says to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband'; [4:18] for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly." [4:19] The woman says to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. [4:20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship." [4:21] Jesus says to her, "Woman, believe me — the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [4:22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [4:23] But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth — for the Father also seeks such as these. [4:24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." [4:25] The woman says to him, "I know that Messiah is coming — the one called Christ. When that one comes, he will announce all things to us." [4:26] Jesus says to her, "I who am speaking to you — I am he."

In the world it was spoken into

In the first century, the region of Samaria was deeply marked by centuries of ethnic and religious tension between Jews and Samaritans. Jews viewed Samaritans as ritually impure and heretical due to their mixed ancestry and divergent worship practices, particularly their worship on Mount Gerizim rather than in Jerusalem. For Jesus, a Jewish rabbi, to engage in conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well would have been culturally shocking. Wells were communal spaces, but interactions between men and women, especially strangers, were governed by strict social norms. The woman’s marital history, with five husbands and a current non-husband relationship, would have further marginalized her in her community. Jesus’ offer of “living water” echoes Jewish eschatological imagery of God’s provision (e.g., Isaiah 12:3, Jeremiah 2:13) but redefines it as spiritual sustenance tied to his identity. The mention of worship “in spirit and truth” transcends the Samaritan-Jewish debate about sacred spaces, pointing to a new, universal mode of worship.

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How other translations render this

JHN 4:1

KJV: When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
BSB: When Jesus realized that the Pharisees were aware He was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John
Koinōnos: When therefore Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John —

JHN 4:2

KJV: (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
BSB: (although it was not Jesus who baptized, but His disciples),
Koinōnos: though indeed Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were —

JHN 4:3

KJV: He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
BSB: He left Judea and returned to Galilee.
Koinōnos: he left Judea and went away again into Galilee.

JHN 4:4

KJV: And he must needs go through Samaria.
BSB: Now He had to pass through Samaria.
Koinōnos: Now it was necessary for him to pass through Samaria.

JHN 4:5

KJV: 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.
BSB: So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Koinōnos: He comes therefore to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

JHN 4:6

KJV: 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.
BSB: Since Jacobʼs well was there, Jesus, weary from His journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Koinōnos: Now there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore, already wearied from the journey, was sitting thus at the well. The hour was about the sixth.

JHN 4:7

KJV: There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
BSB: When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
Koinōnos: A woman out of Samaria comes to draw water. Jesus says to her, "Give me a drink.

JHN 4:8

KJV: (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
BSB: (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
Koinōnos: For his disciples had gone away into the city that they might buy food.

JHN 4:9

KJV: 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.
BSB: “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Koinōnos: The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?" — for Jews have no common dealings with Samaritans.

JHN 4:10

KJV: 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.
BSB: Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Koinōnos: Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you yourself would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.

JHN 4:11

KJV: 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?
BSB: “Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
Koinōnos: The woman says to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then do you have the living water?

JHN 4:12

KJV: Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
BSB: Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
Koinōnos: Are you yourself greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, and his sons, and his livestock?

JHN 4:13

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
BSB: Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.
Koinōnos: Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;

JHN 4:14

KJV: 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.
BSB: But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
Koinōnos: but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst into the age — but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life.

JHN 4:15

KJV: The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
BSB: The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
Koinōnos: The woman says to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not thirst and may not come here to draw.

JHN 4:16

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
BSB: Jesus told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”
Koinōnos: Jesus says to her, "Go, call your husband and come here, come here.

JHN 4:17

KJV: The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
BSB: “I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband.
Koinōnos: The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus says to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband';

JHN 4:18

KJV: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
BSB: In fact, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. You have spoken truthfully.”
Koinōnos: for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.

JHN 4:19

KJV: The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
BSB: “Sir,” the woman said, “I see that You are a prophet.
Koinōnos: The woman says to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet.

JHN 4:20

KJV: Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
BSB: Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one must worship is in Jerusalem.”
Koinōnos: Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.

JHN 4:21

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
BSB: “Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
Koinōnos: Jesus says to her, "Woman, believe me — the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.

JHN 4:22

KJV: Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
BSB: You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Koinōnos: You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

JHN 4:23

KJV: 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.
BSB: But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him.
Koinōnos: But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth — for the Father also seeks such as these.

JHN 4:24

KJV: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
BSB: God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
Koinōnos: God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

JHN 4:25

KJV: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
BSB: The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”
Koinōnos: The woman says to him, "I know that Messiah is coming — the one called Christ. When that one comes, he will announce all things to us.

JHN 4:26

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
BSB: Jesus answered, “I who speak to you am He.”
Koinōnos: Jesus says to her, "I who am speaking to you — I am he.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 4:9

have association:The word translated 'have association' here implies not just social interaction, but also shared use of things or common dealings, which was often avoided between Samaritans and Jews.

JHN 4:10

gift:The term translated 'gift' emphasizes something freely given without expectation of return, highlighting its gratuitous nature.

JHN 4:14

age,:The word translated 'age' refers to a long, indefinite period of time, often with a sense of eternity or a distinct era, rather than merely a person's lifespan.

JHN 4:23

spirit:The word translated 'spirit' can refer to breath, wind, or a non-physical essence, carrying a sense of invisible power or life-giving force.