JHN 4:39-42

Many Samaritans Believe

39Out of that city, now, many of the Samaritans trusted in him because of the message of the woman testifying, 'He told me all things whatever I did.' [4:40] Therefore when the Samaritans came to him, they were asking him to abide with them — and he stayed there two days. [4:41] And many more trusted because of his word, [4:42] and they were saying to the woman, 'No longer because of your speech do we trust; for we ourselves have heard and know that this is truly the Savior of the world, the Christ.'

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st century, Samaritans and Jews shared a complex history of mutual distrust and separation, rooted in differing religious practices and claims to the Torah. The Samaritans worshipped at Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, and were viewed by Jews as ethnically and religiously impure. For a Samaritan woman to testify about a Jewish man, and for her testimony to be accepted by her community, was culturally significant. The Samaritans’ initial belief based on her word reflects the honor-shame dynamics of testimony in their society, where a credible witness could shift communal opinion. Their persistent requests for Jesus to stay indicate hospitality norms, where hosting a teacher or prophet was a mark of honor. Their declaration that they now believe because they have heard Him directly underscores the shift from secondhand testimony to personal encounter, a key marker of authentic faith in their context. This passage highlights the breaking of ethnic and religious barriers through shared recognition of Jesus as the Savior.

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How other translations render this

JHN 4:39

KJV: 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.
BSB: Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the womanʼs testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
Koinōnos: Out of that city, now, many of the Samaritans trusted in him because of the message of the woman testifying, 'He told me all things whatever I did.

JHN 4:40

KJV: So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
BSB: So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days.
Koinōnos: Therefore when the Samaritans came to him, they were asking him to abide with them — and he stayed there two days.

JHN 4:41

KJV: And many more believed because of his own word;
BSB: And many more believed because of His message.
Koinōnos: And many more trusted because of his word,

JHN 4:42

KJV: 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.
BSB: They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”
Koinōnos: and they were saying to the woman, 'No longer because of your speech do we trust; for we ourselves have heard and know that this is truly the Savior of the world, the Christ.

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

Translator's notes

JHN 4:39

believed:The word translated 'believed' here implies a deep trust and reliance, not just intellectual assent to a fact. It suggests placing one's confidence in someone or something.
word:The term translated 'word' can encompass a spoken utterance, a message, a teaching, or even the underlying reason or principle behind something. It's more than just a single utterance.

JHN 4:40

they were asking:The phrase 'they were asking' indicates a continuous or repeated action, suggesting persistent requests rather than a single, isolated question.

JHN 4:42

speech:The word translated 'speech' refers to the manner or quality of speaking, often implying a particular accent, dialect, or way of expressing oneself, rather than just the content of what is said.