Σαμαρεῖτις (Samareitis)
Samareitis
Samaria
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun Samareitis simply means "a Samaritan woman." It is the feminine form of the word for a Samaritan man, creating a clear linguistic distinction between the person and their ethnic identity. In the New Testament, this specific term appears only once, in John 4:9, where it identifies the woman at Jacob’s well.
Its usage carries significant social weight because it highlights the barrier between Jews and Samaritans. By using a word that explicitly marks her as an outsider from Samaria, the text underscores the unusual nature of Jesus’ conversation with her. The term does not describe her character or actions, but rather her background in a region often viewed with suspicion by Jewish audiences of that time.
Translators consistently render this word as "Samaritan woman" to preserve its straightforward descriptive function. It serves as a narrative marker, reminding readers that the encounter crosses deep cultural and religious lines. The simplicity of the term allows the focus to remain on the dialogue itself rather than on complex theological labels.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Samareitis appears just once in the New Testament, identifying the woman at Jacob’s well in John 4:9. Her label as a Samaritan highlights the deep social and religious divide between Jews and Samaritans during that time. By engaging her directly, Jesus breaks through these cultural barriers to offer living water to someone society had largely ignored.
This encounter reminds us that God’s grace does not respect human boundaries. The woman’s identity, marked by both her gender and her ethnicity, becomes the stage for a profound spiritual conversation. It shows that no one is too far removed from God’s love or outside the scope of His invitation to receive eternal life.
When we consider our own interactions with those who seem different from us, this story challenges us to look beyond labels. Jesus saw past her background to meet her need for spiritual renewal. We are invited to extend that same openness and kindness to others in our daily lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Samaritan;1×
- Samaritan1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Σαμαρῖτις·1×
- Σαμαρίτιδος1×
Key Verses
-
John 4:9
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
This verse explicitly uses the term to highlight the cultural barrier, as the woman questions why a Jew would ask her for water.