John 4:7-15 · Bible study
John 4:7-15 Commentary: Jesus Offers Living Water
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus breaks ethnic and gender barriers to offer living water. Study the meaning of this gift and its promise of eternal satisfaction.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus offers the gift of the Spirit and eternal life to an outsider, using a request for water to reveal spiritual thirst.
- Key words: “living water” (ὕδωρ ζῶν), “gift of God” (δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ), “spring” (πηγή), “thirst” (διψάω).
- Main debate: Whether the woman’s five husbands (v.18) are an allegory for the five foreign gods of Samaria or a literal account of her broken relationships.
- Theological theme: Salvation as a free gift received from Jesus, who alone can satisfy the soul’s deepest longing.
- Best use: Evangelistic sermons, small groups on grace, studies on overcoming prejudice for the sake of the gospel.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
7When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9“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.)
10Jesus 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.”
11“Sir,” the woman replied, “You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
12Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?”
13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.
14But 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.”
15The 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.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
7A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
8For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
9The 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.)
10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
11The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water?
12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?”
13Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,
14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
KJV King James Version 1769
7There 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.)
9Then 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.
10Jesus 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.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14But 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.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
7There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
8For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food.
9The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
10Jesus 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.
11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said unto her, Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
14but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life.
15The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
7there cometh a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, `Give me to drink;'
8for his disciples were gone away to the city, that they may buy victuals;
9the Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, `How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' for Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'
11The woman saith to him, `Sir, thou hast not even a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, hast thou the living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'
13Jesus answered and said to her, `Every one who is drinking of this water shall thirst again;
14but whoever may drink of the water that I will give him, may not thirst--to the age; and the water that I will give him shall become in him a well of water, springing up to life age-during.'
15The woman saith unto him, `Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
7A woman comes out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, Give me to drink
8(for his disciples had gone away into the city that they might buy provisions).
9The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask to drink of me who am a Samaritan woman? for Jews have no intercourse with Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11The woman says to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said to her, Every one who drinks of this water shall thirst again;
14but whosoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst for ever, but the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life.
15The woman says to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst nor come here to draw.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
7There cometh a woman of Samaria, to draw water. Jesus saith to her: Give me to drink.
8For his disciples were gone into the city to buy meats.
9Then that Samaritan woman saith to him: How dost thou, being a Jew; ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans.
10Jesus answered and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God and who he is that saith to thee: Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
11The woman saith to him: Sir, thou hast nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou living water?
12Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof, himself and his children and his cattle?
13Jesus answered and said to her: Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him shall not thirst for ever.
14But the water that I will give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.
15The woman said to him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 4:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jesus deliberately crosses social, ethnic and gender boundaries by speaking with a Samaritan woman. Calvin calls it “an astonishing instance of his goodness” that he would teach a woman who did not deserve a word from him. The request for a drink opens the door to spiritual truth. Barnes notes that “the gift of God” refers both to Jesus himself and the opportunity for salvation now before her. Clarke ties “living water” to the Holy Spirit, while Gill identifies it with the Spirit and his grace. Vincent draws attention to the Greek verbs for drinking: pās ho pínōn (present participle, habitual drinking) in v.13, contrasted with hòs d’ àn píēi (aorist subjunctive, one-time action) in v.14, Jesus offers a single drink that ends spiritual thirst forever. The woman’s literal-mindedness (v.11,15) is not mere obtuseness; as Clarke and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown observe, it shows the slow awakening of a soul not yet recognizing who Jesus is.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus offers a Samaritan woman — an outsider — the free gift of eternal satisfaction through the Spirit, and invites her to ask for it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| What “living water” refers to | Christians agree that living water refers to the Holy Spirit and/or the grace and eternal life that Jesus gives. | Some traditions emphasize the Spirit as the primary referent (Clarke, Gill), while others include Jesus’ own teaching and the benefits of the gospel (Barnes). |
| The meaning of “the gift of God” | All agree it points to something freely given by God, not earned. | Some see it as Jesus himself (Barnes, linking to John 3:16); others as the offer of salvation or the Spirit (Calvin, Wesley). |
| The woman’s spiritual state | Commentators agree she begins with little understanding and gradually moves toward faith. | Some (Gill, Clarke) see her as scoffing and resistant at first; others (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Wesley) see her as curious and open despite misunderstanding. |
| The five husbands (v.18) | Historically, she had five previous husbands and was now with a man not her husband. | Some interpret the five husbands allegorically as the five nations that settled Samaria (2 Kings 17:24); others insist on a literal reading. The Cambridge Bible strongly rejects the allegorical view as a “pure fiction.” |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jews and Samaritans had a long history of hostility. Samaritans were descended from a mix of Israelites and foreign colonists brought by the Assyrians after 722 BC (2 Kings 17:24). They worshiped God on Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem, and accepted only the Pentateuch. Jews avoided Samaria altogether, often taking the longer route east of the Jordan. But John 4:4 says Jesus “needed to pass through Samaria”, a theological necessity, not a geographic one.
Jacob’s well, near the city of Sychar (ancient Shechem), was a landmark with deep history (Gen 33:19; 48:22; John 4:5). The well was deep, requiring a bucket (ántlēma) to draw water (v.11). The woman came at the sixth hour (noon), an unusual time for drawing water, perhaps to avoid other women due to her reputation (v.18). Jesus was tired and thirsty; his disciples had gone to the city to buy food, leaving him alone (v.8). This solitude created the opportunity for a private conversation that broke every social convention. As Poole observes, the disciples’ absence explains why Jesus asked a stranger for water.
Textual Notes
The supplied excerpts and the Greek text show no significant variant readings for John 4:7-15. The passage is well preserved across manuscripts, and translators agree on the wording. The few minor differences (e.g., the inclusion of “again” in some manuscripts at v.15) do not affect interpretation.
Reception History
From the early church, this passage was read as a model of evangelism to outsiders. Irenaeus and Augustine saw in the living water a type of baptism and the Holy Spirit. Origen allegorized the woman’s five husbands as the five senses or five books of the Law, though this approach was later criticized. Reformation commentators like Calvin focused on God’s free grace extending to the despised, while Wesley and Clarke emphasized the Spirit’s work in the believer. In modern times, the story has been a favorite for illustrating Jesus’ willingness to cross cultural and moral boundaries. The image of a fountain springing up to eternal life appears in hymns and devotional literature as a picture of inner spiritual renewal.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Jesus initiates across boundaries (vv.7-9). A Jewish man asks a Samaritan woman for water, setting aside centuries of hatred and cultural taboos. His need becomes the bridge to her need.
- From physical thirst to spiritual gift (vv.10-14). Jesus moves from literal water to “living water”, the Holy Spirit, grace, eternal life. The contrast between this well and the spring within shows the difference between temporary satisfaction and eternal fulfillment.
- The woman’s partial understanding (v.15). She still thinks of physical water, but her request “give me this water” shows curiosity and desire, the first step toward faith.
Five-point outline
- A surprising request (v.7), Jesus, the giver of all gifts, asks a favor from an outsider.
- Barriers exposed (v.9), Ethnic, gender and religious divides threaten to block the conversation.
- Jesus redefines the gift (v.10), “If you knew the gift of God and who asks you…”
- The contrast of waters (vv.13-14), This water versus the water Jesus gives; what is temporary versus what becomes a spring of eternal life.
- An incomplete but honest request (v.15), The woman takes the first step, even if her understanding is still limited.
Illustration hooks
- You are hiking in a desert and come across a deep well with no bucket. Someone offers you water from his own bottle, endless supply. That is what Jesus offers.
- In many cultures, asking for a drink from someone you are not supposed to talk to can start a relationship. Think of a neighborhood where people of different backgrounds rarely speak.
- The woman kept coming to the well every day, never satisfied. Many people today keep returning to the same habits, jobs, relationships, looking for water that never lasts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God seem to use people on the margins, outsiders, people with messy lives?
- How do I know if I have this “living water”? What does it feel like when it springs up?
- Does Jesus really want me to ask him for what I need, even when I barely understand what I am asking for?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Jesus starting a conversation with a woman who had every reason to expect rejection. Her life was complicated, her ethnicity despised, yet Jesus offered her the gift of God. As a small group, consider how Jesus meets us where we are, often through our everyday needs and routines.
Discussion questions
- What barriers existed between Jesus and this woman? (ethnicity, gender, religious differences, her personal history)
- Why do you think Jesus asked her for a drink instead of simply starting to teach?
- What does the phrase “the gift of God” mean in this context? (v.10)
- What is “living water”? How does Jesus describe its effect in v.14?
- The woman says “give me this water” (v.15), but she still thinks of physical water. What does this tell us about how faith grows slowly?
- In what areas of your life do you keep “coming to draw water”, hoping for satisfaction that never lasts?
- How can we be like Jesus in crossing barriers to offer spiritual help to people we might normally avoid?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 24:43 | behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” |
| II Samuel 23:15 | David said longingly, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” |
| II Samuel 23:17 | He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. |
| I Kings 17:10 | So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” |
| Matthew 10:42 | Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.” |
| John 19:28 | After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty!” |
| Luke 9:13 | But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we should go and buy food for all these people.” |
| John 4:5 | So he came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights Jesus' masterful way of turning a simple request for water into a conversation about spiritual life. He contrasts the temporary relief of physical water with the permanent satisfaction Christ gives, which becomes an ever-flowing fountain of grace within the believer. This grace, he notes, never runs dry and leads to eternal life.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes the woman's mocking disdain, which retorts Jewish contempt with Samaritan pride, and her foolish comparison of Christ the living God to the dead patriarch Jacob. Christ, though thirsty, sets aside his own need to patiently teach her, demonstrating divine grace toward one who deserves nothing and showing that spiritual water alone gives perpetual life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary defends the story's historical truth against three objections: Samaritans did expect a Messiah from the Pentateuch; Christ's two-day visit did not complete all the work; and the allegorical reading of the five husbands as pagan religions is forced and implausible. The narrative's realistic details and psychology confirm it as a faithful record.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the sovereign grace of God in this encounter: a sinful Samaritan woman, not a wise Jewish man, becomes a chosen vessel of salvation. Her coming to the well was providentially ordered, and her meeting with Christ made her the happy means of conveying knowledge of the Savior to
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the striking blend of Jesus's full humanity and divinity at the well—His weary thirst alongside His offer of living water. The contrast is fundamental: natural water only satisfies superficially and temporarily, but the water Christ gives becomes an inner, ever-flowing fountain of spiritual life.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Christ's "must needs go through Samaria" was not a matter of geographical convenience but of divine appointment to meet this woman. He draws attention to the striking contrast: the one who can give living water sits weary and asks for ordinary water, so that her need for a gift beyond her understanding might be exposed.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek grammar: "shall never thirst" uses a double negative for extreme emphasis, but he clarifies that receiving living water does not end all desire. Instead, the aorist tense points to a single, once-for-all act that establishes an inner spring, satisfying holy longings always in Christ alone.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that Christ brought the Samaritan woman to deep spiritual knowledge in one conversation, far quicker than the apostles. He highlights how Jesus draws spiritual truth from the simplest, most common things like water. The living water Christ gives becomes an inward, perpetual spring, unlike Jacob's well which must be drawn from repeatedly.