translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JHN

label: NET translator note

text: 565 1241 al lat bo). On the other hand, this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions elsewhere only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12 ; and probably 6:23 , preferring ᾿Ιησοῦς most of the time. This fact could be used to argue that scribes, acquainted with John’s style, changed κύριος to ᾿Ιησοῦς . But the immediate context generally is weighed more heavily than an author’s style. It is possible that neither word was in the original text and scribes supplied what they thought most appropriate (see TCGNT 176). But without ms evidence to this effect coupled with the harder reading ᾿Ιησοῦς , this conjecture must remain doubtful. All in all, it is best to regard ᾿Ιησοῦς as the original reading here.


text: Grk “Jesus”; the repetition of the proper name is somewhat redundant in English (see the beginning of the verse) and so the pronoun (“he”) has been substituted here.


text: Grk “was making.”


text: Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας ( Samareias ) has been translated as an attributive genitive.


text: (“on the ground”) may be correct.


text: Grk “the sixth hour.” sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”


text: Grk “a woman from Samaria.” According to BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια , the prepositional phrase is to be translated as a simple attributive: “ γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας a Samaritan woman J 4:7 .”


text: The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν ( pein ).


text: Grk “buy food.”


text: Or “a Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” The same term occurs in the plural later in this verse. In one sense “Judean” would work very well in the translation here, since the contrast is between residents of the two geographical regions. However, since in the context of this chapter the discussion soon becomes a religious rather than a territorial one (cf. vv. 19-26 ), the translation “Jew” has been retained here and in v. 22 .


text: “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν ( pein ).


text: D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [ Jn 4:7 ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning. sn The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.


text: Grk “answered and said to her.”


text: Or “if you knew.”


text: This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek. sn The word translated living is used in Greek of flowing water, which leads to the woman’s misunderstanding in the following verse. She thought Jesus was referring to some unknown source of drinkable water.


text: Or “Lord.” The Greek term κύριος ( kurios ) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage there is probably a gradual transition from one to the other as the woman’s respect for Jesus grows throughout the conversation ( 4:11, 15, 19 ).


text: has ἡ γυνή in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. For English stylistic reasons, the translation also includes “the woman” here.


text: The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ ( frear , “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή ( phgh ).


text: The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”


text: Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of “for he” the Greek reads “who”).


text: Grk “will thirst.”


text: Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.


text: Or “well.” “Fountain” is used as the translation for πηγή ( phgh ) here since the idea is that of an artesian well that flows freely, but the term “artesian well” is not common in contemporary English.


text: The verb ἁλλομένου ( Jallomenou ) is used of quick movement (like jumping) on the part of living beings. This is the only instance of its being applied to the action of water. However, in the LXX it is used to describe the “Spirit of God” as it falls on Samson and Saul. See Judg 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Kgdms 10:2, 10 LXX (= 1 Sam 10:6, 10 ET); and Isa 35:6 (note context).


text: Grk “or come here to draw.”


text: The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν ( antlein ) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.


text: pc ). It is unlikely that scribes would have deliberately expunged the name of Jesus from the text here, especially since it aids the reader with the flow of the dialogue. Further, that the name occurs both anarthrously and with the article suggests that it was a later addition. (For similar arguments, see the tc note on “woman” in 4:11 ).


text: Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).


text: Grk “answered and said to him.”


text: Grk “Well have you said.”


text: The word order in Jesus’ reply is reversed from the woman’s original statement. The word “husband” in Jesus’ reply is placed in an emphatic position.


text: Grk “the one you have.”


text: Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.


text: The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Grk “an hour.”


text: The verb is plural.


text: The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “worship” is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.


text: Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9 .


text: “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.


text: Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”


text: This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους ( toioutous ) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας ( proskunounta" ) as the complement. sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.


text: Here πνεῦμα ( pneuma ) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός ( qeos ) is the subject.


text: Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.” sn The one called Christ . This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20 .


text: Grk “that one.”


text: Or “he will announce to us.”


text: Grk “all things.”


text: Or “his disciples returned”; Grk “came” (“back” is supplied in keeping with English usage). Because of the length of the Greek sentence it is better to divide here and begin a new English sentence, leaving the καί ( kai ) before ἐθαύμαζον ( eqaumazon ) untranslated.


text: BDAG 444 s.v. θαυμάζω 1.a. γ has “be surprised that” followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.


text: The ὅτι ( Joti ) could also be translated as declarative (“that he had been speaking with a woman”) but since this would probably require translating the imperfect verb as a past perfect (which is normal after a declarative ὅτι ), it is preferable to take this ὅτι as causal.


text: Grk “seek.” See John 4:23 . sn The question “What do you want?” is John’s editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus’ statement in v. 23 : It is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.


text: The term ἄνθρωποι ( anqrwpoi ) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [ anhr ]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.


text: Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός ( cristos ) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Μεσσίας [ Messias ] is the lead term and is qualified by χριστός ) to translate χριστός as “Messiah” here.


text: The use of μήτι ( mhti ) normally presupposes a negative answer. This should not be taken as an indication that the woman did not believe, however. It may well be an example of “reverse psychology,” designed to gain a hearing for her testimony among those whose doubts about her background would obviate her claims.


text: “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.


text: Grk “were asking him, saying.”


text: The direct object of φάγε ( fage ) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.


text: An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.


text: The direct object of ἤνεγκεν ( hnenken ) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “did they?”).


text: Or “to accomplish.”


text: The substantival ἵνα ( Jina ) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause. sn No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: The disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.


text: The recitative ὅτι ( Joti ) after λέγετε ( legete ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.


text: That is, “ripe.”


text: Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.


text: The recitative ὅτι ( Joti ) after ἀληθινός ( alhqino" ) has not been translated.


text: Grk “when she testified.”


text: Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.


text: Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction καί ( kai ) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.


text: Or “and they believed much more.”


text: Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).


text: For location see Map1-C3 ; Map2-D2 ; Map3-C5 .


text: Grk “And in.”


text: Although βασιλικός ( basiliko" ) has often been translated “nobleman” it is almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9 , Mark 6:14-29 ). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.


text: The direct object of ἠρώτα ( hrwta ) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


text: The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than the royal official alone).


text: Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε ( pisteushte ) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.


text: Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


text: Grk “and left.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.


text: Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος ( doulos ) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος ), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.


text: Grk “the hour.”


text: BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν ( komyoteron ecein ) as “begin to improve.”


text: The second οὖν ( oun ) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.


text: Grk “at the seventh hour.”


text: Grk “at that hour.”


text: This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. 2:11 where the same construction occurs.