John 4:1

"John."

Key Reflection

In John 4:1, when Jesus encounters the woman at the well, his action of speaking to her is significant because she was a Samaritan and considered unclean by many Jews. By addressing her directly with "John," Jesus breaks down religious barriers, demonstrating that salvation is for all people, not just adherents to Jewish tradition. This interaction foreshadows the broader message of John's gospel, which emphasizes that true faith transcends racial and social divides.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 1. The Lord knew. When Jesus knew. How he knew this we are not informed; whether by that power of omniscience by which he knew all things, or whether some person had informed him of it. How the Pharisees had heard. The Pharisees, here, seem to denote either the members of the Sanhedrim or those who were in authority. They claimed the authority to regulate the rites and ceremonies of religion, and hence they supposed they had a right to inquire into the conduct of both John and our Lord. They had on a former occasion sent to inquire of John to know by what authority he had introduced such a rite into the religion of the Jewish people. See Barnes "Joh 1:25". More disciples than John.

Related Verses

More from John 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion