John 4:19

"for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”"

Key Reflection

In John 4:19, Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman at the well and astutely addresses her marital history, pointing out that she has had five husbands in the past and is currently living with a man who is not legally her husband. This statement would have been shocking to the original audience, as it directly challenged traditional views on marriage and morality prevalent in first-century Judaism. Jesus's insight into the woman’s personal life demonstrates his divine knowledge and underscores his unique role as the Messiah, one who knows even the most private details of people’s lives.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. A prophet. One sent from God, and who understood her life. The word here does not denote one who foretells future events, but one who knew her heart and life, and who must therefore have come from God. She did not yet suppose him to be the Messiah, Joh 4:25. Believing him now to be a man sent from God, she proposed to him a question respecting the proper place of worship. This point had been long a matter of dispute between the Samaritans and the Jews. She submitted it to him because she thought he could settle the question, and perhaps because she wished to divert the conversation from the unpleasant topic respecting her husbands.

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