Explore the Bible Online

John 4:21-27

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

21. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth. 25. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am [he]. 27. And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

John 4:21-27 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on John 4:21

Theological / Devotional

Woman, believe me. This is the only NT use of the emphatic expression “believe me.” Compare the solemn affirmation, “verily, verily” (see on ch. 1:51). Jesus solemnly appeals to the woman to forget the forms of worship and the traditional controversy between Jew and Samaritan as to where these forms should be practiced.

The hour cometh. See v. 23.

Ye. In Greek the word is plural, thus including all Samaritans who truly worship God.

Neither in this mountain. The worship of God would not be restricted to any particular locality — Judea, Samaria, or elsewhere.

Having awakened in the woman a desire for “living water,” whatever it might be, and a conviction of her personal need for it, Jesus now proceeds to guide her to the point of decision (vs. 21-27). He brings her wandering thoughts to a focus by defining true religion (vs. 21-23), extends to her an invitation to become a true worshiper (vs. 23, 24), and then leads her to the point of decision by identifying Himself as the Messiah (v. 26), and thus as one who speaks with spiritual authority. He completely disarmed her prejudice and foiled her attempt to evade the issue by making it clear that He did not share the religious bias that separated the Jews from the Samaritans. Both might become “true worshippers.” Eventually there is to be but one “fold” (ch. 10:16). She responds by an honest declaration of faith in the Messianic hope, which the Samaritans shared. Her prompt action (ch. 4:28, 29) testified eloquently of her decision. Jesus here envisions a day when the Jews will cease to be God’s chosen people.

By SdaBc