John 4:6

Jacob’s well. This well is situated about ten minutes’ walk below the village of ‘Askar, on the road to Jerusalem. No site connected with the life of Jesus is more certainly identified than this well, which still provides water for a monastery garden at the foot of Mt. Gerizim. Numerous springs in the region make it seem strange that anyone should go to the trouble of digging a well. But Jacob was a stranger in the land and may have dug the well in order to avoid an argument over water rights (cf. Gen. 26:17-22).

Being wearied. Jesus and the disciples had probably been on the road since dawn, and may have traveled 15 or 20 mi. (24 or 32 km.). John often mentions the emotions and physical limitations of Jesus as a man among men (see chs. 1:14; 11:3,33,35,38; 12:27; 13:21; 19:28; see on ch. 4:7). Jesus never performed a miracle to satisfy His personal needs or to mitigate His own physical pangs of thirst or hunger (see on Matt. 4:3, 6).

On the well. That is, on the curbstone of the well.

The sixth hour. It is not certain what system of time reckoning John used (cf. chs. 1:39; 4:52; 19:14). Generally, however, it is thought that “the sixth hour” would be noon (see DA 183). Had it been evening, Jesus would probably have accompanied the disciples to Sychar or continued on to Shechem, a short distance beyond, to find lodging for the night. Also, morning and evening were the usual times for drawing water, and there would no doubt have been others at the well.