Samaritan Woman at the Well, Part 2 (John 4:7–15 Meaning & Commentary)
Quick Summary
In John 4:7–15, Jesus begins his conversation with the Samaritan woman by asking for a drink. Their dialogue quickly shifts from physical water to the promise of “living water.” This passage reveals Jesus’ boundary-crossing grace and his offer of eternal life that satisfies the deepest thirst.
Introduction
The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of the longest dialogues in the New Testament. Part 2 begins with the woman arriving at the well at noon, an unusual time to draw water, and Jesus making a surprising request: “Give me a drink.” What follows is a conversation that moves from social boundaries to spiritual realities.
This section highlights two key themes. First, Jesus crosses barriers—gender, ethnicity, and social norms—to engage her. Second, he offers living water, a symbol of eternal life and the Spirit. What begins as a simple request opens the door to the revelation of God’s gift.
John 4:7–8
“A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink.’ (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)” (John 4:7–8)
The arrival of the Samaritan woman at noon is striking. Most women would draw water early or late in the day, avoiding the heat. Her timing hints at social isolation. Is it because of her relationship status?
Into this moment, Jesus speaks: “Give me a drink.” For a Jewish man to ask a Samaritan woman for water defied custom and expectations.
Jesus initiates the conversation, breaking barriers. This reflects the Word who “became flesh and lived among us” (John 1:14). He does not wait for people to come on acceptable terms but meets them where they are—even at a well, in the heat of the day.
John 4:9
“The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)” (John 4:9)
Her question underscores the tension. Jews avoided Samaritans, and men did not typically converse with women in public. The parenthetical note highlights how extraordinary this interaction is. The barriers are ethnic, religious, and cultural.
By engaging her, Jesus embodies the expansive scope of God’s love introduced in John 3:16. The Gospel is not confined by human prejudice. This boundary-crossing moment anticipates the global vision of salvation, later echoed in Revelation’s picture of a multitude from every nation.
Aside: when reading the gospels and seeing parenthetical notations like this one in this verse, we begin to see a profile of the writer’s audience. John would be writing to at least a mixed audience that included Gentiles who were not familiar with the line drawn between Jews and Samaritans.
John 4:10
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,” you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’” (John 4:10)
Jesus redirects the conversation. She focuses on boundaries, but he reveals God’s gift: living water. In the Old Testament, living water meant fresh, flowing water (Jeremiah 2:13). Spiritually, it symbolizes God’s life-giving presence.
Jesus identifies himself as the giver of that water. The “gift of God” is not simply refreshment but eternal life through the Spirit. This anticipates his later words: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink” (John 7:37–38).
John 4:11–12
“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’” (John 4:11–12)
She misunderstands, taking Jesus’ words literally. Living water sounds impossible without a bucket. Her question about Jacob hints at reverence for ancestry and tradition. Can Jesus surpass the patriarch who gave them this well?
This misunderstanding is typical in John’s Gospel. Like Nicodemus asking about re-entering a womb (John 3:4), the Samaritan woman hears physically what Jesus means spiritually. Her question opens the door for deeper revelation.
John 4:13–14
“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’” (John 4:13–14)
Jesus contrasts ordinary water with the living water he gives. Physical water quenches thirst temporarily. The water he offers satisfies eternally, becoming a spring within the believer. This imagery anticipates the Spirit as the source of eternal life.
This promise echoes Isaiah’s vision: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). It also looks forward to Revelation’s vision of the river of life, flowing from God’s throne. The theme of living water connects creation, prophecy, Gospel, and consummation.
John 4:15
“The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’” (John 4:15)
Her response is still half-literal, half-longing. She desires freedom from the daily chore of drawing water, yet her words reveal a deeper thirst. The conversation has moved her from skepticism to desire. Jesus is drawing her step by step toward faith.
In this, she represents all of us. We come to Jesus with surface needs, but he addresses our deeper hunger for eternal life. Her request, though not yet fully understanding, opens the way for revelation of who Jesus truly is.
John 4:7–15 Meaning for Today
This passage challenges us to see beyond surface divisions. Jesus speaks with someone considered an outsider, showing that God’s love is wider than our boundaries. His willingness to cross barriers calls us to examine our own prejudices and to meet others with grace.
It also invites us to recognize our deeper thirst. We often chase after things that temporarily satisfy—success, possessions, approval—but the well runs dry. Jesus offers living water that becomes a spring within us, sustaining us with eternal life.
Finally, this section reminds us that faith can begin with misunderstanding. The Samaritan woman does not grasp everything at once, but her openness leads to revelation. God meets us where we are, even in partial understanding, and draws us deeper into truth.
FAQ: John 4:7–15
Why is it significant that Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman?
Because Jews avoided Samaritans and men rarely addressed women in public. Jesus’ act shows his mission transcends social boundaries.
What is “living water”?
It refers spiritually to eternal life through the Spirit, symbolizing God’s life-giving presence that satisfies forever.
Why does the woman mention Jacob?
She honors her heritage, questioning whether Jesus is greater than the patriarch who gave them the well.
Does the woman understand Jesus at this point?
Not fully. She takes his words literally but begins to sense that he offers something greater.
Sources / Further Reading
Raymond E. Brown, John (AYB), John 4
D. A. Carson, John (PNTC), John 4
Gail R. O’Day, John (NIB), John 4
Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John, John 4
Andreas J. Köstenberger, John (BECNT), John 4
