Lectionary Year A
March 3, 2002
John 4:5-42
Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation
A. Comparing Translations
(GG)
Translations compared were
a. Revised Standard Version
b. The Message
c. New International Version
Verse 6
a. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour
b. Jacob's well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
c. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour
Verse 8 - Why?
Verse 10
a. 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."
b. Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."
c. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water
Verse 11 (Tone/Attitude)
a. The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
b. The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this 'living water'?
c. "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
Verse 23 and 24 (Worship Focus)
a. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
b. But the time is coming- it has, in fact, come- when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. "It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself- Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."
c. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Verse 27
a. Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?"
b. Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn't believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.
c. Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?"
B. Textual Criticism
(PC)
B. In verse 9, the first hand of Sinaiticus and Bezae lack ou gar sugcrwntai
Ioudaioi SamaritaiV. Since Sinaiticus is the only Alexandrian manuscript that lacks this phrase, we can conclude, by external evidence, that the phrase deserves to be a part of the text.
In verse 11, h gunh is omitted by Vaticanus and P-75, whereas the first hand of Sinaiticus has ekeinh instead of h gunh. P-66, the second corrector to Sinaiticus, C, L, Y, and 33 support the reading h gunh. It would seem that these latter manuscripts are trying to clarify the subject of legei, and by the principle of lectio brevior, we should favor the omission of h gunh.
(GG)
In verse 11 the parenthetical explanation Îh` gunh,Đ has been a point of discussion. Metzger tells us "It is difficult to decide whether h` gunh, is a natural addition introduced by copyists in order to clarify the subject..." I prefer the inclusion of the explanation for just that reason, clarification of the subject. However a better reason exist for including h` gunh, a majority of the Alexandrian Family support its inclusion my preference is supported by the
In verse 27, the varying connotations which were elicited form "They marveled", "They were shocked," and "were surprised," prompted exploration of the original word.
evqau,mazon verb indicative imperfect active 3rd person plural
Root: from Greek Word: qauma,zw marvel, wonder, be amazed
Phonetic Pronunciation: thou?mad'?zo
Usage Notes:
English Words used in KJV: Books Distribution
marvel 29 Gospels and Acts 32
wonder 14 Epistles 9
have in admiration/admire 3 Revelation 5
Total Count: 46
In looking into the uses of this word I found it mostly in response to acts of God, something so incredible only God could have done it. Mary and Joseph response to their son; the public responses to the works of Jesus; angels responses to scenes at the end of time. The use I thought most interesting was Jesus' response to gentile faith; He marveled/was in wonder/admired the faith of the gentiles, Matthew 8:10; something so incredible only The Father could have done it.
C. Rough Translation
(JEA)
5) Therefore he comes into a city of Samaria being referred to as Sychar, neighboring the piece of land which Jacob gave to Joseph his son. 6) And there was there the spring (well?) of Jacob. Therefore Jesus, when he had grown weary out of the road-journeying, sat down thus at the spring; it was about the sixth hour. 7) A woman out of Samaria comes to draw out (“antleo”) water. Jesus says to her, “Give to me to drink!” 8) For his disciples had gone away (“aperchomai” 3rd. p. pl. plpf.) into the city in order that they might market-purchase food. 9) Therefore the woman, the Samaritan one, says to him, “How (in what way?) are you being a Jew asking to drink from me being a Samaritan woman? For Jews do not associate with (“synchraomai”) Samaritans.” 10) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is the one saying to you ‘Give me to drink’ you would ask him and he would give to you (Gr. aor. ind. verb forms + subj. particle “an”...unusual construction) living water.” 11) The woman says to him, “Lord (sir?), you do not have a drawing thing (bucket?) and the well is deep; whence, therefore, do you have the water, the living one? 12) Are you not greater (Gr. construction expects a negative reply) than our father Jacob, who gave the well to us and he himself drank out of it and his sons and his cattle (nurslings, householders, slaves?)?” 13) Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks from this water will be thirsty again. 14) But whoever drinks out of the water of which I will give to him/her (“the drinking ‘anthropos’” understood) never (double negative) will thirst into eternity, but the water which I will give to him/her will become in him/her a spring of water leaping forth (“allomai” gushing?) into eternal life.” 15) The woman says toward him, “Lord (sir?), give me this water in order that I may not thirst and may not journey here to draw out!” 16) He says to her, “Go, tell your husband and come (back?) here!” 17) The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus says to her, “You spoke well ‘a husband I do not have,’ 18) for you had five husbands and whom you now have is not your husband. This thing you have spoken is a true thing.” 19) The woman says to him, “Lord (sir?), I see that you are a prophet. 20) Our fathers worshiped in this mountain , and you all say that among the ones of Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to worship.” 21) Jesus says to her, “Trust me, woman, because the hour comes when neither in this mountain nor among those of Jerusalem you all will worship the Father. 22) You all worship what thing you know; we worship what thing we know, because salvation if out of the Jews. 23) But the hour comes and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for also the Father seeks such ones who are worshiping him. 24) God is Spirit, and the ones worshiping him in spirit and in truth it is necessary to worship.” 25) The woman says to him, “I know that Messiah comes, the One being referred to as Christ. When that One comes he will announce up all things to us.” 26) Jesus says to her, “I am, the One speaking to you.”
27) And his disciples came (cf. 1st aor. ending on a 2nd aor. verb form!) upon this thing and were marveling that he was speaking with a woman. No one, however, said, “What are you seeking or why do you speak with her?” 28) Therefore the woman left (let get full?) her water pot and went away into the city and says to the people, 29) “There, you all look a human who said to me all things which so many I did; this One is not the Christ, right?” 30) They went out out of the city and they were coming toward him.
31) In the meantime the disciples were asking him saying, “Rabbi, eat!” 32) But he said to them, “ I have sustenance to eat which you all do not know.” 33) Therefore the disciples were saying toward one another, “Did someone bring to him to eat?” (expecting negative reply) 34) Jesus says to them, “My sustenance it is in order that I may do the will of the One having sent me and may complete his work. 35) Do you all not say that it is yet four months and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you all, you all lift up your eyes and see the fields that they are white toward harvest already. 36) The one harvesting takes payment and gathers together fruit (yield?) into eternal life in order that the one sowing may rejoice together with the one harvesting. 37) For in this thing the saying is true that different is the one sowing and different is the one harvesting. 38) I sent you all to harvest what thing you all had not labored. Others labored and you all have entered into their labor.”
39) And out of that city many of the Samaritans believed in him through the report of the woman witnessing that he told me all things which I did. 40) Therefore as the Samaritans went toward him they were asking him to remain alongside them , and he remained there two days. 41) And much the more ones they believed on account of his speech, 42) and they were saying to the woman, “We believe no longer on account of the your report, for we ourselves heard and we know that this One is truly the Savior of the cosmos.”
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