John 4:8

Modern

(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

Traditional

(For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

Literal

For His disciples had gone away into the city, that they might buy food.

Latin

(Discipuli enim ejus abierant in civitatem ut cibos emerent.)

Greek

English

(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

At an ancient well in Samaria, Jesus offered himself as living water. This living water means the life that comes from God. Jesus spoke openly about who he was. When he revealed God’s truth, people had to respond. They either followed him or turned away.
The Samaritan woman is very different from Nicodemus. She was a woman, not a man. She was a Samaritan, not a Jew. She had a sinful past, not a reputation for righteousness. She was an outsider, not a respected teacher of Israel.
Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and did not openly respond to the challenges from Jesus (3:1–21). The Samaritan woman spoke with Jesus in the daylight. She recognized him as Lord. She remained in the light and showed signs of becoming a disciple (see 1:35–51).

Theme notes and profiles

Luke 9:13
But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.”
John 6:5–7
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”
John 4:39
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
John 4:5
So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.