John 4:12

John 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
• New International Version (NIV)Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

Context of John 4:12

10Jesus answered her, “If you knew [about] God’s gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life).” 11She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no bucket and rope] and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?” 13Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14But whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. But the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water [satisfying his thirst for God] welling up [continually flowing, bubbling within him] to eternal life.”

John 4:12 word by word

μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακώβ, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ φρέαρ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔπιεν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θρέμματα αὐτοῦ;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μήmē · notG3361
• Artεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• greater thanμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fatherὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• JacobἸακώβIakōb · JacobG2384
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• the wellφρέαρphrear · well/abyssG5421
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• drankπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
• ·ἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• thereofαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• cattleθρέμμαthremma · livestockG2353

Cross-references for John 4:12

• John 8:53Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too! Whom do You make Yourself out to be?”
• Isaiah 53:2For He [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender shoot (plant), And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majestic splendor That we would look at Him, Nor [handsome] appearance that we would be attracted to Him.
• Matthew 12:42The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.
• Hebrews 3:3Yet Jesus has been considered worthy of much greater glory and honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house.

Commentaries on John 4:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Our father Jacob - The ancient Samaritans were undoubtedly the descendants of Jacob; for they were the ten tribes that revolted in the reign of Rehoboam: but those in our Lord's time were not genuine Israelites, but a corrupted race, sprung from a mixture of different nations, sent thither by Salmanezer, king of the Assyrians. See 2 Kings 17:24.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Art thou greater? - Art thou wiser, or better able to find water, than Jacob was? It seems that she supposed that he meant that he could direct her to some living spring, or to some better well in that region, and that this implied more knowledge or skill than Jacob had. To find water and to furnish a good well was doubtless considered a matter of signal skill and success. It was a subject of great importance in that region. This shows how ready sinners…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-26Verses 4-26 There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12Our father Jacob: The Samaritan woman respected the holy traditions related to the well more than the presence of God in front of her.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-129-12. How is it that thou--not altogether refusing, yet wondering at so unusual a request from a Jew, as His dress and dialect would at once discover Him to be, to a Samaritan. for, &c.--It is this national antipathy that gives point to the parable of the good Samaritan (Lu 10:30-37), and the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper (Lu 17:16, 18).Read the comment

Topics related to John 4:12

• Jacob
• Jesus, the Christ
• Samaria
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• Jacob
• Jacob, Israel
• Dealing
• Ere
• God
• Hear
• Live
• Meat
• Messiah
• Samaritans

Commentaries on John 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings