John 4:18

John 4:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
• New International Version (NIV)The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true."
• New King James Version (NKJV)for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

Context of John 4:18

16At this, Jesus said, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17The woman answered, “I do not have a husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I do not have a husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband. You have said this truthfully.” 19The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one ought to worship is in Jerusalem [at the temple].”

John 4:18 word by word

πέντε γὰρ ἄνδρας ἔσχες, καὶ νῦν ὃν ἔχεις οὐκ ἔστιν σου ἀνήρ· τοῦτο ἀληθὲς εἴρηκας.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thou hast hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• fiveπέντεpente · fiveG4002
• husbandsἀνήρanēr · man: husbandG435
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• he whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• thyσύsu · youG4771
• in thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• saidst thouἐρῶereō · to sayG2046
• trulyἀληθήςalēthēs · trueG227

Cross-references for John 4:18

• Genesis 20:3But God came to Abimelech in a dream during the night, and said, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken [as your wife], for she is another man’s wife.”
• Genesis 34:2When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince (sheik) of the land, saw her, he kidnapped her and lay [intimately] with her by force [humbling and offending her].
• Numbers 5:29‘This is the law of jealousy: when a wife goes astray [while married] and defiles herself,
• Ruth 4:10I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife to restore the name of the deceased to his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the gate of his birthplace. You are witnesses today.”
• Jeremiah 3:20Surely, as a wife treacherously (unfaithfully) leaves her husband, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.
• Ezekiel 16:32You adulterous wife, who welcomes and receives strangers instead of her husband!
• Mark 10:12and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
• Romans 7:3Accordingly, she will be designated as an adulteress if she unites herself to another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law [regarding marriage], so that she is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
• 1 Corinthians 7:10But to the married [believers] I give instructions—not I, but the Lord—that the wife is not to separate from her husband,
• Hebrews 13:4Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Commentaries on John 4:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Thou hast had five husbands - It is not clear that this woman was a prostitute: she might have been legally married to those five, and might have been divorced through some misbehavior of her own, not amounting to adultery; for the adulteress was to be put to death, both by the Jewish and Samaritan law, not divorced: or she might have been cast off through some caprice of her husband; for, in the time of our Lord, divorces were very common among the Jews…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Hast had five husbands - Who have either died; or who, on account of your improper conduct, have divorced you; or whom you have left improperly, without legal divorce. Either of these might have be. en the case. Is not thy husband - You are not lawfully married to him. Either she might have left a former husband without divorce, and thus her marriage with this man was unlawful, or she was living with him without the form of marriage, in open guilt.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. 16-18The woman’s immoral life affected her understanding. Her pattern of broken relationships kept her from seeing clearly. She had been married five times. She was also living with a man who was not her husband. These facts show that her life did not match God’s will. Her sin created a barrier between her and a full understanding of what Jesus was saying.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1815-18. give me this water, &c.--This is not obtuseness--that is giving way--it expresses a wondering desire after she scarce knew what from this mysterious Stranger.Read the comment

Topics related to John 4:18

• Adultery
• Jacob
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Samaria
• Shechem
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Dealing
• Ere
• God
• Hear
• Live
• Meat
• Messiah
• Samaritans
• Spirit
• Truth

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