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 the woman, ‘You do not know what God could give to you. I asked you to give a drink to me. But you do not know who I am. If you did know, you would have asked me to give a drink to you. Then I would have given to you water that gives life.’ 11The woman said, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where can you get this water that gives life? Jacob, our ancestor, gave this well to us. He, his sons and his sheep, goats and cows all drank its water. Are you saying that you are greater than Jacob?’ 13Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks water from this well will get thirsty again. 14But I can give people a different kind of water. Everyone who drinks that kind of water will never get thirsty again. The water that I give them will become like a well inside them. That well will continue to provide water that gives them life for ever with God.’

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 8:53You cannot be greater than our father Abraham, and he died! You cannot be greater than the prophets, and they all died! Who do you think that you are?’
• Isaiah 53:2God's servant grew up in front of him, like a young, green plant, with its roots in dry ground. He was not handsome. He did not seem like a great king. We did not see him as a special person. There was nothing to see that would make us want to be with him.
• Matthew 12:42Also, the Queen of Sheba travelled a long way to meet King Solomon. She wanted to hear his wise words. When God judges everyone, she will stand up. She will speak against you who are alive today. She will show that you are bad people. She listened to King Solomon. But look! There is someone here now who is greater than Solomon was. But you are not listening to me.’
• Hebrews 3:3We know that someone who builds a house is more important than the house itself. In the same way, we should praise Jesus more than we praise Moses, because Jesus is greater.

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