English Standard Version
John 4:12
12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."
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?”
- 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?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”
Context of John 4:12
10Jesus 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." 11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." 13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Read all of John 4John 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? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?"
- Isaiah 53:2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
- Matthew 12:42The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
- Hebrews 3:3For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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