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

16Jesus told her, “Go to your husband, and bring him here.” 17The woman replied, “I don’t have a husband.” Jesus told her, “You’re right when you say that you don’t have a husband. You’ve had five husbands, and the man you have now isn’t your husband. You’ve told the truth.” 19The woman said to Jesus, “I see that you’re a prophet! 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain. But you Jews say that people must worship in Jerusalem.”

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 20:3God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, “You’re going to die because of the woman that you’ve taken! She’s a married woman!”
• Genesis 34:2When Shechem, son of the local ruler Hamor the Hivite, saw her, he took her and raped her.
• Numbers 5:29“These are the instructions for how to deal with jealousy. They tell you what to do when a woman is unfaithful to her husband and becomes unclean.
• Ruth 4:10In addition, I have bought as my wife the Moabite Ruth, Mahlon’s widow, to keep the inheritance in the dead man’s name. In this way the dead man’s name will not be cut off from his relatives or from the public records. Today you are witnesses.”
• Jeremiah 3:20But like a wife who betrays her husband, so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me,” declares the Lord.
• Ezekiel 16:32You are an adulterous wife who prefers strangers to her husband.
• Mark 10:12If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”
• Romans 7:3So if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she will be called an adulterer. But if her husband dies, she is free from this law, so she is not committing adultery if she marries another man.
• 1 Corinthians 7:10I pass this command along (not really I, but the Lord): A wife shouldn’t leave her husband.
• Hebrews 13:4Marriage is honorable in every way, so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

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