John 4:4

John 4:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he must needs go through Samaria.
• New International Version (NIV)Now he had to go through Samaria.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he had to pass through Samaria.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But He needed to go through Samaria.

Context of John 4:4

2(although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), 3He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. 5So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; 6and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:4 word by word

ἔδει δὲ αὐτὸν διέρχεσθαι διὰ τῆς Σαμαρείας.Read the interlinear

• And He hadδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163
• to passδιέρχομαιdierchomai · to pass throughG1330
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• SamariaΣαμάρειαSamareia · SamariaG4540

Cross-references for John 4:4

• Matthew 10:5These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;
• Luke 2:49And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
• Luke 9:51When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem;
• Luke 17:11While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee.

Commentaries on John 4:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And he must needs go through Samaria - Or, It was necessary for him to pass through Samaria: for this plain reason, and no other, because it was the only proper road. Samaria lay northward of Judea, and between the great sea, Galilee, and Jordan; and there was therefore no going from Galilee to Jerusalem but through this province. See the note on Luke 17:11. From Jerusalem to Galilee through Samaria, according to Josephus, was three days' journey. See his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And he must needs go through Samaria - Samaria was between Judea and Galilee. The direct and usual way was to pass through Samaria. Sometimes, however, the Jews took a circuitous route on the east side of the Jordan. See the notes at Matthew 2:22.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. 4-6When traveling north to Galilee, Jesus chose the less common route through Samaria. Samaria and Judea had a long history of racial tension (see 2 Kings 17:24–41; Ezra 4:1–5; Nehemiah 4; 6:1–19). In the time of Jesus, there was intense racial and cultural conflict between Jews and Samaritans. Jews usually avoided Samaria by first going east to Jericho and then traveling north through the Jordan Valley. Sychar was likely in the area of Shechem. Jesus…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-421-4. the Lord knew--not by report, but in the sense of Joh 2:25, for which reason He is here styled "the Lord."Read the comment

Topics related to John 4:4

• Canaan
• Galilee
• Jesus, the Christ
• Roads
• Samaria
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• Samaria
• Samaria, Samaritan
• Dealing
• Ere
• God
• Hear
• Live
• Meat
• Messiah
• Spirit

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