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

16“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17“I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 19“Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

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 that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
• Genesis 34:2But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.
• Numbers 5:29“This is the ritual law for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority,
• Ruth 4:10And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”
• Jeremiah 3:20But you have been unfaithful to me, you people of Israel! You have been like a faithless wife who leaves her husband. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
• Ezekiel 16:32Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.
• Mark 10:12And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”
• Romans 7:3So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries.
• 1 Corinthians 7:10But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband.
• Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and 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