John 4:10
What does John 4:10 mean?
A plain-English look at John 4:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 4:10 means
Jesus shifts the conversation from physical water to spiritual truth. He challenges the woman to consider "the gift of God" and His own identity. If she truly understood who He was, she would have asked Him for a gift, and He would have given her "living water." This is Jesus' first veiled reference to Himself as the source of eternal life, planting a seed of spiritual curiosity in her heart and inviting her to seek a deeper truth than she currently perceived.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949In answer Jesus said, If you had knowledge of what God gives freely and who it is who says to you, Give me water, you would make your prayer to him, and he would give you living water.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Jesus answered and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God and who he is that saith to thee: Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift ofGod, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
Context
This verse contains Jesus' profound response to the Samaritan woman's question about cultural barriers. It directly follows her challenge in verse 9 regarding why a Jew would speak to a Samaritan. Jesus' offer of "living water" dramatically elevates the conversation from the physical to the spiritual, initiating the central theme of spiritual life and salvation that will unfold in their dialogue.
v.9The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
v.10This passage
v.11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Zechariah 14:8
And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
- Luke 11:8
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will arise and give him as many as he needeth.
- John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.
- John 6:35
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
- John 9:35
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and finding him, he said, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
- Psalms 46:4
There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
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