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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Yhn C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 4 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49 V51 V53
OET (OET-LV) Come, see a_man who told to_me all things as_much_as I_did, surely_not this is the chosen_one/messiah?
OET (OET-RV) “Come and see a man who knew as much about me as I know myself! He must be the messiah!”
In this section Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman who had come to get water from a well. Jesus asked her for a drink of water. The woman was surprised that he spoke to her. Jesus was a Jew, and most Jewish people hated the Samaritans. But Jesus stayed and talked with the woman.
Jesus told the woman that he could give her living water, and he told her that he was the Messiah. The women went back to her town and brought many of the other Samaritan people to Jesus.
It is good to translate the section before giving it a title. Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus brought good news to the hated Samaritan people
The conversation at the well
The disciples returned to the well and were surprised to find Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman. The woman then left her water jar at the well and hurried to her town to tell the people there about Jesus. Then the people went to the well to meet Jesus.
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.
“Come and meet a man who has told me all about what I have done.
“Come with me to meet someone! He told me everything about my past life/deeds.
Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did: This woman was inviting the people of Sychar to come and meet Jesus. She exaggerated about Jesus telling her everything she had ever done. She exaggerated in order to make them interested. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
Come and see a man who has told me everything I ever did. (REB)
Let us go see a person who told me all that I have done.
Could this be the Christ?”
Could this be the Messiah?”
I wonder if he may be the Christ that we are expecting.”
Could this be the Christ?: This is a rhetorical question. The woman was hoping that this was the person they had been waiting for. However, she was not sure.
There are two ways of translating this expression of hope:
Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Could he be the Messiah? (CEV)
Use a statement: For example:
He could be the Messiah. Come and meet him.
Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language.
Christ: The Greek word that the BSB translates literally as Christ means “anointed one.” The Jews used this title to refer to the king and savior whom God had appointed and promised to send. See the note on Christ at 4:25a.
In some languages it is more natural to use indirect speech in the verses 4:28–29b. For example:
The woman left her water jar at the well and went to town. She told the people to come and meet someone who knew all about her. She wondered if he could be the Messiah.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole
δεῦτε, ἴδετε ἄνθρωπον ὃς εἶπέ μοι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Δεῦτε ἴδετε ἄνθρωπον ὅς εἶπεν μοί παντᾶ ὅσα ἐποίησα μήτι οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ Χριστός)
The Samaritan woman exaggerates to show that she is impressed by how much Jesus knows about her. If this might confuse your readers, you could use an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: [Come see a man who knows very much about me even though I never met him before]
μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός?
surely_not (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Δεῦτε ἴδετε ἄνθρωπον ὅς εἶπεν μοί παντᾶ ὅσα ἐποίησα μήτι οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ Χριστός)
This question is not a rhetorical question. The woman is not sure that Jesus is the Christ, so she asks a question that expects “no” for an answer. However, the fact that she asked the question instead of making a statement indicates that she is uncertain. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in a way that shows her uncertainty. Alternate translation: [Is it even possible that this is the Christ?]
4:1-42 At a historic well in Samaria, Jesus offered himself as living water. Jesus engaged and confronted people with the revelation of God, and they either followed or fell away.
• The Samaritan woman contrasted with Nicodemus at every turn: a woman (not a man), a Samaritan (not a Jew), a sinner (not righteous), and an outcast (not one of Israel’s rabbis). While Nicodemus fell silent and never responded to Jesus’ challenges (3:1-21), this woman acknowledged Jesus as Lord, remained in the light, and exhibited signs of discipleship (see 1:35-51).
OET (OET-LV) Come, see a_man who told to_me all things as_much_as I_did, surely_not this is the chosen_one/messiah?
OET (OET-RV) “Come and see a man who knew as much about me as I know myself! He must be the messiah!”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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