YHN 4:9 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) [ref]The woman said to him, “You’re a Jew. How come you’re asking me for a drink when I’m from Shomron?” (Jews don’t normally associate with anyone from Shomron.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Then the Samaritan woman says to him, “How do you, being a Jew, ask from me to drink, being a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not have dealings with Samaritans.)

UST And the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “I am surprised that you, a Jew, are asking me, a woman from Samaria, for a drink.” (She said this because Jews usually would not have anything to do with Samaritans.)

BSB “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How {can} You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)[fn]

BLB Therefore the Samaritan woman says to Him, "How do You, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no association with Samaritans.

AICNT [So][fn] The Samaritan woman says to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan [woman]?”[fn] [For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.][fn]

4:9, So: Absent from some manuscripts. ℵ(01) Syriac(sy^s sy^c sy^p)

4:9, woman: Absent from some manuscripts. ℵ(01) Latin(a b)

4:9, For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans: Absent from some manuscripts ℵ(01) D(05) Latin(a b d e).

OEB ‘How is it,’ replied the Samaritan woman, ‘that you who are a Jew ask for water from a Samaritan woman like me?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).

LSB Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How do You, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

WEBBE The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

WMBB (Same as above)

NET So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you – a Jew – ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

LSV the Samaritan woman therefore says to Him, “How do You, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.

FBV “You're a Jew, and I'm a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” the woman replied, for Jews don't associate with Samaritans.[fn]

4:9 Or “Jews do not share dishes with Samaritans.”

TCNT So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that yoʋ, a Jew, ask for water to drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

T4T so the woman said to him, “You are a Jew, and I am from Samaria. Furthermore, I am a woman. So ◄I am surprised that you are asking me for a drink of water!/how is it that you are asking me for a drink of water?► [RHQ]”

LEB So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How do you, being a Jew, ask from me water[fn] to drink, since I[fn] am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

4:9 *Here “water” is supplied in the translation as the understood direct object of the verb “ask”

4:9 *Here “since” is supplied as a component of the participle (“am”) which is understood as causal

BBE The woman of Samaria said to him, Why do you, a Jew, make a request for water to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this because Jews have nothing to do with the people of Samaria.

Moff The Samaritan woman said, "What? You are a Jew, and you ask me for a drink — me, a Samaritan!" (Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Wymth "How is it," replied the woman, "that a Jew like you asks me, who am a woman and a Samaritan, for water?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

ASV The 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.)

DRA Then that Samaritan woman saith to him: How dost thou, being a Jew, ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans.

YLT the Samaritan woman therefore saith to him, 'How dost thou, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' for Jews have no dealing with Samaritans.

Drby The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask to drink of me who am a Samaritan woman? for Jews have no intercourse with Samaritans.

RV The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
(The Samaritan woman therefore saith/says unto him, How is it that thou/you, being a Jew, askest/ask drink of me, which am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) )

SLT Then says the Samaritan woman to him, How thou, being a Jew, askest of me to drink, being a Samaritan woman? for the Jews have no intercourse with the Samaritans.

Wbstr Then saith the woman of Samaria to him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

KJB-1769 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
(Then saith/says the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou/you, being a Jew, askest/ask drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. )

KJB-1611 Then saith the woman of Samaria vnto him, How is it that thou, being a Iewe, askest drinke of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Iewes haue no dealings with the Samaritanes.
(Then saith/says the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou/you, being a Yewe, askest/ask drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Yews have no dealings with the Samaritans.)

Bshps Then sayth the woman of Samaria vnto hym: Howe is it, that thou beyng a Iewe, askest drynke of me, which am a Samaritane? For the Iewes meddle not with the Samaritanes.
(Then saith/says the woman of Samaria unto him: How is it, that thou/you being a Yewe, askest/ask drink of me, which am a Samaritane? For the Yews meddle not with the Samaritans.)

Gnva Then sayde the woman of Samaria vnto him, Howe is it, that thou being a Iewe, askest drinke of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Iewes meddle not with the Samaritans.
(Then said the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it, that thou/you being a Yewe, askest/ask drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Yews meddle not with the Samaritans. )

Cvdl So the woman of Samaria sayde vnto him: How is it that thou axest drynke of me, seynge thou art a Iewe, and I a woman of Samaria? For the Iewes medle not with the Samaritans.
(So the woman of Samaria said unto him: How is it that thou/you axest drink of me, seeing thou/you art a Yewe, and I a woman of Samaria? For the Yews meddle not with the Samaritans.)

TNT Then sayde the woman of Samaria vnto him: how is it that thou beinge a Iewe axest drinke of me which am a Samaritane? for the Iewes medle not with the Samaritans.
(Then said the woman of Samaria unto him: how is it that thou/you being a Yewe axest drink of me which am a Samaritane? for the Yews meddle not with the Samaritans. )

Wycl Therfor thilke womman of Samarie seith to him, Hou thou, `whanne thou art a Jewe, axist of me drynk, that am a womman of Samarie? for Jewis vsiden not to dele with Samaritans.
(Therefore that woman of Samaria saith/says to him, How thou/you, when thou/you art a Yewe, askest/ask of me drynk, that am a woman of Samaria? for Yews usiden not to dele with Samaritans.)

Luth Spricht nun das samaritische Weib zu ihm: Wie bittest du von mir zu trinken, so du ein Jude bist und ich ein samaritisch Weib? (Denn die Juden haben keine Gemeinschaft mit den Samaritern.)
(Speakt now the samaritische woman to/for him: How bittest you(sg) from to_me to/for drink(v), so you(sg) a Yude are and I a samaritisch woman? (Because the Yews have no Gemeinschaft with the Samaritern.))

ClVg Dicit ergo ei mulier illa Samaritana: Quomodo tu, Judæus cum sis, bibere a me poscis, quæ sum mulier Samaritana? non enim coutuntur Judæi Samaritanis.[fn]
(Sayit therefore to_him woman that Samaritana: How/In_what_manner you(sg), Yudahus when/with sis, to_drink from me poscis, which I_am woman Samaritana? not/no because coutuntur Jews Samaritanis. )

4.9 Dicit ergo. Nesciens quem potum petit ab ea, putans quod de aqua opponit se esse de alienigenis vasculis, quorum etiam conversatione non utuntur Judæi, sed Jesus qui fidem petebat, ei spiritum dare cupiebat, et eam admonet ut petat, spiritus est autem et donum Dei et viva aqua. Non enim, etc. Samaritanos Judæi exsecrantur et supplantatores vocant, quia eos hæreditate patris sui Jacob privaverunt abstinendo a cibis et vasis eorum.

4.9 Sayit therefore. Nesciens which drink asks away them, putans that from/about water opponit himself to_be from/about strangersgenis vasculis, whose also conversation not/no they_use Jews, but Yesus who/which faith petebat, to_him spirit dare cupiebat, and her reminds as petat, spirit it_is however and a_gift/present/donation of_God and viva water. Not/No because, etc. Samaritanos Jews exsecrantur and supplantatores they_call, because them inheritance of_the_father self Yacob privaverunt abstinendo from foods and vessels their.

UGNT λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Σαμαρεῖτις, πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν, παρ’ ἐμοῦ πεῖν αἰτεῖς γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος οὔσης? οὐ γὰρ συνχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι Σαμαρείταις.
(legei oun autōi haʸ gunaʸ haʸ Samareitis, pōs su Youdaios ōn, par’ emou pein aiteis gunaikos Samareitidos ousaʸs? ou gar sunⱪrōntai Youdaioi Samareitais.)

SBL-GNT λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Σαμαρῖτις· Πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν παρʼ ἐμοῦ πεῖν αἰτεῖς ⸂γυναικὸς Σαμαρίτιδος οὔσης⸃; οὐ γὰρ συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι Σαμαρίταις.
(legei oun autōi haʸ gunaʸ haʸ Samaritis; Pōs su Youdaios ōn parʼ emou pein aiteis ⸂gunaikos Samaritidos ousaʸs⸃; ou gar sugⱪrōntai Youdaioi Samaritais.)

RP-GNT Λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Σαμαρεῖτις, Πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν παρ' ἐμοῦ πιεῖν αἰτεῖς, οὔσης γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος; - Οὐ γὰρ συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι Σαμαρείταις.
(Legei oun autōi haʸ gunaʸ haʸ Samareitis, Pōs su Youdaios ōn par' emou piein aiteis, ousaʸs gunaikos Samareitidos; - Ou gar sugⱪrōntai Youdaioi Samareitais.)

TC-GNT Λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ [fn]Σαμαρεῖτις, Πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ [fn]πιεῖν αἰτεῖς, [fn]οὔσης γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος;—Οὐ γὰρ [fn]συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι [fn]Σαμαρείταις.
(Legei oun autōi haʸ gunaʸ haʸ Samareitis, Pōs su Youdaios ōn par emou piein aiteis, ousaʸs gunaikos Samareitidos;—Ou gar sugⱪrōntai Youdaioi Samareitais. )

4:9 σαμαρειτις ¦ σαμαριτις NA SBL

4:9 πιειν ¦ πειν CT

4:9 ουσης γυναικος σαμαρειτιδος ¦ γυναικος σαμαριτιδος ουσης NA SBL ¦ γυναικος σαμαρειτιδος ουσης TH WH

4:9 συγχρωνται ¦ συνχρωνται TH WH

4:9 σαμαρειταις ¦ σαμαριταις NA SBL

Key for above GNTs: red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translation Notes:

Section 4:1–42: Jesus spoke with a woman from Samaria

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

Paragraph 4:7–15

A Samaritan woman came to the well where Jesus was resting. Jesus asked her for water to drink, and then he offered her living water that would lead to eternal life.

4:9a

“You are a Jew,” said the woman.

The woman from Samaria asked him, “You^(sing) are a Jew
Then the woman of Samaria said to him, “I am surprised that you as a Jewish man

“You are a Jew,” said the woman: It may be more natural in some languages to indicate that the woman was responding to Jesus’ request in 4:7b or that she was asking a rhetorical question. For example:

“You are a Jew,” she replied, “and I am a Samaritan woman….” (CEV)

The Samaritan woman asked him (GW)

You: This pronoun refers to Jesus.

4:9b

“How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?”

and I am a woman from Samaria. So why are you asking me for a drink of water?”
should ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water!”

How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?: This is a rhetorical question. It expresses surprise that Jesus had asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. Most Jewish people hated and avoided the Samaritans. The woman was telling Jesus that she was surprised at his request. Here are some ways to translate this rhetorical question:

Use a rhetorical question. For example:
How can a Jewish man like you ask a Samaritan woman like me for a drink of water? (GW)
Why are you, a Jew, asking a Samaritan woman like me for a drink?
Use a statement. For example:
I am surprised that you ask me for a drink, since you are a Jewish man and I am a Samaritan woman. (NCV)
It is very strange that a Jew like you is asking a Samaritan woman for water.

Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language for expressing surprise. You may want to use two or three sentences. For example:

What! You, a Jew, ask for a drink from a Samaritan woman? (REB)

You are a Jew…and I am a Samaritan woman! How can you ask me for a drink of water…? (CEV)

You are a Jew. How is it that you ask me, a Samaritan, for something to drink? (NJB)

You: This pronoun is singular and refers to Jesus.

4:9c

(For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

(For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) (RSV)
The reason she was surprised was that the Jews did not do anything with the people of Samaria.

(For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.): This clause tells the reason why the woman was surprised and asked the question in 4:9b. This reason is a comment by John the author, It is not part of the conversation or the story line. The BSB shows this by putting the comment in parentheses. The NJB separates this sentence with a dash.

Use whatever way is natural in your language to indicate that this is the author’s comment that gives a reason.

For: In Greek, this sentence begins with a conjunction that the BSB translates as For. Some English versions do not translate this word, but leave it implicit. This word introduces the reason that the woman was surprised.

Here is another way to translate this conjunction:

She said this because

Jews do not associate with Samaritans: This clause explains why the woman was surprised at Jesus’ request. There are two ways to understand this comment:

It means that the Jewish people avoided even talking with the Samaritans. For example:
For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. (NIV) (BSB, NIV, KJV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NLT, CEV, NCV)
It means that the Jews did not eat from the same dishes as the Samaritans. They considered the Samaritans to be ritually unclean. For example:
Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use. (GNT) (GNT, REB, NET, probably NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This has a broad meaning and can include refusing to share dishes and utensils. The RSV is therefore used in the Display.

Samaritans: The word Samaritans refers to people from the district of Samaria. The Samaritans were the descendants of Jews who had married foreigners. They did not worship God in Jerusalem as the Jews did, and the Jews considered the Samaritans to be foreigners.

You may want to supply a footnote saying that the Jews hated the Samaritans and did not believe that they were God’s people.

General Comment on 4:9a–d

In some languages it is more natural to reorder this information and put the explanation first: For example:

The woman was surprised, ^9dfor Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. ^9aShe said to Jesus, ^9b“You are a Jew, ^9cand I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” (NLT)

In some languages it is more natural to both reorder this quote and express it as indirect speech. For example:

^9dBecause Jews do not normally have anything to do with Samaritans, the woman was surprised. ^9aShe asked Jesus ^9bwhy he, a Jew, ^9casked her, a Samaritan, for a drink.

BMM BibleMapper.com Maps:

Map

Jesus Speaks with a Woman in Samaria

John 4

As the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman demonstrates, even simple geography–the divine arrangement of places where God leads us in life–can position us for fruitful ministry if we are willing to reach out to those along our journey. This episode in Jesus’ ministry occurred immediately after Jesus had cleared the Temple in Jerusalem and was gaining even more followers than John the Baptist (John 2:13-25; 4:1-3). Likely wanting to avoid a direct clash with Jewish leadership so early in his ministry, Jesus chose instead to return to Galilee. The most direct route from Jerusalem to Galilee passed through Samaria, and, as the Jewish historian Josephus notes, this was the route normally chosen by most Jews at the time (Antiquities of the Jews, Book XX:6). The city of Samaria (renamed Sebaste by Jesus’ time) was originally the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, but in 722 B.C. the Assyrians exiled many Israelites to other parts of their empire and relocated other foreign peoples in Israel (2 Kings 15:29; 17:1-24; 1 Chronicles 5:26; also see “Israelites Are Exiled to Assyria”). This diverse population then developed a new religion that mixed elements of Israelite worship with pagan worship (2 Kings 17:24-41), and centuries later they set up their own temple on Mount Gerizim. Because of their mixed ancestry and religion, Samaritans were often detested by many Jews (John 4:9), and hostilities periodically erupted between Jews and Samaritans. Jesus himself would later be refused entry into Samaria while traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem (Luke 9:52-56; also see “Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem”), and Josephus notes that about 20 years after this time a number of Galileans were killed by Samaritans as they attempted to make their way to Jerusalem through the village of Ginae. Probably because of these hostilities, some Jews preferred to take alternate routes that bypassed Samaria. Still other Jews chose these routes to avoid even associating with Samaritans. Jesus, however, appears to have chosen the more direct route through Samaria, which led him to the village of Sychar–right next to the ancient site of Shechem and Mount Gerizim. There he met a Samaritan woman by a well and spoke to her about God’s gift of living water for her soul. He also revealed supernatural knowledge about her, so she asked him whether Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem was the proper place to worship. Jesus gently rebuked her belief in Samaritan worship practices, but he also assured her that one day the physical location of worshipers will no longer matter. Instead, all true believers will worship God in spirit and truth. When Jesus revealed to the woman that he was the Messiah, she left her water jar and told the townspeople about Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus’ disciples returned, and Jesus urged them to recognize that the fields were ripe for harvesting, presumably meaning that many Samaritans were ready to believe in him. Because of the Samaritan woman’s testimony, many of the townspeople believed in Jesus and persuaded him to stay there two more days before returning to Galilee. Years later the apostle Philip found fruitful ministry among the Samaritans as well, and many came to faith in Jesus (Acts 8:5-13; also see “The Ministries of Philip and Peter”).