John 4:9
King James Version (KJV)
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.
Translations
John 4:9 - Amplified Bible
The Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan [and a] woman, for a drink?--For the Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans--
John 4:9 - American Standard Version
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.)
John 4:9 - Bible in Basic English
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.
John 4:9 - Darby Bible
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.
John 4:9 - English Standard Version
The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:9 - King James Version
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.
John 4:9 - La Biblia de las Americas
Entonces la mujer samaritana le dijo*: ¿Còmo es que tù, siendo judìo, me pides de beber a mì, que soy samaritana? (Porque los judìos no tienen tratos con los samaritanos.)
John 4:9 - The Message
The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
John 4:9 - New American Standard Bible
Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:9 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy
Entonces la mujer Samaritana Le dijo: "¿Còmo es que Tù, siendo Judìo, me pides de beber a mì, que soy Samaritana?" (Porque los Judìos no tienen tratos con los Samaritanos.)
John 4:9 - World English Bible
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.)
John 4:9 - Young's Living Translation
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.
John 4:9 - Additional Comments
(Verses 7-9) Why did the Samaritan woman ask this question?
- There had been bitter feelings between Jews & Samaritans for centuries.
- Samaritans originated with the Assyrian conquest of Samaria (Northern kingdom of Israel) in 721 B.C.
- Nearly 30,000 Israelites were deported, but a few of the remnant of Israelites remained in the land.
- The kings of Assyria also settled people from other lands in Samaria.
- These changes resulted in intermarriage between Jews & Gentiles, and widespread worship of foreign gods. (But at this point the Samaritans were worshipers of the Jewish God.)
- These people of mixed decent became known as Samaritans.
- When Jews of the Southern Kingdom who had been exiled to Babylon later returned to rebuild the temple, the Samaritans were not permitted to participate in the rebuilding (Ezra 4:1-3)
- The Samaritans made efforts toward merging with Jews, but were rejected. They also opposed the Jews who were rebuilding Jerusalem's walls (Neh. 4:1-10)
- Around 400 BC they built a Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim. It was destroyed by the Jews around 128 BC, and relations between these two peoples worsened.
- The Jews considered the Samaritans inferior because they were racially mixed and had different worship practices.
- The Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim.
- They worshipped in the temple built by Sanballat.
- They only accepted the Pentateuch as inspired and authoritative. They rejected the Psalms, prophets, and other O.T. books.
- The Jews felt there was nothing lower, more disrespectful, than being called a Samaritan. Israelites could not eat of any thing that is a Samaritanfor it is as if he would be eating swinelesh.
- When Jesus sent the apostles 2-by-2, he told them to go to Jewish cities, and specifically (Matt 10:5) told them not to enter into Samaritan cities.
When Jesus asked for a drink, He boldly refused to fit the Jewish stereotype, for Jews never used the same vessels as the Samaritans.
Jesus hurdles the first barriers (racial and cultural) - the woman is now willing to converse paving the way for further penetration with the Gospel.
We are to fight against any cultural or religious practice that, although common, is misguided, even if we are the only to do so. This woman expected Jesus to be as other Jews, but surprised her. We are to do the same.
She probably was also surprised because there is so much animosity between Jews and Samaritans, that many Samaritans might not have responded to the request for help, and if so, with retaliation.
How many people now respond to Jesus in the same way, thinking that Jesus has something for others but not for them?
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