John 4:10 kjv
Jesus 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.
John 4:10 nkjv
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
John 4:10 niv
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
John 4:10 esv
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
John 4:10 nlt
Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."
John 4 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| John 4:13-14 | Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again... but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst." | Jesus provides lasting spiritual satisfaction. |
| John 7:37-39 | On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.”... this He spoke concerning the Spirit. | Living water as the Holy Spirit. |
| Isa 12:3 | With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. | Old Testament foreshadowing of spiritual salvation. |
| Isa 55:1 | Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! | Free offer of spiritual provision. |
| Jer 2:13 | For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. | God as the true source of spiritual life. |
| Zech 14:8 | On that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem... | Prophecy of spiritual blessing flowing from God. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | "Gift of God" explicitly defined as eternal life. |
| Eph 2:8 | For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; | Salvation is an undeserved divine gift. |
| Acts 8:20 | But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!" | Underscores the freeness and inestimability of God's gift. |
| Rev 21:6 | I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. | God freely provides the water of life. |
| Rev 22:1 | Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. | Source of eternal life and spiritual blessing. |
| Rev 22:17 | The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. | Invitation to receive freely offered spiritual life. |
| Matt 7:7 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Emphasizes asking to receive from God. |
| Jas 1:5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. | God's willingness to give to those who ask. |
| 1 John 5:14 | And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. | Asking effectively is aligned with God's will. |
| John 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Highlights Jesus' divine identity from John's Gospel. |
| John 1:18 | No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known. | Jesus as the revealer of God's true nature. |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. | God's ultimate gift for humanity. |
| John 6:35 | Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst." | Jesus as the ultimate spiritual satisfaction. |
| Phil 4:19 | And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. | God's abundant provision for His people. |
John 4 verses
John 4 10 Meaning
John 4:10 reveals Jesus' profound offer of spiritual life to a Samaritan woman, transcending physical needs and social barriers. Jesus declares that if she truly understood the divine grace being presented and the identity of the one speaking to her, she would have reversed roles, asking Him for eternal spiritual nourishment. This "living water" represents the indwelling Holy Spirit, eternal life, and the overflowing spiritual abundance that only Jesus can provide, freely given to those who seek it from Him.
John 4 10 Context
John 4:10 is nestled within Jesus' transformative encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The surrounding context highlights numerous significant boundaries being crossed: the social divide between Jews and Samaritans, the gender roles restricting interactions between men and women, and the spiritual distinction between superficial ritual and genuine worship. Jesus initiates the conversation by asking for physical water, immediately turning the exchange to a deeper, spiritual plane. This dialogue unveils Jesus' identity, the nature of true worship (John 4:23-24), and the universal scope of His salvific mission, extending even to the outcast and marginalized, challenging their entrenched beliefs about their access to God and His blessings. The mention of Jacob's well grounds the discourse in historical and cultural heritage, only to elevate it beyond ancestral customs to the living source found in Christ.
John 4 10 Word analysis
- Jesus answered: Highlights Jesus' initiative in the spiritual discussion, shifting from His request for physical water to an offer of spiritual refreshment. It underscores His divine insight and purpose beyond the mundane.
- and said to her: Emphasizes direct, personal address, defying the social customs of the time that prohibited a Jewish man from conversing openly with a Samaritan woman, especially one of her reputation. This demonstrates Jesus' radical compassion and boundary-breaking mission.
- If you knew: From the Greek εἰδῇς (eidēs), referring to a full, intuitive, and experiential knowledge, not just intellectual awareness. It implies a lack of spiritual discernment on the woman's part and introduces a conditional premise for revelation.
- the gift of God: From the Greek τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ (tēn dōrean tou Theou). "Dōrean" signifies a gratuitous, unmerited, and free bestowal, an act of grace without expectation of return. Here, it refers broadly to God's gracious provision of salvation, eternal life, and specifically the Holy Spirit, all personified in Jesus Himself. It is not something earned or deserved.
- and who it is that says to you: From the Greek τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων (tis estin ho legōn). This phrase directly challenges the woman to perceive Jesus' true identity. It's a key Christological statement, subtly inviting her to look beyond His appearance as a mere man and recognize His divine authority and saving power. Her initial perception is limited; Jesus is prompting deeper revelation.
- Give Me to drink: This mirrors Jesus' initial request, creating a sharp contrast. It's a gentle provocation, implying that the one asking for physical water is actually the ultimate source of spiritual sustenance.
- you would have asked Him: From the Greek ᾔτησας ἄν (ēitēsas an), signifying a contingent request rooted in proper knowledge. This shows that the recipient must engage, respond to the revelation, and actively seek. It shifts the burden of seeking from Jesus to the one in need.
- and He would have given you: From the Greek ἔδωκεν ἄν (edōken an), indicating that the giving is contingent upon asking, but certain once asked for with genuine knowledge and recognition. It highlights God's willingness to respond generously to true spiritual hunger.
- living water: From the Greek ὕδωρ ζῶν (hydōr zōn). This phrase carries a double meaning. In ancient cultures, "living water" referred literally to fresh, running, spring water (as opposed to stagnant well or cistern water). Spiritually, as context and later verses in John clarify, it symbolizes the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and the dynamic, satisfying, and continuously flowing spiritual blessings of salvation. It is life-sustaining and spiritually vital.
- If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give Me to drink: This clause serves as a powerful revelatory statement. Jesus connects divine grace (the "gift of God") directly to His own person ("who it is"). He implies that true spiritual understanding begins with discerning His identity as the ultimate giver of life. Her ignorance prevents her from asking for what she truly needs, highlighting humanity's spiritual blindness.
- you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water: This pairing links human action (asking, based on true knowledge) with divine response (giving). It establishes the principle of faith-based petition. The abundant spiritual supply ("living water") is conditional on recognition and sincere request, yet it is freely available through Jesus. It signifies a radical shift from meeting physical thirst to fulfilling spiritual longing.
John 4 10 Bonus section
The conversation in John 4:10 and onward serves as a subtle yet potent polemic against narrow ethno-religious understanding and dependence on historical sites or physical rituals for spiritual blessing. The Samaritan woman believed true worship was tied to Mount Gerizim and a well from their ancestor Jacob. Jesus’ offer of "living water" transcends this, relocating the source of life from a specific physical well or mountain to Himself as a person. The concept of "living water" was also familiar in Jewish thought, often associated with the Law or divine wisdom, but Jesus radicalizes this by embodying the living water, making Himself the ultimate fountain. This verse illustrates that true understanding of God begins with an accurate perception of Jesus Christ. It’s a testament to the universality of the Gospel, demonstrating that salvation is for all who believe, regardless of their societal standing, ethnicity, or past mistakes, inviting even an outcast Samaritan woman into an intimate spiritual revelation.
John 4 10 Commentary
John 4:10 distills the essence of the Gospel message: God's initiative in offering salvation as an undeserved gift through Jesus Christ. The dialogue at Jacob's well showcases Jesus' method of drawing people from their superficial understanding of life and God to a profound spiritual reality. By turning a request for physical water into an offer of "living water," Jesus redirects the woman's focus from temporary earthly sustenance to eternal spiritual satisfaction. The core challenge for the woman, and for all humanity, lies in recognizing Jesus' true identity – "who it is that says to you" – and apprehending the magnanimity of God's grace, "the gift of God." This recognition leads to sincere seeking, upon which Jesus guarantees abundant spiritual provision. The living water is synonymous with the Holy Spirit and eternal life, satisfying the deepest human thirst for purpose, peace, and communion with God. It underscores that spiritual nourishment is not earned through rituals or heritage, but freely given through faith in the divine giver, transforming an ordinary interaction into a momentous offer of everlasting life.