John 4:16 kjv
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
John 4:16 nkjv
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
John 4:16 niv
He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
John 4:16 esv
Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
John 4:16 nlt
"Go and get your husband," Jesus told her.
John 4 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 2:25 | ...for he himself knew what was in man. | Jesus's inherent knowledge of human hearts. |
| Jn 1:48 | Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. | Jesus's supernatural knowledge of Nathanael. |
| Jn 6:64 | For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who believed not, and who should betray him. | Jesus's foresight and divine knowledge of people. |
| Col 2:3 | ...in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | The comprehensive knowledge and wisdom residing in Christ. |
| Heb 4:13 | No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed... | God's absolute transparency of all things, including thoughts and secrets. |
| 1 Cor 14:25 | ...the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face... | The Spirit's power to reveal hidden truths, leading to conviction and worship. |
| Ps 44:21 | Would not God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart. | God's intimate knowledge of human innermost thoughts and hidden aspects. |
| Lk 12:2 | Nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. | The inevitability of all hidden things being brought to light. |
| Jn 3:20-21 | Everyone who does wicked things hates the light...whoever does what is true comes to the light. | The connection between living in truth and coming into Christ's revealing light. |
| Ps 51:6 | You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. | God's desire for honesty and truthfulness at the deepest level of a person. |
| Isa 1:18 | Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD... | God's invitation for open dialogue and addressing spiritual issues directly. |
| 2 Cor 7:10 | For godly grief produces a repentance... | The sorrow that arises from a truthful confrontation leading to genuine change. |
| Lk 7:36-50 | The woman who was a sinner in the city, seeing Jesus... | Jesus's compassionate engagement with outcasts and sinners. |
| Mt 9:10-13 | ...I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. | Jesus's mission to seek and save those considered morally compromised. |
| Lk 19:1-10 | Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. | Jesus's direct and transformative encounter with Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector. |
| Jn 8:1-11 | Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more. | Jesus's balance of confronting sin without condemning the sinner, offering restoration. |
| Mt 11:28 | Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | A universal invitation from Jesus to come to Him for relief. |
| Rev 22:17 | The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." | The continuous invitation to draw near to God. |
| Lk 15:4-7 | What man of you, having a hundred sheep...goes after the one that is lost? | Parable illustrating God's active pursuit of lost individuals. |
| Lk 19:10 | For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. | The ultimate purpose of Jesus's advent. |
| Mk 10:11-12 | Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery... | Relevant to the cultural and spiritual context of marriage and relationships for the woman. |
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. | The foundational divine institution of marriage, contrasting with her current situation. |
John 4 verses
John 4 16 Meaning
This verse captures a pivotal moment in Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman, where He, demonstrating divine omniscience, gently yet directly confronts her personal life. The command, "Go, call your husband and come back here," is not accusatory but rather an intentional act to reveal her spiritual and moral state. It serves as a compassionate exposure of truth, designed to prompt honesty and prepare her heart for the deeper revelation of Himself as the Christ, and the nature of true worship.
John 4 16 Context
John chapter 4 details Jesus's encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Traveling through Samaria, a region generally avoided by Jews, Jesus initiates a conversation with a woman who came to draw water. This encounter is significant as it transgresses multiple social, ethnic, and gender norms of the time. Preceding verse 16, Jesus offers her "living water" that satisfies eternally, moving the conversation from physical needs to spiritual ones. Her failure to understand the spiritual depth leads Jesus to pivot, using His divine insight into her personal life. Verse 16 serves as the turning point where Jesus addresses a critical truth about her life, specifically her marital status, to break through her surface-level understanding and lead her to recognize His identity and the reality of her own spiritual condition. This directly precedes her acknowledgement that He might be the Prophet or Messiah.
John 4 16 Word analysis
- Jesus: From Greek
Iesous(Ἰησοῦς). Refers to Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, Son of God. His identity is paramount, underscoring the divine authority and insight behind His words. - said: From Greek
legō(λέγω). Signifies a direct statement or command. Here, it denotes an intentional and purposeful communication. - to her: Refers specifically to the Samaritan woman, emphasizing that Jesus's message is uniquely tailored and personal to her circumstances, not a general address. It highlights His willingness to engage individuals considered marginalized.
- Go: From Greek
hupage(ὕπαγε). An imperative command meaning "depart" or "go away." It requires immediate action and signifies a movement away from the current state or situation, often towards obedience. - call: From Greek
phōneō(φωνέω). Meaning "to summon," "invite," or "proclaim." It implies bringing someone or something into immediate presence or attention. - your husband: From Greek
sou ton andra(σοῦ τὸν ἄνδρα).Andra(ἄνδρα) refers to 'man' and in context, 'husband.' This phrase is the revelation. It directly addresses her unacknowledged reality. The possession "your" personalizes the challenge, cutting to her immediate domestic truth. - and: Connects the two imperative actions, linking "go and call" with "come back." It indicates sequential or linked actions.
- come back here: From Greek
kai elthe enthade(καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε).Elthe(ἐλθὲ) is an imperative for "come,"enthade(ἐνθάδε) means "here." This signifies a command for return, indicating that the further spiritual discourse will occur upon her fulfilling the first part of the command and bringing her 'truth' to the interaction. - Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Jesus said to her": Establishes divine authority and initiates a direct, personal encounter. It underscores Jesus's agency and His deliberate engagement with this particular individual, breaking down socio-religious barriers.
- "'Go, call your husband": This phrase functions as a profound catalyst. It is Jesus’s display of omniscience, forcing her to confront her true, complicated marital status, which she had initially concealed. It demands transparency and active participation from her side, signaling a shift from theological discussion to personal application.
- "and come back here": Implies an expectation of her return with the truth, indicating that the deeper spiritual revelation hinges upon her honesty and willingness to follow His directive. It underlines the importance of a true foundation for further spiritual discourse.
John 4 16 Bonus section
The immediate cultural implications of Jesus engaging with the Samaritan woman, let alone a woman with such a marital history, highlight Jesus's radical breaking of social conventions for the sake of the Gospel. His direct addressing of her living situation was a common rabbinic method called "sensus divinitatis," appealing to an inner divine sense to prompt confession. Furthermore, the number five (her previous husbands) could symbolically relate to the five books of the Pentateuch that Samaritans accepted, perhaps indicating a spiritual barrenness despite their adherence to certain religious traditions. The instruction to bring her 'husband' may also imply that salvation extends not just to individuals but potentially to households, setting a precedent for later New Testament teachings.
John 4 16 Commentary
John 4:16 is a masterstroke in Jesus's approach to evangelism and revelation. Instead of a moralistic condemnation, Jesus, in His profound omniscience, uses a seemingly simple request ("Go, call your husband and come back here") to pierce through the woman's superficial answers and expose her deepest, most personal reality. This command served several purposes: it validated Jesus’s divine insight, breaking down her defenses; it prompted an acknowledgement of truth, preparing her for spiritual conviction; and it set the stage for His self-revelation as the Messiah. The passage highlights that genuine spiritual engagement often begins when we are honest about our lives before God. Jesus was not interested in shaming her, but in lovingly leading her from deception to transparency, and from natural water to living water. It is a powerful example of how divine knowledge is used not for judgment, but for redemption.