John 4:26 kjv
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
John 4:26 nkjv
Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."
John 4:26 niv
Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you?I am he."
John 4:26 esv
Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he."
John 4:26 nlt
Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!"
John 4 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 3:14 | God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”... | God reveals His eternal, self-existent nature. |
| Isa 43:10 | ...that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. | Yahweh declares His unique divinity. |
| Isa 41:4 | Who has performed and done this...? I, the LORD, the first and with the last; I am He. | God's sovereign control over history. |
| Isa 48:12 | Listen to me, O Jacob... I am He; I am the first, and I am the last. | God's absolute priority and eternality. |
| John 8:24 | ...for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. | Belief in Jesus' divine identity is salvific. |
| John 8:58 | Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” | Jesus asserts His pre-existence and deity. |
| John 18:6 | When Jesus said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. | The divine power inherent in Jesus' name/claim. |
| Mark 14:62 | And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power...” | Jesus' "I Am" before the high priest. |
| Matt 11:3 | ...Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? | John the Baptist questions Messiah's identity. |
| Matt 16:16 | Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” | Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah. |
| Deut 18:18 | I will raise up for them a prophet like you... and I will put my words in his mouth... | Prophecy of the coming Prophet/Messiah. |
| John 4:29 | “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” | Woman's immediate understanding and witness. |
| Luke 24:44 | These are my words that I spoke to you... everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. | OT points to Jesus' Messiahship. |
| Acts 2:36 | Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” | Apostles declare Jesus' identity. |
| 1 John 5:1 | Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God... | Confession of Jesus' Messiahship for salvation. |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, | Jesus as the unique mediator and Messiah. |
| John 6:20 | But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” | Another "I Am" for assurance in storms. |
| John 9:9 | Others said, “It is he.” Some said, “No, but he is like him.” But he kept saying, “I am the one.” | Blind man declares Jesus as healer/Messiah. |
| John 10:11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. | Jesus reveals His nurturing/sacrificial role. |
| John 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. | Jesus is the exclusive path to God. |
| John 15:1 | I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. | Jesus as the source of life and spiritual fruit. |
John 4 verses
John 4 26 Meaning
In John 4:26, Jesus unequivocally declares His identity to the Samaritan woman, stating, "I who speak to you am He." This powerful statement serves as a direct, explicit affirmation of His messianic claims, equating Himself with the promised Messiah for whom the Samaritans, like the Jews, awaited. It is a profound self-revelation, marking a pivotal moment where Jesus plainly reveals His divine person and office.
John 4 26 Context
This declaration in John 4:26 occurs within the extensive dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. The conversation begins with a request for water and escalates into discussions about "living water" and true worship. The woman, attempting to navigate the theological and historical differences between Jews and Samaritans, ultimately redirects the conversation towards the future Messiah, whom Samaritans, like Jews, called "Taheb" (the Restorer, echoing a Messiah-like figure). She expresses the hope that when "He" (the Messiah) comes, "He will tell us all things." In response to this specific Messianic hope, Jesus provides a direct and unprecedented self-revelation. His "I am He" statement is a clear and immediate answer to her expressed expectation, signaling that her future hope is standing right before her. This profound personal revelation stands in stark contrast to His more reserved declarations in other contexts, highlighting His willingness to reveal His true identity to an outsider who was spiritually seeking.
John 4 26 Word analysis
Jesus: The common Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua or Yehoshua, meaning "Yahweh saves." It identifies Him as the specific historical person, the God-man, central to the narrative.
said: Expresses a direct verbal communication, emphasizing the personal and intentional nature of His revelation to her.
to her: Points to the direct object, a Samaritan woman, emphasizing the breaking of social, ethnic, and gender barriers for the sake of divine revelation and salvation. This personal approach is striking.
I: Greek "ego" (ἐγώ). An emphatic first-person singular pronoun. Its placement immediately before "who speak" highlights the personal, divine authority of the speaker.
who speak: Greek "ho lalōn" (ὁ λαλῶν), literally "the one speaking." This present participle underscores the immediacy and directness of the current interaction. The One speaking at that very moment is the prophesied "He."
to you: Greek "soi" (σοί). Dative case, emphasizing that the declaration is specifically directed at the Samaritan woman. The truth is being revealed directly to her.
am He: Greek "ego eimi" (ἐγώ εἰμι). This phrase is profoundly significant. While "eimi" (I am) is simply the verb "to be," when used with the emphatic "ego" by Jesus, it strongly echoes the divine name "I AM WHO I AM" (Exod 3:14) and the "I am He" statements of Yahweh in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 43:10, 48:12). It is a direct claim to divinity, self-existence, and Messianic identity. For a Greek-speaking audience familiar with the Septuagint, the link to the God of Israel's self-revelation would be clear.
"I who speak to you am He": This entire phrase constitutes Jesus' climactic self-declaration. The conjunction of the "ego eimi" with the current context ("I who speak to you") confirms that the Messiah for whom she waits is not a distant figure but the very person she is conversing with. It reveals Jesus as the fulfillment of prophetic expectation and the embodiment of divine presence. It's a statement of personal identity fused with eternal, divine being and Messianic office.
John 4 26 Bonus section
This declaration is notably the first explicit "I AM He" identification of Jesus as the Messiah in the Gospel of John directly spoken to an individual. It reveals that Jesus, while strategically veiling His identity at times to avoid premature opposition, was ready to fully disclose it when true spiritual receptivity was present. The choice to reveal such a profound truth to a Samaritan woman underscores the expansive nature of God's grace and the universal reach of the Gospel, challenging prevailing Jewish-Samaritan animosity and male-female societal norms of the time. The impact on the woman was instantaneous and transformative: she immediately left her water jar, symbolizing her former preoccupations, and went into the town to testify about Jesus, demonstrating the evangelistic fruit of truly encountering the Messiah. Her testimony led many Samaritans to believe, showcasing that this single personal encounter catalyzed a wide-scale revival in Samaria.
John 4 26 Commentary
John 4:26 represents a moment of unparalleled clarity in Jesus' self-disclosure, especially striking given His audience: a Samaritan woman with a questionable past, an outcast even among outcasts. Prior to this, Jesus often used parables or more veiled references regarding His identity. Here, however, prompted by the woman's genuine expectation of the Messiah, Jesus drops all pretense and unequivocally declares, "I who speak to you am He." The profound "Ego eimi" ("I am He" or simply "I AM") transcends a mere statement of identification; it echoes Yahweh's self-designation in the Old Testament, particularly Exodus 3:14 and the prophetic declarations in Isaiah where God repeatedly states, "I am He," signifying His unique, eternal, and saving power.
This statement implies Jesus is not just a prophet, but the very embodiment of the awaited One, possessing divine authority and being. This revelation acts as a spiritual awakening for the Samaritan woman, prompting her immediate transformation and fervent evangelism among her people. It showcases Jesus' mission to reveal Himself to all who seek truth, regardless of their background or previous spiritual understanding, breaking down existing ethnic and social barriers. The directness of this declaration contrasts sharply with the Jewish leadership's struggle to accept similar claims from Jesus in later chapters, highlighting His sovereign freedom to reveal Himself to whomever He wills, in accordance with His divine plan.