John 4:28 kjv
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
John 4:28 nkjv
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
John 4:28 niv
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
John 4:28 esv
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people,
John 4:28 nlt
The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,
John 4 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 4:20 | They immediately left their nets and followed Him. | Disciples immediately leaving their trade |
| Mat 19:27 | “See, we have left all and followed You...” | Disciples forsaking possessions for Christ |
| Mk 10:28 | “See, we have left all and followed You.” | Leaving everything to follow Jesus |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ... | Counting past gains as loss for Christ |
| Mk 5:19-20 | “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you...” | Man witnessing to his own community |
| Acts 1:8 | “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...” | Call to witness locally and globally |
| Acts 4:20 | “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” | Unable to remain silent about Christ |
| Lk 24:47 | "...that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." | Evangelism to all people |
| Jn 1:46 | Philip said to him, “Come and see.” | Invitation to personally investigate |
| Jn 4:13-14 | Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst." | Contrast of physical water vs. living water |
| Jn 4:29 | "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Is this not the Christ?" | Her direct invitation and testimony |
| Jn 4:39-42 | "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman..." | Community believing because of her witness |
| Isa 55:1 | "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters..." | Invitation to spiritual nourishment |
| Jer 2:13 | "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters..." | God as the source of living water |
| Rev 22:17 | "And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." | Freely offered spiritual water |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away... | Transformation into new creation |
| Eph 4:22-24 | ...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man... and put on the new man... | Laying aside the old self |
| Rom 10:14-15 | How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? | Importance of preaching/hearing the Gospel |
| Ps 66:16 | Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. | Proclaiming God's work in one's life |
| Isa 6:8 | Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I! Send me." | Eagerness to be sent to proclaim |
| Acts 8:4 | Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. | Scattered believers spreading the word |
John 4 verses
John 4 28 Meaning
John 4:28 describes the immediate, decisive action of the Samaritan woman after her transformative encounter with Jesus. She abandons her vital chore of drawing water and rushes into the city, driven by an urgent need to share her experience and the potential identity of Jesus with her fellow citizens. This verse highlights her profound shift in priorities, from the physical necessity of water to the spiritual reality she had just discovered.
John 4 28 Context
John chapter 4 details Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Jesus, tired from His journey, initiated a conversation with this socially outcast woman (due to her multiple marriages and being a Samaritan, distinct from Jews). Through their dialogue, Jesus progressively revealed her past, her spiritual ignorance concerning worship, and ultimately, His own identity as the Messiah. The immediate context of verse 28 is the dramatic shift that occurs in the woman after Jesus tells her "I who speak to you am He" (John 4:26). Her personal revelation prompted a sudden, urgent impulse to share this astounding news with her community, illustrating the power of a personal encounter with Christ.
John 4 28 Word analysis
- So (οὖν, oun): Connects her action directly to Jesus' revelation, signifying a consequential, immediate response.
- the woman (ἡ γυνή, hē gynē): Refers to the Samaritan woman, whose identity has transformed from a person of questionable repute seeking physical water to a messenger of profound truth.
- left (ἀφίημι, aphiēmi): A strong verb implying abandonment or letting go. She did not merely set aside her waterpot but left it, demonstrating a complete shift in priority from her daily routine and physical need to her spiritual discovery. This indicates her urgency and commitment to her new mission.
- her waterpot (τὴν ὑδρίαν αὐτῆς, tēn hydrian autēs): The waterpot was essential for daily life, symbolizing her ordinary responsibilities and former way of life (drawing water often implies a need for purification rituals or daily sustenance). Leaving it behind signifies that her spiritual need and the news of the Messiah far outweighed her physical needs or societal duties at that moment. It also implies a complete change from seeking water from the well to finding the Living Water in Christ.
- went (ἀπῆλθεν, apēlthen): Signifies a purposeful, decisive departure, implying haste and determination. She was going with a mission.
- into the city (εἰς τὴν πόλιν, eis tēn polin): Despite her social standing and potential ostracization, she boldly enters the very place she might have sought to avoid, now driven by an overwhelming compulsion to testify. Her target audience was the entire city, signifying the broad scope of her evangelistic fervor.
- and said (λέγει, legei): Present tense in the original Greek ("she says"), conveying immediacy and a lively, direct narrative. Her words were not hesitant but an open proclamation.
- to the men (τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, tois anthrōpois): While anthrōpos can refer generically to people, addressing "the men" of the city suggests speaking to key figures or influential community members, demonstrating an uncharacteristic boldness and the impactful nature of her testimony. She spoke openly to all who would hear, regardless of social conventions or her past.
- "So the woman left her waterpot, went into the city": This phrase encapsulates her radical shift in priorities and immediate action. The waterpot represents the temporal, mundane concerns and her past life. Leaving it signifies prioritizing the eternal over the temporary, an outward expression of an inward transformation. Her prompt movement "into the city" highlights urgency and her transformed social standing, moving from social isolation to public testimony.
- "went into the city, and said to the men": This grouping emphasizes her courageous and immediate act of evangelism. For a Samaritan woman, especially one with her reputation, to boldly address the "men" in the public square was highly unconventional and testament to the profound impact of her encounter with Jesus. It highlights the impulsive, irresistible nature of true conversion and conviction.
John 4 28 Bonus section
The waterpot, once the central focus of her journey, becomes an abandoned symbol of her former thirsts and pursuits. It signifies that for those who encounter the Living Water, old necessities lose their grip. This contrasts starkly with the Jewish practice of purifying vessels, highlighting how Christ brings an inner, spiritual cleansing that renders external ritualistic items secondary. The Samaritan woman's readiness to become an immediate evangelist before being fully discipled herself underscores the truth that an authentic encounter with Jesus invariably sparks a desire to proclaim Him. She became the first successful evangelist in Samaria, a region considered anathema by the Jews, demonstrating Christ's boundary-breaking grace.
John 4 28 Commentary
John 4:28 is a pivotal verse, encapsulating the radical transformation of the Samaritan woman and the inherent urgency of a new believer to share the Gospel. Her act of leaving the waterpot signifies the immediate displacement of earthly concerns by eternal priorities; the daily task becomes irrelevant in the face of the Messiah's revelation. Her dash into the city, overcoming social and personal barriers, illustrates the compelling force of true evangelistic fervor. She transforms from a person seeking physical sustenance and possibly avoiding public gaze to an audacious herald of truth. Her direct address to "the men" shows how genuine conviction overrides all shame and fear, demonstrating the Spirit-empowered boldness of a life touched by Christ, compelling her to witness to her entire community. This single verse paints a vivid picture of conversion leading directly to mission.