John 4:30 kjv
Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
John 4:30 nkjv
Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
John 4:30 niv
They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
John 4:30 esv
They went out of the town and were coming to him.
John 4:30 nlt
So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
John 4 30 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:3 | I will bless those who bless you... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. | Prophecy of Gentile blessing through Abraham. |
| Isa 2:2 | In the latter days the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established... and all the nations shall stream to it. | Nations seeking God's truth. |
| Isa 49:6 | I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. | Israel's mission to the Gentiles. |
| Isa 60:3 | Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. | Gentile nations coming to divine light. |
| Mic 4:2 | Many nations shall come, and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD..." | Many nations seeking the LORD. |
| Mal 1:11 | For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations. | Universal worship, including Gentiles. |
| Zech 8:20-22 | People will come, many peoples and strong nations, to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem. | Many nations coming to seek the Lord. |
| Matt 8:11 | Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. | Gentiles entering God's kingdom. |
| Matt 9:37-38 | Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." | Foreshadows abundant harvest (e.g., Samaritans). |
| Matt 10:5-6 | Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. | Initial Jewish-focused mission, but later expands. |
| Luke 10:2 | And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." | Similar call for workers in the abundant harvest. |
| Luke 17:15-19 | Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back... and he was a Samaritan. | A Samaritan showing faith and gratitude. |
| Acts 1:8 | You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. | Jesus' mission mandate including Samaria. |
| Acts 8:4-8 | Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip. | Philip's successful ministry in Samaria. |
| Acts 8:14 | Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. | Samaria's reception of the Gospel. |
| Acts 10:44-48 | While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word... Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people?" | Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit. |
| Acts 17:11 | Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica... examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. | Diligent investigation of the message. |
| John 1:39 | He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. | Invitation to come and see. |
| John 4:7-9 | A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink"... For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. | Breaking social/ethnic barriers. |
| John 4:28-29 | So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did." | The woman's powerful invitation. |
| John 4:39-42 | Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the word of the woman... They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves." | The ultimate goal: direct encounter with Jesus. |
| John 7:31 | Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?" | General public's belief and questions. |
| John 12:20-22 | Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks... "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." | Greeks (Gentiles) coming to see Jesus. |
John 4 verses
John 4 30 Meaning
John 4:30 describes the immediate response of the Samaritan townspeople to the Samaritan woman's testimony about Jesus. Upon hearing her words, a significant number of them leave their city to seek Jesus, demonstrating an active and collective move towards encountering the one she proclaimed as possibly the Messiah. This verse highlights the profound impact of a single witness and the community's readiness to investigate.
John 4 30 Context
John 4:30 occurs immediately after the Samaritan woman, having had a life-changing encounter with Jesus at Jacob's well (John 4:1-26), leaves her water jar and returns to her city, Sychar (John 4:28). She urges her townspeople to "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" (John 4:29). This verse describes their direct, eager response to her invitation. Culturally, there was deep animosity between Jews and Samaritans, often leading to mutual avoidance and distrust (John 4:9). For Samaritans, who recognized only the Pentateuch, the expectation of a Messiah, or Taheb (Restorer/Returning One), was present. Their immediate action here signifies a breaking down of both personal inhibitions and the prevailing social and religious prejudices, as they are drawn by the powerful, yet simple, testimony of one of their own, especially a woman with a questionable reputation.
John 4 30 Word analysis
- Then (Οὖν - Oun): This Greek conjunction indicates a consequence, a logical sequence, or an inferential conclusion. It highlights that the departure of the people was a direct result or outcome of the woman's testimony. It connects the previous action (her inviting them) to their subsequent response.
- they went out (ἐξῆλθον - exēlthon): From ek (out of) and erchomai (to come/go). This aorist verb emphasizes a decisive, completed action – they literally left the confines of their city. It suggests a departure from their normal routine, daily activities, and familiar surroundings. This is not just a passive curiosity, but an active movement away from what is known and towards the unknown.
- of the city (ἐκ τῆς πόλεως - ek tēs poleōs): Referring to Sychar. The city represents their established life, their community, and perhaps the safety and anonymity it offered. Leaving the city is significant as it means publicly engaging with someone (Jesus) outside their social norm and jurisdiction, an action prompted solely by the woman's report.
- and were coming (ἤρχοντο - ērchonto): This is an imperfect tense verb (from erchomai), denoting a continuous, ongoing, or repeated action in the past. It suggests that they were in the process of coming, implying a steady stream or a procession of people, not just a sudden burst. This highlights the sustained momentum of their approach towards Jesus. The imperfect tense also conveys the visual of multiple individuals making their way from the city.
- to Him (πρὸς αὐτόν - pros auton): Pros (towards, with intent) and auton (Him, referring to Jesus). This phrase specifies the destination and central focus of their movement. Their intention was clearly directed towards Jesus, not just the general area, indicating a purpose-driven journey to meet the individual the woman had described. This singular focus underscores Jesus' magnetic presence and the credibility of the woman's invitation.
- Then they went out of the city: This phrase captures a momentous, collective movement. It signifies the power of conviction leading to action. The townspeople are not merely discussing or pondering; they are actively responding to the urgent and compelling testimony, overcoming social and geographical boundaries. Their unanimous departure signals an open-mindedness and readiness to receive Jesus, a striking contrast to the frequent resistance Jesus encountered among Jewish leaders in other parts of John's Gospel. This mass movement is driven by curiosity, hope, and the desire to "see" for themselves.
- and were coming to Him: This emphasizes the intentional, persistent, and directed nature of their journey. They were not wandering aimlessly; their entire focus was on reaching Jesus. The ongoing nature of "were coming" suggests a procession of people heading towards the well, gradually filling the scene. This movement towards Jesus signifies a communal seeking of truth and perhaps even the long-awaited Messiah, based on the partial yet powerful witness of the Samaritan woman. It sets the stage for a broader spiritual "harvest" that Jesus discusses immediately after.
John 4 30 Bonus section
The immediate and positive response of the Samaritans stands in stark contrast to the initial resistance and sometimes open hostility Jesus often faced in Jewish territories, especially from religious authorities. This highlights the universal appeal of Jesus and the readiness of people from various backgrounds, often those marginalized, to believe. This event also serves as an early, profound demonstration of Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8, beginning in Samaria, before the formal expansion of the early church. The scene at the well with the arriving townspeople sets a tangible example for the disciples, who, returning with food, witnessed the unfolding harvest they had yet to understand. The imperfect tense in "were coming" could be interpreted as Jesus looking out from the well, observing the steady stream of people approaching from Sychar, confirming the readiness of the "fields...white for harvest."
John 4 30 Commentary
John 4:30 powerfully illustrates the immediate and widespread impact of personal evangelism, even from an unlikely source like the Samaritan woman. Her simple, yet urgent, call to "Come, see a man..." initiated a collective movement among the townspeople. Their eagerness to "go out of the city and were coming to Him" reflects a profound spiritual hunger and an open-mindedness, contrasting sharply with the frequent skepticism or rejection Jesus faced elsewhere. This verse shows that hearts can be remarkably receptive when someone shares their encounter with Jesus, and people are often willing to step outside their comfort zones and challenge social norms to investigate divine truth. It's a vivid picture of the beginning of a harvest that Jesus would later allude to (John 4:35-38), demonstrating the magnetic pull of the Christ upon genuinely seeking hearts. This spontaneous and unified response underscores the authenticity of the woman's testimony and the inherent human desire to encounter the divine.