The Samaritan Woman

Portrait of The Samaritan Woman

The Samaritan woman encountered Jesus at Jacob's well in Sychar, where he initiated a conversation despite cultural taboos against Jews interacting with Samaritans or men speaking publicly with women. During their discussion about living water and her personal life, Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah, prompting her to leave her water jar and share the news with her townspeople. Many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus because of her testimony, and even more after hearing him directly. This account in the Gospel of John highlights Jesus' outreach beyond Jewish boundaries and the role of women in spreading the gospel message.

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Biography

Spouse
Five previous husbands
Era
New Testament (c. AD 27)
Nationality
Samaritan
Also Known As
Photini (tradition)

Family

The Samaritan Woman โšญ Five previous husbands
New Testament New Testament Era Woman John

Did You Know?

1

The Samaritan woman drew water at the sixth hour (noon), an atypical time indicating her social ostracism since village women normally gathered at dawn or dusk to avoid the midday heat.

2

Jesus' disclosure of her five prior husbands and current unmarried partner prompted her to identify him as a prophet, after which she raised the Samaritan expectation of the Taheb (restorer) who would reveal all things, echoing Deuteronomy 18:15-18.

3

By engaging a Samaritan woman alone at Jacob's well, Jesus violated prevailing Jewish norms that discouraged male religious teachers from conversing publicly with women and that prohibited Jews from using Samaritan vessels due to purity concerns rooted in post-exilic tensions.

4

Upon recognizing Jesus as Messiah, the woman left her water jar behind and returned to Sychar, where her personal testimony caused many townspeople to believe before they had even encountered Jesus themselves.

5

The well's location near Mount Gerizim allowed the woman to reference her ancestors' worship there, highlighting the centuries-old Samaritan-Jewish dispute over the proper sanctuary that Jesus resolved by declaring worship would henceforth be in spirit and truth rather than at a specific mountain.

Key Passages

Jesus at the Well

John 4:4-26

This story shows Jesus offering living water to an outsider, revealing that God's grace and true worship are open to anyone who believes.

A4nd he must needs go through Samaria.

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacobโ€™s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 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. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

Read full chapter: John 4 โ†’

The Woman's Testimony

John 4:28-30

This passage shows how one woman's transformed life and simple testimony can spark faith and draw a whole community to Jesus.

T28he woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

Read full chapter: John 4 โ†’

Many Samaritans Believe

John 4:39-42

This passage shows how one woman's testimony about Jesus can spark widespread faith, drawing unlikely outsiders into God's welcoming love.

A39nd many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his own word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Read full chapter: John 4 โ†’

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