Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

John 4:11

The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Blindness;   Jacob;   Jesus, the Christ;   Samaria;   Shechem;   Scofield Reference Index - Bible Prayers;   Thompson Chain Reference - Discernment-Dullness;   Samaritans;   The Topic Concordance - Thirst;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wells;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Shechem;   Wells and Springs;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - John, gospel of;   Women;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Sexuality, Human;   Water;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Commentary;   Patience;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gospels;   Jacob's Well;   Jesus Christ;   Nicodemus;   Well;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Drink;   Hour;   Jesus, Life and Ministry of;   John, the Gospel of;   Marriage;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gospels;   Messiah;   Mss;   Sychar;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Discourse;   Fig-Tree ;   Individuality;   Jacob's Well;   John (the Apostle);   Living (2);   Metaphors;   Reality;   Sir ;   Sychar ;   Water (2);   Well ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jacob's Well;   Samaritans;   Wells;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Mount samaria;   Samaria;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Wells;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Ja'cob's Well,;   Well;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cistern;   Lively;   Sir;   Well;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for May 9;   My Utmost for His Highest - Devotion for February 26;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’?
King James Version (1611)
The woman saith vnto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to drawe with, and the Well is deepe: from whence then hast thou that liuing water?
King James Version
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?
English Standard Version
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
New American Standard Bible
She said to Him, "Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water?
New Century Version
The woman said, "Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with.
Amplified Bible
She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with [no bucket and rope] and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?
Legacy Standard Bible
She *said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
Berean Standard Bible
"Sir," the woman replied, "You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where then will You get this living water?
Contemporary English Version
"Sir," the woman said, "you don't even have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water?
Complete Jewish Bible
She said to him, "Sir, you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep; so where do you get this ‘living water'?
Darby Translation
The woman says to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water?
Easy-to-Read Version
The woman said, "Sir, where will you get that living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The woman saide vnto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to drawe with, and the well is deepe: from whence then hast thou that water of life?
George Lamsa Translation
The woman said to him, My lord, you have no leather bucket, and no deep well; where do you get the living water?
Good News Translation
"Sir," the woman said, "you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water?
Lexham English Bible
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket and the well is deep! From where then do you get this living water?
Literal Translation
The woman said to Him, Sir, You have no vessel, and the well is deep. From where then do You have living water?
American Standard Version
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
Bible in Basic English
The woman said to him, Sir, you have no vessel and the fountain is deep; from where will you get the living water?
Hebrew Names Version
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?
International Standard Version
The womanShe">[fn] said to him, "Sir, you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this living water?
Etheridge Translation
That woman saith to him, My Lord, thou hast no vessel, and the well is deep; whence hast thou living waters?
Murdock Translation
The woman said to him: My lord, thou hast no bucket, and the well is deep.; how hast thou living waters?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The woman sayth vnto hym: Syr, thou hast nothyng to drawe with, and the well is deepe: from whence then hast thou that water of lyfe?
English Revised Version
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?
World English Bible
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that living water?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The woman saith to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
Weymouth's New Testament
"Sir," she said, "you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; so where can you get the living water from?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The womman seith to him, Sire, thou hast not where ynne to drawe, and the pit is deep; wherof thanne hast thou quik watir?
Update Bible Version
The woman says to him, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then do you have that living water?
Webster's Bible Translation
The woman saith to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
New English Translation
"Sir," the woman said to him, "you have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do you get this living water?
New King James Version
The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
New Living Translation
"But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water?
New Life Bible
The woman said to Him, "Sir, the well is deep. You have nothing to get water with. Where will You get the living water?
New Revised Standard
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
She saith unto him - Sir! not even a bucket, hast thou, - and, the well, is, deep: - Whence, then, hast thou the living water?
Douay-Rheims Bible
The woman saith to him: Sir, thou hast nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou living water?
Revised Standard Version
The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The woman sayde vnto him. Syr thou hast no thinge to drawe with and the well is depe: from whence then hast thou yt water of lyfe?
Young's Literal Translation
The woman saith to him, `Sir, thou hast not even a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, hast thou the living water?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The woman sayde vnto him: Syr, thou hast nothinge to drawe withall, and the well is depe, from whence hast thou then that water of life?
Mace New Testament (1729)
sir, said the woman, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then can you get that living water?
Simplified Cowboy Version
"Well, that might prove a tad difficult for you, sir. You don't even have a rope or a bucket. This well is very deep. So where are you going to get this living water?

Contextual Overview

4To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob's well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. 7A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.) 9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water." 11The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?" 13Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." 15 The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!" 16 He said, "Go call your husband and then come back." 17"I have no husband," she said. "That's nicely put: ‘I have no husband.' You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough." 19"Oh, so you're a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou hast: John 3:4, 1 Corinthians 2:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:19 - springing water Numbers 19:17 - running water shall be put thereto Psalms 57:4 - whose Proverbs 12:10 - righteous John 6:51 - living John 6:52 - How John 14:22 - how Romans 11:2 - how he maketh Revelation 7:17 - shall lead Revelation 22:1 - water

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
God told the serpent: "Because you've done this, you're cursed, cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life. I'm declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll wound your head, you'll wound his heel."
Genesis 4:15
God told him, "No. Anyone who kills Cain will pay for it seven times over." God put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no one who met him would kill him.
Genesis 4:16
Cain left the presence of God and lived in No-Man's-Land, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:19
Lamech married two wives, Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who live in tents and herd cattle. His brother's name was Jubal, the ancestor of all who play the lyre and flute. Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
Job 16:18
"O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me! Don't muffle my cry! There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name— My Champion, my Friend, while I'm weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor. "Only a few years are left before I set out on the road of no return."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The woman saith unto him, Sir,.... Which was an usual, way in those countries, of addressing men, and especially strangers; and expresses no uncommon respect to Christ, of whose dignity and greatness she was, entirely ignorant; and at whom she was now scoffing; for so the following words are to be understood:

thou hast nothing to draw with; no pail, or bucket, or rope, to let it down with, as Nonnus adds; for it seems, there was no bucket, or vessel, fastened at the well for the common use, but everyone brought one with them, when they came to draw: though it is strange there was not one; since, according to common usage, and even of the Jews u,

"a public well had, קול, "a bucket", or pitcher; but a private well had no bucket:''

and the well is deep; that which is now called Jacob's well, is by some said to be forty cubits deep, and by others thirty five yards:

from whence then hast thou that living water? this she said in a sneering, scoffing manner: she reasoned with him, either that he must have it out of this well; but that could not be, since he had no vessel to draw with, and the well was so deep, that he could not come at the water without one; or he must have it from some neighbouring spring; upon which she scoffs at him in the following manner.

u T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 20. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hast nothing to draw with - It seems that there were no means of drawing water affixed to the well, as with us. Probably each one took a pail or pitcher and a cord for the purpose. In traveling this was indispensable. The woman, seeing that Jesus had no means of drawing water, and not yet understanding his design, naturally inquired whence he could obtain the water.

The well is deep - If the same one that is there now, it was about 100 feet deep.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 4:11. Thou hast nothing to draw with — ουτε αντλημα εχεις, Thou hast no bucket. Good water is not plentiful in the east; and travellers are often obliged to carry leathern bottles or buckets with them, and a line also, to let them down into the deep wells, in order to draw up water. If the well was in our Lord's time, as it was found by Mr. Maundrell, thirty-five yards deep, it would require a considerable line to reach it; and with such it is not likely that even the disciples of our Lord were provided. The woman might well say, The well is deep, and thou hast nothing to draw with; whence then hast thou that living water?


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile