John 4:12

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

King James Version (1611)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the Well, and dranke thereof himselfe, and his children, and his cattell?

King James Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

English Standard Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."

New American Standard Bible
"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?"

New Century Version
Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?"

Amplified Bible
"Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"

Legacy Standard Bible
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"

Berean Standard Bible
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?"

Contemporary English Version
Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it. Are you greater than Jacob?"

Complete Jewish Bible
You aren't greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle."

Darby Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Easy-to-Read Version
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? He is the one who gave us this well. He drank from it himself, and his sons and all his animals drank from it too."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the well, and hee himselfe dranke thereof, and his sonnes, and his cattell?

George Lamsa Translation
Why, are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and he himself drank from it, and his sons and his sheep?

Good News Translation
It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?"

Lexham English Bible
You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, and his sons and his livestock?"

Literal Translation
Are You greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and he and his sons and his livestock drank out of it?

American Standard Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Bible in Basic English
Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the fountain and took the water of it himself, with his children and his cattle?

Hebrew Names Version
Are you greater than our father, Ya`akov, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his sons, and his cattle?"

International Standard Version
You're not greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it, along with his sons and his flocks, are you?"

Etheridge Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jakub, he who gave us this well, and himself drank of it, and his children, and his flocks ?

Murdock Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, and his children, and his flocks?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the well, and he hym selfe dranke therof, and his chyldren, and his cattell?

English Revised Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

World English Bible
Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his sons, and his cattle?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank thereof, and his children, and his cattle?

Weymouth's New Testament
Are you greater than our forefather Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, as did also his sons and his cattle?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whethir thou art grettere than oure fadir Jacob, that yaf to vs the pit? and he drank therof, and hise sones, and hise beestis.

Update Bible Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Webster's Bible Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children, and his cattle?

New English Translation
Surely you're not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock."

New King James Version
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"

New Living Translation
And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?"

New Life Bible
Are You greater than our early father Jacob? He gave us the well. He and his children and his cattle drank from it."

New Revised Standard
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Art, thou, greater than, our father Jacob, who gave us the well, - and, himself, out of it drank, and his sons, and his flocks?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof, himself and his children and his cattle?

Revised Standard Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Arte thou greater then oure father Iacob which gave vs the well and he him silfe dranke therof and his chyldren and his catell?

Young's Literal Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Art thou greater then oure father Iacob, which gaue vs this well? And he himself dranke therof, and his children, and his catell.

Mace New Testament (1729)
are you wiser than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, as well as his children, and cattle?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Do you think your water is better than our ancestor Jacob's? He drank from it himself, and it has sustained us and our livestock for generations."

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

John 8:53, Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah 53:3, Matthew 12:42, Hebrews 3:3

Reciprocal: Matthew 12:41 - behold John 3:4 - How Revelation 22:14 - may have

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn't get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

Genesis 4:17
Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch. Enoch had Irad, Irad had Mehujael, Mehujael had Methushael, Methushael had Lamech.

Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, listen to me; you wives of Lamech, hear me out: I killed a man for wounding me, a young man who attacked me. If Cain is avenged seven times, for Lamech it's seventy-seven!

Leviticus 26:36
"As for those among you still alive, I'll give them over to fearful timidity—even the rustle of a leaf will throw them into a panic. They'll run here and there, back and forth, as if running for their lives even though no one is after them, tripping and falling over one another in total confusion. You won't stand a chance against an enemy. You'll perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will eat you up. Any who are left will slowly rot away in the enemy lands. Rot. And all because of their sins, their sins compounded by their ancestors' sins.

Hosea 9:17
My God has washed his hands of them. They wouldn't listen. They're doomed to be wanderers, vagabonds among the godless nations.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Art thou greater than our father Jacob,.... A person of greater worth and character than he, who was content to drink of this water; or wiser and more knowing than he, who could find out no better fountain of water in all these parts? she calls Jacob the father of them, according to the common notion and boasting of these people, when it served their turn; otherwise they were not the descendants of Jacob; for after the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, he placed in their room, in the cities of Samaria, men from Babylon, Cuthah Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, Heathenish and idolatrous people; see 2 Kings 17:24. And from these, the then Samaritans sprung; only upon Sanballat's building a temple on Mount Gerizzim, for Manasseh his son-in-law, when put away from the priesthood by the Jews, for his marriage of his daughter, several wicked persons of the like sort, came out of Judea, and joined themselves to the Samaritans: and such a mixed medley of people were they at this time, though they boasted of Jacob as their father, as this woman did; and so to this day, they draw their genealogy from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and particularly call Joseph their father, and say, from whence are we, but from the tribe of Joseph the just, from Ephraim w? as they formerly did x;

"R. Meir saw a Samaritan, he said to him, from whence comest thou? (that is, from what family;) he answered, from the (tribe) of Joseph.''

Which gave us the well; Jacob gave it indeed to Joseph and his posterity, along with the parcel of ground in which it was; see John 4:5; but not to this mixed company:

and drank thereof himself and his children, and his cattle; which shows both the goodness and plenty of the water: though our Lord had spoken of living water, this woman understood him of no other water, but spring water; called living water, from its motion, because it is continually springing up, bubbling, and ever running: so carnal persons, when they hear of spiritual things under earthly metaphors, think of nothing but carnal things; as Nicodemus, when Christ talked of being born again; and the Jews at Capernaum, when he discoursed concerning eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; for spiritual things are neither known nor received by the natural man.

w Epist. Samar. ad Scaliger. in Antiqu. Eccl. Oriental. p. 123, 124, 126. x Bereshit Rabba, sect. 94. fol. 82. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Art thou greater? - Art thou wiser, or better able to find water, than Jacob was? It seems that she supposed that he meant that he could direct her to some living spring, or to some better well in that region, and that this implied more knowledge or skill than Jacob had. To find water and to furnish a good well was doubtless considered a matter of signal skill and success. It was a subject of great importance in that region. This shows how ready sinners are to misunderstand the words of Christ, and to pervert the doctrines of religion. If she had had any proper anxiety about her soul, she would at least have “suspected” that he meant to direct her thoughts to spiritual objects.

Our father Jacob - The Samaritans were composed partly of the remnant of the ten tribes, and partly of people sent from Chaldea; still, they considered themselves descendants of Jacob.

Which gave us - This was doubtless the tradition, though there is no evidence that it was true.

And drank thereof ... - This was added in commendation of the water of the well. A well from which Jacob, and his sons, and cattle had drank must be pure, and wholesome, and honored, and quite as valuable as any that Jesus could furnish. People like to commend that which their ancestors used as superior to anything else. The world over, people love to speak of that which their ancestors have done, and boast of titles and honors that have been handed down from them, even if it is nothing better than existed here - because Jacob’s cattle had drunk of the water.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 4:12. Our father Jacob — The ancient Samaritans were undoubtedly the descendants of Jacob; for they were the ten tribes that revolted in the reign of Rehoboam: but those in our Lord's time were not genuine Israelites, but a corrupted race, sprung from a mixture of different nations, sent thither by Salmanezer, king of the Assyrians. See 2 Kings 17:24.