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Commentaries on John 4:12

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John Gill - Exposition

John Gill

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...

Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary

Matthew Henry

It was, more than any thing else, the glory of the land of Israel, that it was Emmanuel's land (Isa. viii. 8), not only the place of his birth, but the scene of his preaching and miracles. This land in our Saviour's time was divided into three parts: Judea in the south, Galilee in the north, and Samaria lying between them. Now, in this chapter, we have Christ in each of these three parts of that...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which have us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Ah, she did not know how infinitely superior Jesus was to Jacob! There could be no comparison between the two. Jesus is the true Father of all Israel, and in that respect he is like to Jacob; but he is immeasurably greater than “father Jacob.”

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

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? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

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? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? She took the Saviour’s figure literally; and there are still many who cannot see the spiritual meaning of God’s Word, and run their heads...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst: — You know that there are some who preach of a salvation that does not save; they teach that one may be a...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

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? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? That last word, “cattle”, lets us see wherein the water of Jacob’s well could never be compared to the living water that Jesus gives. If beasts...

Spurgeon - Verse Expositions

Charles H. Spurgeon

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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. These...