John 4:11

Sir A decided change from the pert -How is it?" in John 4:9. His words and manner already begin to impress her.

the well is deep Not the same word for -well" as in John 4:6. There the springin the well is the chief feature: here it is rather the deep holein which the spring was. Earlier travellers have called it over a 100 feet deep: at the present time it is about 75 feet deep.

that living water Better, the living water, of which Thou speakest. She thinks He means spring-water as distinct from cistern-water. Comp. Jeremiah 2:13, where the two are strongly contrasted. In Genesis 26:19, as the margin shews, -springing water" is literally -living water," viva aqua. What did Christ mean by the -living water?" Among the various answers we may at once set aside any reference to baptism. Faith, God's grace and truth, Christ Himself, are other answers. The difference between them is at bottom not so great as appears on the surface. Christ here uses the figure of water, as elsewhere of bread (6) and light (John 8:12), the three most necessary things for life. But He does not here identifyHimself with the living water, as He does with the Bread, and the Light: therefore it seems better to understand the living water as the -grace and truth" of which He is full (John 1:14). Comp. Sir 15:3; Bar 3:12.