John 4:15

Ver. 15. “ The woman says to him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, neither pass this way to draw. ”

This woman's request has certainly a serious side. The respectful address, Sir, is sufficient to prove this. It follows likewise from the grave character of the answer of Jesus. Even though the absence of spiritual wants causes her not to understand, she is impressed; can this man indeed have the power of working such a miracle? Nevertheless, the expression of the desire which she experiences to have her life made more comfortable has in it something naive and almost humorous. The last words reproduce the promise of Jesus: “shall not thirst.” The reading of the two oldest MSS.: “that I pass no more this way,” instead of: that I come hither no more, should undoubtedly be adopted. No one would have substituted this for the received reading. It confirms the idea that we have expressed: namely, that the woman was merely passing that way, as she returned to her house.

The first phase of the conversation is closed. But Jesus has raised a sublime ideal in this woman's imagination that of eternal life. Could he abandon her before having taught her more on this subject, since she had thus far shown herself teachable.