8. — [His disciples...gone...huy meat] This verse is an insfance of our Lord's general rule not to work a miracle in order to supply his own wants. He who could feed five thousand with a few loaves and fishes when He willed, was content to buy food, like any other man. — It is an instance of His lowly-mindedness. The Creator of all things, though rich, for our sakes became poor. — It ought to teach Christians that they are not meant to be so spiritual as to neglect the management of money, and a reason- able use of it for the supply of their wants. God could feed His children, as He fed Elijah, by a daily miracle. But He knows it is better for our souls, and more likely to call grace into exer- cise, not to feed them so, but to make them think, and use means. There is no real spirituahty in being careless about money. Jesus Himself allowed His disciples to " buy."
The word rendered " meat" means nothing more than " food or nourishment," and must not be confined to " flesh." Out of the sixteen places where it is used in the New Testament, there is not one where it necessarily signifies " flesh." The meat ofier- ing of the Old Testament consisted of nothing but flour, oil, and incense. (Lev. ii. 1, 2.) The meaning of the word " meat," in tlie English language, has evidently changed since the last revi- sion of the English Bible.
The whole verse is an instance of one of those short, paren- thetical, explanatory comments, which are common in St. John's Gospel. Its object is to explain the circumstance of our Lord being alone at the well, and the fact that He did not ask a dis- ciple to give Him water.
9. — [Then saith...woman...how is it. .a Jew... Samaria.] This ques- tion implies that the woman was surprised at our Lord speaking to her. It was an unexpected act of condescension on His part, and as such arrested her attention. Thus one point, at any rate, was gained. It is a great matter if we can only get a careless sinner to give us a quiet hearing. We shall soon see how our Lord improved the opportunity.
How the woman knew our Lord to be a Jew, is matter of conjecture. Some think that she knew it by the dialect that He spcke. Some think that she knew it by the fringe upon His dress, which he probably wore, in conformity to the Mosaic law, (Num. XT 38, 39,) and which the Samaritans very hkely ne- glected. One thing is very clear. There was nothing in our Lord's personal appearance, when He was a man upon earth, to distinguish Him from any other Jewish traveller who might have been found sitting at a well. There was notliing eccentric cr pecuUar about his dress. He looked hke other men.
I venture the opinion that in the woman's question stress