woman had mentioned, and to convey this instruction, that God will be a common Father to all, so that He will be generally worshipped without distinction of place or nation."
22. — [Ye ivorship...know not what] In this verse our Lord unhesi- tatingly condemns the religious system of the Samaritans, aa compared with that of the Jews. The Samaritans could show no Scriptural authorit}^ no revelation of God, commanding and sanctioning their worship. Whatever it was, it was purely an invention of man, which Grod had never formally authorized or accredited. They had no warrant for belie\ ng that it was accepted. They had no right to feel sure that their prayers, praises, and ofi'erings were received. In short, all was uncer- tainty. They were practically worshipping an "unknown God."
Mede remarks that the Samaritan woman overlooked the object of worship in her question about the place. " You inquire concerning the place of worshipping. But a far more important question is at issue between us, viz., the Being to be worshipped, respecting whom you are ignorant."
[We know what we tuorship.] In contrast to the Samaritan rehgious system, our Lord declares that the Jews at any rate could show divine warrant and Scriptural authority for all they did in their religion. They could render a reason of their hope. They knew whom they approached in their religious services.
[Sdvation is of the Jews.] Our Lord here declares that God's promises of a Saviour and Redeemer specially belong to the Jerusalem Jews. They were the descendants of the tribe of Judah, and to them belonged the house and hneage of David. On this point at any rate the Samaritans had no right whatever to claim equahty with 'the Jews. Granting that the Sama -itans had any ri.^ht to be called Israelites, they were of the tribe of Ephraim, from which it was nowhere said that Messiah should spring. And in troth the Samaritans were of such mixed origin, that they had no right to be called Israehtes at all.
I believe with Olshausen, that " salvation," in this verse, was really intended to mean " the Saviour" Himself. The use of the article in the Greek is striking. It is literally " the salva- tion." Does not the saying to Zacchaeus point the same way? " This day is salvation come to this house." (Luke xix. 9.)
The expression " we" in this verse is very interesting. It is a wonderf \\ instance of our Lord's condescension, and one that stands almost alone. He was pleased to s-ieak of Himself, just in the light that He appeared to the woman, as one of the Jew- ish nation. " I and all other Jews know w^hat we worship."
Tlie folly of supposing that ignorance i" to be praised and