Lightfoot, Schottgen, and Tholuck quote proverbial sayings from Rabbinical writeis, showing the Jewish feeling about women. The following are instances — "He who instructs his daughter in the law plays the fool." '• Do not multiply discourses wiih a Woman." "Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no not with his own wife." — Whitby also says, from Buxtorf, that the Rabbins say that '' talking with a woman is one of the six things which make a disciple impure."
[JVo man said, What seekest..why talkest, &c.'\ We are left to conjecture M'hether both these questions apply to our Lord, cr whether the first applied to the woman, " What seekest thou of Him ?" and the second to our Lord, " Why talkeso thou with her ?" The point is of no particular importance. To me, how- ever, it appears that both questions apply to Christ. — " No man said, 'What art thou sacking from her? Why art thou taking with her ?' "
Grotius suggests that the disciples supposed our Lord might have been seeking meat or drink from the Samaritan woman, and meant, " Why seekest thou any meat or drink from her ?"
I venture to doubt whether both questions had not better have been translated ahke, " What art thou seeking from her ? What art thou talking about with her? " The Greek word is the same which our translators have rendered " what " in the first question, and " why " in the second.
The expression, "No man said," seems to imply that no man ventured to ask any question what was our Lord's reason for talking with the woman. It is not very clear why the sentence is introduced. The object probably is, as Cyril and Chrysostom remark, to show us the deep reverence and respect with which the disciples regarded our Lord and all His actions, even at this early period of His ministry. — It also shows us that they some- times thought things about Him to which they dared not give expression, and saw deeds of His which they could not under- stand, but were content silently to wonder at them. There is a lesson for us in their conduct. When we cannot understand the reason of our Lord's dealings with souls, let us hold our peace, and try to beheve that there are reasons which we shall know one day. A good servant in a great house must do his own duty, and ask no questions. A young student of medicine must take many things on trust. 28. — [^The woman.. .left. .ivater-pot] The Greek word here rendered " water-pot " is the same that is used in the account of the miracle at Cana in Galilee. (John ii. 6.) It does not mean a small drink- ing-vessel, but a large jar, such as a woman in Eastern countries would carry on her head. We can therefore well understand that if the woman wished ^d return in haste to the city she