The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 303

Pc>lll'()e, but !'nntinnnlly proclaims it. If the that Christ would have the husbnnd share desire for whnt (fod nloae ean supply is in the bounty. (2) Moyer suggests thnt eager Rnrl quenchless, and if C'..-od meet the the Lord, by proving to her his prophotlo cmving. then the desire is absolutely satis- glance in a region she could verify, was fied. There is n superfluous fulness in the gift preparing her for similar confidence in him- of God which ~ill transcend all tho needs of self in a higher aud more momentous region. thil! life, and be enough for eternity. (3) Hengstcnberg makes it pnrt of his Ver. I 5.-The woman has not yet emerged curious, mystical iutcrpretlltion of the entire out of the region of her physical desires and narr11Live, and by •• husband " thinks that her daily requirements, nud needs a deeper Jesus meant the true Lord and Husbnnd of apprehension of her real ne(J('ssities. By the kingdom of God, in contmst to the reason of the subsequent narrative she ought heathen lordships and polluting idolatries not to be creclilrrl now with impertinence which Samnrituns bad blended with their or irony (Lightfoot, Tholuck). She could Jehovism (of which more in the next verse), not unoerst.'Lnd the miraculous w11ter of (4) Lange has supposed that Jesus here which tile Stranger spnke, but had some dim conforms to law and custom with reference notion that he might be able to deliver her to the superior claim of the husband, and from her toilsome and exhaustiug life. She declares that the wife must submit to it in replies to him, Sir, give me this water, that receiving tho gift of the kingdom of God; I thirst not, neither come all the way hither and Godet s11ys, "Jesus did not wish to ~draw. The Lord had spoken of etera11l life, influence a de1icnclent person without the nnd she is content to have temporal satisfac- participation of the man with whom she tion to the extent of thirsting no more. Some wns united." Jesus surely never waits upon commentators, with L11nge and Hengsten• conventionalisms, se.bbatio rules, curront berg, suppose that the journey to Jn.cob's fashions of any kincl ; and some deeper reason well was ia her mind a qul\Si-religious act, than this is more than apparent from the the insufficiency of which to meet her case startling response. is at length becoming apparent. This view Vera. 17, 18.-The woman answered, and seems to ns inconsistent with the sudden 112.id to him, I have no hnsband. Jesus change of metaphor and alteration of his saith unto her, Thou said correotly, Husband method of approach to this woman'sconscions- have I none : for thou hast had :live ness and need. He resolved rather to search husbands; and he whom thou now hast is her heart ll!id reveal her to herself-to bring not thy ht11ba.nd. This true thing hast thou forth from its hiding-place the torpid con- spoken. '.l.'he woman resists the description science, and reveal to her the grievous need which Jesus assumes that sbo bears to the in which she stood of that Divine cleansing, man with whom she stands in illegal rela- healing, uutrition, refreshment, which he had tions. Convinced, brought to bay, she been sent into the world to supply. This re- cannot lie to Jesus. She says, in penitence flection renders the reply of Jesus less obscure and shame, " I have no husband." Th_ere than its abrupt transition seems to imply. is no concealment of the fact; she mnst need Vere. 16--20.-(c) The heart-searching the cleansiug of the life-giving stream. issuing in perception of the prophetic rank Jesns, not without e. tone of solemn remon- of Je,us. strance, accuses her of a life of loose morals. Ver. 16.-[1e5"tlll] 1 saith unto her, Go, call It is implied that the first 'five husbands thy husband, and come hither. Our Lorcl, were conventionally 11llowable; but the sug- by that Divine penetration and thaught- gestion is that, either by divorce or wanton ri,!ding which the evangelist attributes to rnshing to further nuptials if the former had him (eh. ii.), lmew e:s:actly what manner been ruptured by death, her character had of woman this was, and wished to bring her been ever deteriorating nntil, under present secret sins to the light of her own conscience. circumstances, she was committing an overt The demand touched her hen.rt at its most act of illegality and impurity. "In saying tender place, and was indeed a partial thou hast no husband, thou hast spoken to "nswer to her prayer, "Give me this wa.ter." the point, and for the reasons I recite thou Conviction of sin is the beginning of the bast macle a true statement." As the woman great work of the Paraclete; it will end. in in ver. 27 tells her friends "He told me all full assurance of faith (so Neander, Stier, things that ever I did," we me.y easily 'I'lioluck, Luthardt, Weiss, and Edersheim). believe tl,at she felt, nuder ·his searching Numerous have been the explanations of glance, that no folly, no weakness, no the Saviour's demand, but none of them so rebellious deed, no damning compromise, congruous as tillJl: e.g. (1) Liicke supposes was hidden from him. How much more he said we can only conjecture. The revela- 1 'l'.R. and R.T. here read, 6 'l'l)o-oiis, but tion thus recorded is akin. to other events it is omitted by B, C, by Tiscbendorf (8th in our Lord's life, which we cannot account vlii;.), Alforcl, e.nd Westcott 11.ud Hort. for by the supposition that information CH. IV, 1-64-.] TRE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 167