John 4:10

George Lamsa Translation

Jesus answered and said to her, If you only knew the gift of God, and who is the man who said to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God,

King James Version (1611)
Iesus answered, and said vnto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that sayth to thee, Giue me to drinke; thou wouldest haue asked of him, and hee would haue giuen thee liuing water.

King James Version
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

English Standard Version
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

New American Standard Bible
Jesus replied to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

New Century Version
Jesus said, "If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

Amplified Bible
Jesus answered her, "If you knew [about] God's gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life)."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus answered, "If you knew the gift of God and who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, "You don't know what God wants to give you, and you don't know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life."

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua answered her, "If you knew God's gift, that is, who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink of water,' then you would have asked him; and he would have given you living water."

Darby Translation
Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "You don't know what God can give you. And you don't know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Iesus answered and saide vnto her, If thou knewest that gift of God, and who it is that saieth to thee, Giue mee drinke, thou wouldest haue asked of him, and hee woulde haue giuen thee, water of life.

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water."

Lexham English Bible
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me water to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who is the One saying to you, Give Me to drink, you would have asked Him, and He would give you living water.

American Standard Version
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Bible in Basic English
In answer Jesus said, If you had knowledge of what God gives freely and who it is who says to you, Give me water, you would make your prayer to him, and he would give you living water.

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

International Standard Version
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, 'Please give me a drink,' you would have been the one to ask him, and he would have given you living water."Isaiah 12:3; 44:3; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 13:1; 14:8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu answered and said to her, If thou hadst known the gift of Aloha, and who He is who hath said to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he had given thee living waters.

Murdock Translation
Jesus replied and said to her: If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living waters.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus aunswered, and sayde vnto her: yf thou knewest the gyft of God, & who it is that sayeth to thee geue me drynke, thou wouldest haue asked of hym, and he woulde haue geuen thee water of lyfe.

English Revised Version
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

World English Bible
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Jesus answered and said to her, If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Weymouth's New Testament
"If you had known God's free gift," replied Jesus, "and who it is that said to you, `Give me some water,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jhesus answerde, and seide to hir, If thou wistist the yifte of God, and who `he is, that seith to thee, Yyue me drynk, thou perauenture woldist haue axid of hym, and he schulde haue youun to thee quyk watir.

Update Bible Version
Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.

New English Translation
Jesus answered her, "If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

New King James Version
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water."

New Life Bible
Jesus said to her, "You do not know what God has to give. You do not know Who said to you, ‘Give Me a drink.' If you knew, you would have asked Him. He would have given you living water."

New Revised Standard
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Jesus answered, and said unto her - If thou hadst known the free gift of God, and who it is that is saying unto thee, Give me to drink, thou, wouldst have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus answered and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God and who he is that saith to thee: Give me to drink; thou perhaps wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Revised Standard Version
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus answered and sayde vnto hir: yf thou knewest the gyfte of God and who it is that sayeth to the geve me drynke thou woldest have axed of him and he wolde have geven the water of lyfe.

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to her, `If thou hadst known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus answered, and sayde vnto her: Yf thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that sayeth vnto the, geue me drynke, thou woldest axe of him, and he wolde geue the, the water of life.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus answered her, if you knew the dispensation of God, and who it is that says to you, give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.

THE MESSAGE
Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus replied, "If you had an inkling of the gift God has given, you would ask me for a drink, and I would give you living water."

Contextual Overview

⁴ He had to go through Samaritan territory. ⁵ Then he came to a Samaritan city, called Sychar, near the field which Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Now Jacob''s well was there; and Jesus was tired by the fatigue of the journey, and sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷ And there came a woman from Samaria to draw water; and Jesus said to her, Give me water to drink. ⁸ His disciples had entered into the city to buy food for themselves. ⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, How is it? You are a Jew, and yet you ask me for a drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no social intercourse with Samaritans. ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, If you only knew the gift of God, and who is the man who said to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. ¹¹ The woman said to him, My lord, you have no leather bucket, and no deep well; where do you get the living water? ¹² Why, are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and he himself drank from it, and his sons and his sheep? ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If: John 3:16, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:6-8, Luke 11:13, Romans 8:32, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Ephesians 2:8

and who: John 4:25, John 4:26, John 9:35-38, John 16:3, John 17:3, 1 John 5:20

thou wouldest: 2 Chronicles 33:12, 2 Chronicles 33:13, 2 Chronicles 33:18, 2 Chronicles 33:19, Psalms 10:17, Isaiah 55:6-9, Luke 11:8-10, Luke 18:13, Luke 18:14, Luke 23:42, Luke 23:43, Acts 9:11, Revelation 3:17, Revelation 3:18

living: John 4:14, John 6:35, John 6:51, John 7:37-39, Exodus 17:6, Psalms 36:8, Psalms 36:9, Psalms 46:4, Isaiah 12:3, Isaiah 35:6, Isaiah 41:17, Isaiah 41:18, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 49:10, Isaiah 55:1-3, Jeremiah 2:13, Ezekiel 47:1-9, Zechariah 13:1, Zechariah 14:8, 1 Corinthians 10:4, Revelation 7:17, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:1, Revelation 22:2, Revelation 22:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:19 - springing water Numbers 19:17 - running water shall be put thereto Numbers 20:8 - speak Numbers 21:16 - Gather 2 Samuel 23:15 - longed 1 Chronicles 11:17 - of the water Nehemiah 9:20 - gavest Psalms 57:4 - whose Psalms 86:5 - unto all Psalms 87:7 - all my Song of Solomon 4:15 - a well Jeremiah 17:13 - forsaken Ezekiel 16:35 - O harlot Matthew 7:7 - and it Luke 6:21 - for ye shall be Luke 11:9 - Ask Luke 16:24 - in water John 4:7 - Give John 5:26 - so hath John 14:13 - will Acts 3:15 - Prince Acts 26:18 - faith Romans 5:15 - But not Romans 8:2 - Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:13 - to drink 1 Corinthians 15:45 - a quickening 2 Corinthians 13:14 - the communion Titus 3:6 - through Hebrews 6:4 - and have James 1:5 - let James 4:2 - because 1 John 5:6 - by water and

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, What is this that you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brothers keeper?

Genesis 4:10
And the LORD said, What have you done? The voice of your brothers blood cries to me from the ground.

Genesis 9:5
And surely your lifeblood will I f avenge; of every beast will I avenge it, and at the hand of man; and at the hand of a man and his brother will I avenge the life of man.

Genesis 18:20
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has come before me and their sins are very grievous,

Exodus 3:7
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

Numbers 35:33
So you shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood defiles the land; and the land in which blood is shed cannot be cleansed except by the shedding of the blood of him who shed it.

Joshua 7:19
And Joshua said to Achar, Give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and give praise to him; and tell me now what you have done; and do not hide it from me.

2 Kings 9:26
Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, says the LORD; and I will requite you in this field, says the LORD. Now therefore take him up and cast him into the field, according to the word of the LORD. So they cast him into the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Job 16:18
O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry have no place!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Jesus answered and said unto her,.... In a very serious manner, in a different way from hers:

if thou knewest the gift of God; meaning, not the Holy Spirit with his gifts and graces, as some think, but himself; for the following clause is explanatory of it;

and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; and Christ is also spoken of in the Old Testament, as the gift of God, Isaiah 9:6 and he had lately spoken of himself as such, John 3:16 and he is, by way of eminency, "the gift of God"; which is comprehensive of all others, is exceeding large, and very suitable to the wants and cases of men; and is irrevocable, unchangeable, and unspeakable: for he is God's gift, as he is his own and only begotten Son; and he is given for a covenant to the people, with all the promises and blessings of it; and as an head, both of eminence and influence; and to be a Saviour of them, and a sacrifice for their sins; and as the bread of life, for them to feed and live upon; of which gift, men are naturally ignorant, as this woman was: they know not the dignity of his person; nor the nature and usefulness of his offices; nor the way of peace, righteousness, and salvation by him; nor do they see any amiableness, or loveliness in him; and whatever notional knowledge some natural men may have of him, they know him not spiritually and experimentally, or as the gift of God to them:

thou wouldst have asked of him; a favour and benefit; for such who truly know Christ, the worth and value of him, and their need of him, will apply to him for grace, as they have encouragement to do; since all grace is treasured up in him, and he gives it freely, and upbraideth not; and souls are invited to ask it of him, and take it freely; nor is it to be had anywhere else: but knowledge of Christ, is absolutely necessary, to asking anything of him; for till he is known, he will not be applied to; but when he is made known to any, in his fulness and suitableness, they will have recourse to him, and ask grace and mercy of him; and which is freely had: the Vulgate Latin very wrongly adds, "perhaps"; reading it, "perhaps thou wouldst have asked"; whereas our Lord's meaning is, that she would certainly have asked:

and he would have given thee living water; pardoning and justifying grace, every branch of sanctifying grace, and all the supplies of it; so called, because his grace quickens sinners dead in sin, and dead in law, and in, their own apprehensions; and causes them to live in themselves, and before God; and because it refreshes and comforts, revives and cheers, and is like rivers of water in a dry land; and because it maintains and supports spiritual life in their souls; and it ever abides, and continues, and springs up unto everlasting life: for the allusion is to spring water, that bubbles up in a fountain, and is ever running; for such water the Jews call "living water"; see Genesis 26:19; where in the Hebrew text it is "living water"; which we, and also the Chaldee paraphrase, render "springing water". So living waters with them, are said to be always flowing, and never cease t.

t Bartenora in Misn. Negaim, c. 14. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The gift of God - The word “gift,” here denotes “favor.” It may refer to Jesus Himself, as the gift of God to the world, given to save men from death Joh 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15, or it may refer to the opportunity then afforded her of seeking salvation. If thou knewest how favorable an opportunity God now gives thee to gain a knowledge of himself, etc.

And who it is ... - If thou knewest that the Messiah was speaking.

Living water - The Jews used the expression “living water” to denote springs, fountains, or running streams, in opposition to dead and stagnant water. Jesus here means to denote by it his doctrine, or his grace and religion, in opposition to the impure and dead notions of the Jews and the Samaritans. See John 4:14. This was one of the many instances in which he took occasion from common topics of conversation to introduce religious discourse. None ever did it so happily as he did, but, by studying his example and manner, we may learn also to do it. One way to acquire the art is to have the mind full of the subject; to make religion our first and main thing; to carry it with us into all employments and into all society; to look upon everything in a religious light, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, Matthew 12:34.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 4:10. If thou knewest the gift of God — δωρεαν signifies a free gift. A gift is any thing that is given, for which no equivalent has been or is to be returned: a free gift is that which has been given without asking or entreaty. Such a gift of kindness was Jesus Christ to the world, John 3:16; and through him comes the gift of the Spirit, which those who believe on his name were to receive. Christ was not an object of desire to the world-no man asked for him; and God, moved thereto by his own eternal mercy, freely gave him. Through this great gift comes the Holy Spirit, and all other gifts which are necessary to the salvation of a lost world.

Living water. — By this expression, which was common to the inhabitants both of the east and of the west, is always meant spring water, in opposition to dead, stagnant water contained in ponds, pools, tanks, or cisterns; and what our Lord means by it is evidently the Holy Spirit, as may be seen, John 7:38-39.

As water quenches the thirst, refreshes and invigorates the body, purifies things defiled, and renders the earth fruitful, so it is an apt emblem of the gift of the Holy Ghost, which so satisfies the souls that receive it that they thirst no more for earthly good: it purifies also from all spiritual defilement, on which account it is emphatically styled the Holy Spirit; and it makes those who receive it fruitful in every good word and work.