John 4:12

Literal Standard Version

Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank out of it, and his sons, and his livestock?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.”

King James Version (1611)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the Well, and dranke thereof himselfe, and his children, and his cattell?

King James Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

English Standard Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock."

New American Standard Bible
"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?"

New Century Version
Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?"

Amplified Bible
"Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and who used to drink from it himself, and his sons and his cattle also?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"

Legacy Standard Bible
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?"

Berean Standard Bible
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?"

Contemporary English Version
Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it. Are you greater than Jacob?"

Complete Jewish Bible
You aren't greater than our father Ya‘akov, are you? He gave us this well and drank from it, and so did his sons and his cattle."

Darby Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Easy-to-Read Version
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob? He is the one who gave us this well. He drank from it himself, and his sons and all his animals drank from it too."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the well, and hee himselfe dranke thereof, and his sonnes, and his cattell?

George Lamsa Translation
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?

Good News Translation
It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?"

Lexham English Bible
You are not greater than our father Jacob, are you, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, and his sons and his livestock?"

Literal Translation
Are You greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well, and he and his sons and his livestock drank out of it?

American Standard Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Bible in Basic English
Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us the fountain and took the water of it himself, with his children and his cattle?

Hebrew Names Version
Are you greater than our father, Ya`akov, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his sons, and his cattle?"

International Standard Version
You're not greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it, along with his sons and his flocks, are you?"

Etheridge Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jakub, he who gave us this well, and himself drank of it, and his children, and his flocks ?

Murdock Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, and his children, and his flocks?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Art thou greater then our father Iacob, which gaue vs the well, and he hym selfe dranke therof, and his chyldren, and his cattell?

English Revised Version
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

World English Bible
Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his sons, and his cattle?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank thereof, and his children, and his cattle?

Weymouth's New Testament
Are you greater than our forefather Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, as did also his sons and his cattle?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whethir thou art grettere than oure fadir Jacob, that yaf to vs the pit? and he drank therof, and hise sones, and hise beestis.

Update Bible Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?

Webster's Bible Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his children, and his cattle?

New English Translation
Surely you're not greater than our ancestor Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock."

New King James Version
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?"

New Living Translation
And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?"

New Life Bible
Are You greater than our early father Jacob? He gave us the well. He and his children and his cattle drank from it."

New Revised Standard
Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Art, thou, greater than, our father Jacob, who gave us the well, - and, himself, out of it drank, and his sons, and his flocks?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof, himself and his children and his cattle?

Revised Standard Version
Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Arte thou greater then oure father Iacob which gave vs the well and he him silfe dranke therof and his chyldren and his catell?

Young's Literal Translation
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Art thou greater then oure father Iacob, which gaue vs this well? And he himself dranke therof, and his children, and his catell.

Mace New Testament (1729)
are you wiser than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, as well as his children, and cattle?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Do you think your water is better than our ancestor Jacob's? He drank from it himself, and it has sustained us and our livestock for generations."

Contextual Overview

⁴and it was necessary [for] Him to go through Samaria. ⁵He comes, therefore, to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the place that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; ⁶and there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore having been weary from the journeying, was thus sitting on the well; it was as it were the sixth hour; ⁷there comes a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, "Give Me to drink"; ⁸for His disciples were gone away into the city that they may buy food; ⁹the Samaritan woman therefore says to Him, "How do You, being a Jew, ask drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealing with Samaritans. ¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her, "If you had known the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, Give Me to drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." ¹¹The woman says to Him, "Lord, You do not even have a vessel to draw with, and the well is deep; from where, then, have You the living water? ¹²Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank out of it, and his sons, and his livestock?"¹³Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who is drinking of this water will thirst again;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

John 8:53, Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah 53:3, Matthew 12:42, Hebrews 3:3

Reciprocal: Matthew 12:41 - behold John 3:4 - How Revelation 22:14 - may have

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
And it comes to pass at the end of days that Cain brings from the fruit of the ground a present to YHWH;

Genesis 4:4
and Abel, he has brought, he also, from the female firstlings of his flock, and from their fat ones; and YHWH looks to Abel and to his present,

Genesis 4:14
behold, You have driven me today from off the face of the ground, and from Your face I am hid; and I have been a wanderer, even a trembling one, in the earth, and it has been—everyone finding me will slay me."

Genesis 4:17
and Cain knows his wife, and she conceives, and bears Enoch; and he is building a city, and he calls the name of the city, according to the name of his son—Enoch.

Genesis 4:18
And born to Enoch is Irad; and Irad has begotten Mehujael; and Mehujael has begotten Methusael; and Methusael has begotten Lamech.

Genesis 4:23
And Lamech says to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, give ear [to] my saying: For I have slain a man for my wound, || Even a young man for my hurt;

Genesis 4:24
For sevenfold is required for Cain, || And for Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

Leviticus 26:20
and your strength has been consumed in vain, and your land does not give her produce, and the tree of the land does not give its fruit.

Leviticus 26:36
And those who are left of you—I have also brought a faintness into their heart in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a leaf driven away has pursued them, and they have fled [as in] flight from a sword—and they have fallen, and there is none pursuing.

Psalms 109:10
And his sons wander continually, || Indeed, they have begged, || And have sought out of their dry places.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Art thou greater than our father Jacob,.... A person of greater worth and character than he, who was content to drink of this water; or wiser and more knowing than he, who could find out no better fountain of water in all these parts? she calls Jacob the father of them, according to the common notion and boasting of these people, when it served their turn; otherwise they were not the descendants of Jacob; for after the ten tribes were carried away captive by the king of Assyria, he placed in their room, in the cities of Samaria, men from Babylon, Cuthah Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, Heathenish and idolatrous people; see 2 Kings 17:24. And from these, the then Samaritans sprung; only upon Sanballat's building a temple on Mount Gerizzim, for Manasseh his son-in-law, when put away from the priesthood by the Jews, for his marriage of his daughter, several wicked persons of the like sort, came out of Judea, and joined themselves to the Samaritans: and such a mixed medley of people were they at this time, though they boasted of Jacob as their father, as this woman did; and so to this day, they draw their genealogy from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and particularly call Joseph their father, and say, from whence are we, but from the tribe of Joseph the just, from Ephraim w? as they formerly did x;

"R. Meir saw a Samaritan, he said to him, from whence comest thou? (that is, from what family;) he answered, from the (tribe) of Joseph.''

Which gave us the well; Jacob gave it indeed to Joseph and his posterity, along with the parcel of ground in which it was; see John 4:5; but not to this mixed company:

and drank thereof himself and his children, and his cattle; which shows both the goodness and plenty of the water: though our Lord had spoken of living water, this woman understood him of no other water, but spring water; called living water, from its motion, because it is continually springing up, bubbling, and ever running: so carnal persons, when they hear of spiritual things under earthly metaphors, think of nothing but carnal things; as Nicodemus, when Christ talked of being born again; and the Jews at Capernaum, when he discoursed concerning eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; for spiritual things are neither known nor received by the natural man.

w Epist. Samar. ad Scaliger. in Antiqu. Eccl. Oriental. p. 123, 124, 126. x Bereshit Rabba, sect. 94. fol. 82. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Art thou greater? - Art thou wiser, or better able to find water, than Jacob was? It seems that she supposed that he meant that he could direct her to some living spring, or to some better well in that region, and that this implied more knowledge or skill than Jacob had. To find water and to furnish a good well was doubtless considered a matter of signal skill and success. It was a subject of great importance in that region. This shows how ready sinners are to misunderstand the words of Christ, and to pervert the doctrines of religion. If she had had any proper anxiety about her soul, she would at least have “suspected” that he meant to direct her thoughts to spiritual objects.

Our father Jacob - The Samaritans were composed partly of the remnant of the ten tribes, and partly of people sent from Chaldea; still, they considered themselves descendants of Jacob.

Which gave us - This was doubtless the tradition, though there is no evidence that it was true.

And drank thereof ... - This was added in commendation of the water of the well. A well from which Jacob, and his sons, and cattle had drank must be pure, and wholesome, and honored, and quite as valuable as any that Jesus could furnish. People like to commend that which their ancestors used as superior to anything else. The world over, people love to speak of that which their ancestors have done, and boast of titles and honors that have been handed down from them, even if it is nothing better than existed here - because Jacob’s cattle had drunk of the water.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 4:12. Our father Jacob — The ancient Samaritans were undoubtedly the descendants of Jacob; for they were the ten tribes that revolted in the reign of Rehoboam: but those in our Lord's time were not genuine Israelites, but a corrupted race, sprung from a mixture of different nations, sent thither by Salmanezer, king of the Assyrians. See 2 Kings 17:24.