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John 4:10

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.

KJV

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι· δός μοι πεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτὸν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἄν σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν.

Greek NT

Respondit Jesus, et dixit ei : Si scires donum Dei, et quis est qui dicit tibi : Da mihi bibere, tu forsitan petisses ab eo, et dedisset tibi aquam vivam.

Vulgate

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.

ASV

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.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

20 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αἰτέω
aiteo
verb · 70×
αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
δωρεά
dorea
noun · 11×
εἰ
ei
conditional · 491×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
εἴδω
eido
verb · 317×
ζάω
zao
verb · 140×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
λέγω
lego
verb · 2256×
πίνω
pino
verb · 73×
σύ
su
pronoun · 1071×
τίς
tis
interrogative_pronoun · 533×
ἀποκρίνομαι
apokrinomai
verb · 233×
ἄν
an
particle · 165×
ἐγώ
ego
pronoun · 1720×
Ἰησοῦς
iesous
noun · 908×
o
article · 19778×
ὕδωρ
udor
noun · 76×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

12 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§694Water. the symbolism of water signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism, since after the invocation of the Holy Spirit it becomes the efficacious sacramental sign of new birth: just as the gestation of our first birth took place in water, so the water of Baptism truly signifies that our birth into the divine life is given to us in the Holy Spirit. As "by one Spirit we were …
§728Jesus does not reveal the Holy Spirit fully, until he himself has been glorified through his Death and Resurrection. Nevertheless, little by little he alludes to him even in his teaching of the multitudes, as when he reveals that his own flesh will be food for the life of the world.110 He also alludes to the Spirit in speaking to Nicodemus,111 to the Samaritan woman,112 and to …
§1137The book of Revelation of St. John, read in the Church's liturgy, first reveals to us, "A throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne": "the Lord God."1 It then shows the Lamb, "standing, as though it had been slain": Christ crucified and risen, the one high priest of the true sanctuary, the same one "who offers and is offered, who gives and is given."2 Finally it pre…
…and 2 more from this source.
1. Scripture calls the grace of the Spirit sometimes Fire, sometimes Water, showing that these names are not descriptive of its essence, but of its operation; for the Spirit, being Invisible and Simple, cannot be made up of different substances. Now the one John declares, speaking thus, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire Matthew 3:11: the other, Christ, Out…
1. There is nothing worse, nothing more shameful, than gluttony; it makes the mind gross, and the soul carnal; it blinds, and permits not to see clearly. Observe, for instance, how this is the case with the Jews; for because they were intent upon gluttony, entirely occupied with worldly things, and without any spiritual thoughts, though Christ leads them on by ten thousand sayi…
The prince of this world would fain carry me away. My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me desiring to be fed; but there is within me a water that liveth and speaketh, saying to me inwardly, Come to the Father. I have no delight in corruptible food, nor in the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the f…
If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink. In his conversation with the Samaritan woman, Christ reveals himself as the giver of living water — the grace of the Spirit which springs up unto everlasting life. The discussion about worshipping in Jerusalem or Samaria leads to the great principle: God is a Spirit, and they that worship him m…

Cross-references

  • 1Chr 11:17 — And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
  • 1Cor 1:30 — But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
  • 1Cor 10:4 — And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
  • 1Cor 10:4 — And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
  • 1Cor 12:13 — For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
  • 1Cor 15:45 — And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
  • 1John 5:6 — This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
  • 1John 5:20 — And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and
  • 2Chr 33:12 — And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
  • 2Cor 9:15 — Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
  • 2Cor 13:14 — The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
  • 2Sam 23:15 — And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
  • Acts 3:15 — And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
  • Acts 9:11 — And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
  • Acts 26:18 — To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith t
  • Eph 2:8 — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
  • Eph 2:8 — For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
  • Exod 17:6 — Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elde
  • Exod 17:6 — Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elde
  • Ezek 47:1 — Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the w
  • Gen 26:19 — And Isaac’s servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
  • Isa 9:6 — For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prin
  • Isa 12:3 — Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
  • Isa 12:3 — Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
  • Isa 35:6 — Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
  • Isa 41:17 — When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
  • Isa 41:17 — When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
  • Isa 42:6 — I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
  • Isa 43:20 — The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
  • Isa 44:3 — For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
  • Isa 49:6 — And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou
  • Isa 49:10 — They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
  • Isa 55:1 — Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
  • Isa 55:1 — Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
  • Isa 55:6 — Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
  • Jas 1:5 — If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
  • Jas 4:2 — Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
  • Jer 2:13 — For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
  • Jer 17:13 — O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
  • John 3:16 — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.