John 4 · Verse 10

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.
John 4:10, King James Version

John 4:10 in other translations

BSBJesus 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.”
WEBJesus 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.”
ASVJesus 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.
YLTJesus 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.'
DARBYJesus 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.
BBEIn 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.
WebsterJesus 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.

What does John 4:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 4:9-12

9-12. How is it that thou--not altogether refusing, yet wondering at so unusual a request from a Jew, as His dress and dialect would at once discover Him to be, to a Samaritan. for, &c.--It is this national antipathy that gives point to the parable of the good Samaritan (Lu 10:30-37), and the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper (Lu 17:16, 18).

Read the full comment on John 4:9-12 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. The gift of God. The word gift, here denotes favour. It may refer to Jesus himself, as the gift of God to the world, given to save men from death Jn 3:16, 2Cor 9:15 or it may refer to the opportunity then afforded her of seeking salvation. If thou knewest how favourable an opportunity God now gives thee to gain a knowledge of himself, &c. And who it is, &c. 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. Jn 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, Mt 12:34.

(e) "the gift of God" Eph 2:8 (f) "living water" Isa 12:3, 41:17,18, Jer 2:13, Zech 13:1, 14:8, Rev 22:17

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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, Joh 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, Joh 7:38, Joh 7:39. 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 4:4-26

There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for…

Read the full comment on John 4:4-26 →

John 4:10 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἈπεκρίθηApekrithēAnsweredG611
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
καὶkaiandG2532
εἶπενeipensaidG2036
αὐτῇ·autēato her;G846
εἰeiIfG1487
ᾔδειςēdeisyou had knownG1492
τὴνtēntheG3588
δωρεὰνdōreangiftG1431
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
καὶkaiandG2532
τίςtiswhoG5101
ἐστινestinit isG1510
ὁhowhoG3588
λέγωνlegōnis sayingG3004
σοι·soito you;G4771
δόςdosdo giveG1325
μοιmoiMeG3165
πεῖν,peinto drink,G4095
σὺsuyou yourselfG4771
ἂνanthen wouldG302
ᾔτησαςētēsasyou have askedG154
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
καὶkaiandG2532
ἔδωκενedōkenHe gaveG1325
ἄνanmaybeG302
σοιsoito youG4771
ὕδωρhudōrwaterG5204
ζῶν.zōnliving.G2198

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 4:10

  • John 4:14

    But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

  • Revelation 7:17

    For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

  • John 7:37-39

    In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

  • Isaiah 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:

  • Revelation 21:6

    And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

  • 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.

  • Psalms 36:8-9

    They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

  • Jeremiah 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.

  • Revelation 22:1-2

    And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

  • Zechariah 14:8

    And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

  • Romans 8:32

    He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

  • Revelation 22:17

    And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
If.
3:16; Isa 9:6; 42:6; 49:6-8; Lu 11:13; Ro 8:32; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 9:15
Eph 2:8
and who.
25,26; 9:35-38; 16:3; 17:3; 1Jo 5:20
thou wouldest.
2Ch 33:12,13,18,19; Ps 10:17; Isa 55:6-9; Lu 11:8-10; 18:13,14
Lu 23:42,43; Ac 9:11; Re 3:17,18
living.
14; 6:35,51; 7:37-39; Ex 17:6; Ps 36:8,9; 46:4; Isa 12:3; 35:6
Isa 41:17,18; 43:20; 44:3; 49:10; 55:1-3; Jer 2:13; Eze 47:1-9
Zec 13:1; 14:8; 1Co 10:4; Re 7:17; 21:6; 22:1,2,17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 4:9

    Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

  • 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.

  • John 4:11

    The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

Read all of John 4

John 4:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Respondió Jesús y díjole: Si conocieses el don de Dios, y quién es el que te dice: Dame de beber: tú pedirías de él, y él te daría agua viva.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus répondit et lui dit: Si tu connaissais le don de Dieu, et qui est celui qui te dit: Donne-moi à boire, toi, tu lui aurais demandé, et il t’aurait donné de l’eau vive.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus antwortete und sprach zu ihr: Wenn du die Gabe Gottes kenntest, und wer es ist, der zu dir spricht: Gib mir zu trinken, so würdest du ihn gebeten haben, und er hätte dir lebendiges Wasser gegeben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		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.