John 4 · Verse 17

John 4:17

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
John 4:17, King James Version

John 4:17 in other translations

BSB“I have no husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said to her, “You are correct to say that you have no husband.
WEBThe woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’
ASVThe woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:
YLTthe woman answered and said, ‘I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, ‘Well didst thou say--A husband I have not;
DARBYThe woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus says to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband;
BBEIn answer, the woman said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have said rightly, I have no husband:
WebsterThe woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

What does John 4:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 4:15-18

15-18. give me this water, &c.--This is not obtuseness--that is giving way--it expresses a wondering desire after she scarce knew what from this mysterious Stranger.

Read the full comment on John 4:15-18 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. I have no husband. This was said, evidently, to evade the subject. Perhaps she feared that if she came there with the man that she lived with, the truth might be exposed. It is not improbable that by this time she began to suspect that Jesus was a prophet.

Hast well said. Hast said the truth.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · 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 4:17 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
ἡhētheG3588
γυνὴgunēwomanG1135
καὶkaiandG2532
εἶπενeipensaidG2036
οὐκoukNotG3756
ἔχωechōI haveG2192
ἄνδρα.¶andraa husband.G435
ΛέγειLegeiSaysG3004
αὐτῇautēato herG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
καλῶςkalōsCorrectlyG2573
εἶπαςeipasyou have spokenG2036
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ἄνδραandraA husbandG435
οὐκouknotG3756
ἔχω·echōI have;G2192

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

Context

  • John 4:16

    Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

  • John 4:17

    The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

  • John 4:18

    For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Read all of John 4

John 4:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Respondió la mujer, y dijo: No tengo marido. Dícele Jesús: Bien has dicho, No tengo marido;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La femme répondit et dit: Je n’ai pas de mari. Jésus lui dit: Tu as bien dit: Je n’ai pas de mari;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Das Weib antwortete und sprach: Ich habe keinen Mann. Jesus spricht zu ihr: Du hast recht gesagt: Ich habe keinen Mann;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Respondit mulier, et dixit: Non habeo virum. Dicit ei Jesus: Bene dixisti, quia non habeo virum;