Passage

John 4.6

Book: John · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"4. And he must needs pass through Samaria. 5. So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph:"

"6. and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour."

"7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8. For his disciples were gone away into the city to buy food." (John 4:4-8, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"4. He needed to pass through Samaria. 5. So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph."

"6. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour."

"7. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8. For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food." (John 4:4-8, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"4. And he must needs go through Samaria. 5. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph."

"6. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour."

"7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)" (John 4:4-8, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"4. and it was behoving him to go through Samaria. 5. He cometh, therefore, to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the place that Jacob gave to Joseph his son;"

"6. and there was there a well of Jacob. Jesus therefore having been weary from the journeying, was sitting thus on the well; it was as it were the sixth hour;"

"7. there cometh a woman out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her, 'Give me to drink;' 8. for his disciples were gone away to the city, that they may buy victuals;" (John 4:4-8, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
Audience: later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
Location: first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
Time period: events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

Theological reading

Key words

G2424 - Iesous, Iesous (Strong's G2424). Also appears in: Matthew 1.1, Matthew 1.16, Matthew 1.18.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.