John 4:6
Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Gospel writer notes Jesus' physical weariness and the specific time, the "sixth hour" (noon), not just to establish the setting, but to highlight the profound humanity of Jesus. His very exhaustion and the inconvenient time are the very things that create the unique circumstances for this pivotal encounter.
Jesus, heading north from Judea, had to pass through Samaria, a region generally avoided by Jews due to deep animosity. Wearied from his journey under the midday sun, he stopped to rest by Jacob's ancient well near the town of Sychar. His disciples had gone into the city to buy food, leaving him alone at the well as a Samaritan woman approached to draw water.
Why would the Son of God, in the prime of His earthly ministry, be 'wearied as he was from his journey' and simply sit by a well?
This verse highlights the profound humanity of Jesus. The weariness wasn't a sign of weakness, but a deliberate choice to embrace our human limitations. It demonstrates that God doesn't operate on our schedule or with our energy levels; He enters into our experience, even our exhaustion.
Embracing Human Limits
Jesus, fully God, was also fully man. His fatigue at the well wasn't a pretense; it was real. This allowed Him to be touched by our infirmities, making Him a relatable and sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).
Strategic Pauses
His stopping at the well wasn't accidental. It was a divinely orchestrated moment. By embracing His weariness, Jesus created an opening for a divine encounter, prioritizing the salvation of one soul over His own immediate comfort or pressing onward.
The text pinpoints 'about the sixth hour.' What's the significance of this specific time in Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman?
The mention of the 'sixth hour' (around noon) is more than just a chronological marker; it's a testament to divine timing and God's intentionality.
An Unusual Hour for an Unusual Encounter
Noon was not the typical time for women to draw water. The heat would have been intense, and it was an inconvenient time for such a task. This unusual hour likely meant fewer people would be around, setting the stage for a private, personal encounter between Jesus and the woman.
God's Plan Unfolding
While the disciples went to buy food, Jesus, weary and thirsty, sat at the well. John notes the hour, not just to explain Jesus' condition, but to emphasize that this was the precise moment God had ordained for this interaction. It wasn't a coincidence; it was a carefully orchestrated divine appointment.
Understand the original words
Ya‘aqov · Hebrew Proper Noun
The patriarch of Israel, whose story represents the covenantal foundation and historical inheritance of the Jewish people. References to his well evoke the history of God's interaction with the fathers of the faith.
kopiaō · Greek Adjective/Participle
Describes the physical, emotional, or spiritual exhaustion experienced by a person, illustrating the true humanity of Jesus Christ, who experienced human limitations.
c. 1800-1500 BC
Jacob's Sojourn in Shechem
The patriarch Jacob purchases land and digs a well in Shechem, a significant event remembered for generations.
c. 1300-1200 BC
Conquest of Shechem and Simeon's Violence
The city of Shechem is later violently conquered by the Israelite tribes of Simeon and Levi, creating lasting enmity.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deports many Israelites, and repopulates the land with foreigners.
c. 400 BC
Formation of Samaritan Community
The descendants of the foreign settlers and remaining Israelites in the north develop a distinct religious identity, worshipping on Mount Gerizim and rejecting Jerusalem's Temple.
Early 1st century AD
Jewish-Samaritan Hostility
Deep-seated animosity exists between Jews and Samaritans, marked by mutual contempt and avoidance, making travel between Judea and Galilee through Samaria difficult.
This passage describes Jacob's vision at Bethel and his vow to God, establishing the significance of the land and the well that would later bear his name. It connects the physical location to a foundational moment in the lineage of Israel.
Genesis 33:18-20This passage records Jacob's purchase of land near Shechem and the erection of an altar, further solidifying his presence and ownership in the area. It shows Jacob actively engaging with the land, which includes the well where Jesus later encounters the woman.
Matthew 2:13-15Here, Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt with the infant Jesus, a journey that involves travel and a need for rest. This parallels Jesus' own journey-weariness and his seeking rest at the well, highlighting the shared human experience of travel and vulnerability.
1 Kings 12:25-33This passage details Jeroboam setting up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, deliberately choosing a location near Shechem (where Jacob had established himself). This action marks a significant religious and political division, contributing to the later animosity between Jews and Samaritans, the backdrop for Jesus' encounter.
Luke 9:51-56calvinJohn 4:1-9: "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,"
- When, therefore, the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (2. Though Jesus himself did not baptize, but his disciples,) 3. He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. 4. And it was necessary that he should pass through Samaria. 5. He came, therefore, into the city of Samaria, which is called Sichar, near a f…
clarkeJohn 4:6: "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."
Jacob's well was there - Of this well Mr. Maundrell gives the following account. "About one-third of an hour from Naplosa, the ancient Sychar and Sychem, stood Jacob's well. If it be inquired, whether this be the very place, seeing it may be suspected to stand too remote from Sychar for the women to come and draw water, we may answer - that, in all prob…
The Gospel writer notes Jesus' physical weariness and the specific time, the "sixth hour" (noon), not just to establish the setting, but to highlight the profound humanity of Jesus. His very exhaustion and the inconvenient time are the very things that create the unique circumstances for this pivotal encounter.
Jesus, heading north from Judea, had to pass through Samaria, a region generally avoided by Jews due to deep animosity. Wearied from his journey under the midday sun, he stopped to rest by Jacob's ancient well near the town of Sychar. His disciples had gone into the city to buy food, leaving him alone at the well as a Samaritan woman approached to draw water.
Jesus, heading north from Judea, had to pass through Samaria, a region generally avoided by Jews due to deep animosity. Wearied from his journey under the midday sun, he stopped to rest by Jacob's ancient well near the town of Sychar. His disciples had gone into the city to buy food, leaving him alone at the well as a Samaritan woman approached to draw water.
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c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus is ministering in Judea, gaining a reputation that draws the attention of the Pharisees, leading Him to travel to Galilee.
This account shows Jesus intending to pass through Samaria, but the Samaritans do not receive him due to his heading toward Jerusalem. This highlights the historical tension between Jesus' followers and Samaritans, providing context for the surprise of the woman at the well and Jesus' deliberate journey through Samaria.
"Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour." — The Gospel writer notes Jesus' physical weariness and the specific time, the "sixth hour" (noon), not just to establish the setting, but to highlight the profound humanity of Jesus. His very exhausti…
