Heinrich Meyer Commentary - John 4:28 - 4:30

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Heinrich Meyer Commentary - John 4:28 - 4:30


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Joh_4:28-30. Οὖν ] in consequence of the disciples’ coming, which interrupted the interview with Jesus.

ἀφῆκεν , κ . τ . λ .] οὕτως ἀνήφθη τῷ πυρὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν ναμάτων , ὡς καὶ τὸ ἄγγος ἀφεῖναι καὶ τὴν χρείαν , διʼ ἣν παρεγένετο , Euthymius Zigabenus. How great the power of the decisive awakening of the new life in this woman!

πάντα ἅσα ] often thus used together in the classics; Xen. Anab. ii. 1. 2; Soph. El. 370, 880, 884; Bornem. ad Anab. i. 10. 3.

ἐποίησα ] thus from a sense of guilt she described what Jesus had said to her. His words were therefore the summary of her moral history.

μήτι οὗτος , κ . τ . λ .] not must he not be really the Messiah? as if the question implied an affirmation. So Lücke, but against the constant use of μήτι as simply interrogative, in keeping with which we should rather render the words, yet is not perhaps this man the Messiah? which supposes a negative answer; to be explained, however, as arising psychologically from the fear and bashfulness of surprise at the newly discovered fact, too great for belief. The woman believes it; but startled at the greatness of the discovery, she does not trust herself, and ventures modestly only to ask as one in doubt. See on Mat_12:23; Baeumlein, Partik. 302. Observe in Joh_4:30 the change from ἐξῆλθον to the vividly descriptive ἤρχοντο (see on Joh_4:27; Joh_20:3). In the latter word the reader sees the crowd coming. Comp. Joh_4:40, where they arrive.