What Does John 4:28 Mean?
Then the woman let go of her water jar, went away into the city, and said to the men.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,THE KEY
She leaves the vessel that brought her to the well and carries her encounter into the city.
THE MEANING
The encounter now occupies her attention: the waterpot remains behind while she goes into the city and speaks. Her movement carries a private meeting outward, before the next verse gives her words.
THE ROOT
ἀφῆκεν
aphēken
GROWS FROM
ἀφίημι
aphiēmi
To send away, release, or leave behind.
“let go of her water jar” in this verse is aphēken. The Greek verb translated “left” also carries the sense of releasing or letting go. Its related noun ἄφεσις (aphesis, release or remission) is used for forgiveness, so one Greek word family holds both leaving something behind and releasing a claim. Here, the waterpot is simply left at the well; the verb lets that concrete act resonate with a wider language of release.
ALSO GROWS
aphiēmi: To release, leave, or let go.
ἀφίημι
This is the verb behind “left” here and shows the physical act as a form of release.
aphesis: Release, remission; forgiveness.
ἄφεσις
This related noun shows how the same word family can name release from an accusation as well as leaving something behind.
THE PATTERN
An encounter becomes public when the one who receives it carries it into speech.
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Anointed One.And he went away and began to herald in Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and all marveled.For we cannot keep from speaking what we have perceived and heard.THE THREAD
And when they had drawn the boats down to the land, they let go of everything and followed him.The verb behind “left” here, ἀφίημι (aphiēmi, release or leave behind), is also behind “forsook” in Luke 5:11. There, the disciples leave their ships and all they have; here, the woman leaves her waterpot and goes toward the city.
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