What Does John 4:7 Mean in the King James?
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The giver of living water begins by asking to receive, making need the doorway through which gift is revealed.
THE MEANING
Need does not leave you with nothing to offer: Jesus receives from the woman before he speaks of what he can give. The moment holds both directions at once, her ordinary water and his living water.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that your need leaves you with nothing to give: Jesus begins by receiving from the woman before he offers what she lacks.
THE ROOT
δός
dos
GROWS FROM
δο-/δω-
Give; the Greek δο-/δω- (do-/dō-) stem appears in δίδωμι (didōmi, “to give”).
The word δός is the imperative “give,” and its giving family includes δῶρον (dōron, “gift”) and δωρεά (dōreā, “gift, bounty”), the word used moments later for “the gift of God.” English separates the request from the gift, while Greek lets their shared giving stem echo between them.
ALSO GROWS
dōron: gift
δῶρον
This related form makes the request to give water resonate with the gift Jesus reveals in the next part of the conversation.
dōreā: gift, bounty
δωρεά
This word from the same giving family appears in John 4:10 as “the gift of God,” turning the exchange toward living water.
THE PATTERN
A request for water becomes an opening through which a greater gift is revealed.
And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.THE THREAD
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.The word translated “gift” is δωρεά (dōreā), from the same δο-/δω- giving family as δός (“give”) in this verse. The conversation moves from her giving water to the disclosure of God’s gift: the same giving root opens both sides of the exchange.
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