John 4

Io 4.1Ut ergō cognōvit Iēsus quia audiērunt pharisaeī quod Iēsus plūrēs discipulōs facit, et baptizat, quam Iōannēs

When therefore Jesus came to know that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus makes and baptizes more disciples than John

Note. Ut + perfect indicative (cognōvit) is temporal: 'when'. Two kinds of reported speech sit side by side: quia audiērunt ('that they had heard') and quod … facit ('that he makes'). Late Latin often uses quia/quod + indicative where classical Latin would use an accusative and infinitive. plūrēs … quam: 'more … than'.

Io 4.2(quamquam Iēsus nōn baptizāret, sed discipulī eius),

(although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples),

Note. quamquam + subjunctive (baptizāret): in later Latin quamquam can take the subjunctive, like cum concessive. eius = 'his' (not reflexive, since it does not refer to the subject of the clause).

Io 4.3relīquit Iūdaeam, et abiit iterum in Galilaeam.

he left Judea, and went away again into Galilee.

Io 4.4Oportēbat autem eum trānsīre per Samariam.

Now it was necessary for him to cross through Samaria.

Note. Oportēbat … eum trānsīre: impersonal oportet with accusative and infinitive, 'it was necessary for him to cross'. Samaria lay between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north; the direct road went through it.

Io 4.5Venit ergō in cīvitātem Samariae, quae dīcitur Sichar, iūxtā praedium quod dedit Iacob Iōsēph fīliō suō.

He comes therefore into a town of Samaria which is called Sychar, next to the piece of land which Jacob gave to Joseph his son.

Note. Venit is a historic present here, like the many dīcit in this chapter: Latin narrative often slips into the present for vividness. Sichar (Sychar) is indeclinable. Iacob and Iōsēph are Hebrew names that do not decline: Iōsēph is dative here (dedit … Iōsēph fīliō suō).

Io 4.6Erat autem ibi fōns Iacob. Iēsus ergō fatīgātus ex itinere, sedēbat sīc suprā fontem. Hōra erat quasi sexta.

And there was there the spring of Jacob. Jesus therefore, tired out from the journey, was sitting thus on top of the spring. The hour was about the sixth.

Note. fōns Iacob: 'Jacob's spring', with Iacob as an indeclinable genitive. fatīgātus ex itinere: perfect participle, 'tired from the journey'. Hōra … quasi sexta: counting from sunrise, the sixth hour is about noon. quasi with numbers means 'about'.

Io 4.7Venit mulier dē Samariā haurīre aquam. Dīcit eī Iēsus: Dā mihi bibere.

A woman comes from Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her: Give me to drink.

Note. haurīre aquam: an infinitive of purpose after a verb of motion, common in Biblical Latin where classical Latin would use ut or a supine. Dā mihi bibere: 'give me (something) to drink'; the infinitive acts as the object.

Io 4.8(Discipulī enim eius abierant in cīvitātem ut cibōs emerent.)

(For his disciples had gone away into the town in order that they might buy food.)

Note. ut … emerent: a purpose clause, imperfect subjunctive in secondary sequence after abierant.

Io 4.9Dīcit ergō eī mulier illa Samarītāna: Quōmodo tū, Iūdaeus cum sīs, bibere ā mē poscis, quae sum mulier Samarītāna? nōn enim coūtuntur Iūdaeī Samarītānīs.

Therefore that Samaritan woman says to him: How do you, although you are a Jew, ask to drink from me, who am a Samaritan woman? For Jews do not have dealings with Samaritans.

Note. cum sīs: concessive cum, 'although you are'. coūtuntur + dative (Samarītānīs): 'have dealings with'. Jews and Samaritans shared descent from Israel but disagreed about the true place of worship and avoided contact; drinking from a Samaritan's vessel would have been unusual for a Jew.

Io 4.10Respondit Iēsus, et dīxit eī: Sī scīrēs dōnum Deī, et quis est quī dīcit tibi: Dā mihi bibere, tū forsitan petīssēs ab eō, et dedisset tibi aquam vīvam.

Jesus answered, and said to her: If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give me to drink, you perhaps would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water.

Note. A past contrary-to-fact condition mixed with a present one: sī scīrēs (imperfect subjunctive, 'if you knew') … petīssēs … dedisset (pluperfect subjunctive, 'you would have asked … he would have given'). aquam vīvam: 'living water' meant running spring water as opposed to still cistern water; the woman takes it in that sense.

Io 4.11Dīcit eī mulier: Domine, neque in quō hauriās habēs, et puteus altus est: unde ergō habēs aquam vīvam?

The woman says to him: Sir, you have neither a thing with which you may draw, and the well is deep: from where then do you have living water?

Note. Domine as a polite address: 'Sir'. in quō hauriās: a relative clause of characteristic, 'anything with which you might draw'. unde: 'from where?'

Io 4.12Numquid tū maior es patre nostrō Iacob, quī dedit nōbīs puteum, et ipse ex eō bibit, et fīliī eius, et pecora eius?

Surely you are not greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and himself drank from it, and his sons, and his flocks?

Note. Numquid expects the answer 'no': 'Surely you are not …?' maior … patre nostrō: ablative of comparison. Samaritans claimed descent from Jacob through Joseph.

Io 4.13Respondit Iēsus, et dīxit eī: Omnis quī bibit ex aquā hāc, sitiet iterum; quī autem biberit ex aquā quam ego dabō eī, nōn sitiet in aeternum:

Jesus answered, and said to her: Everyone who drinks from this water will thirst again; but whoever shall have drunk from the water which I shall give him, will not thirst into eternity:

Note. Omnis quī bibit: 'everyone who drinks', the relative clause defining omnis. biberit is future perfect: 'whoever shall have drunk'. in aeternum: 'for ever', literally 'into the eternal'.

Io 4.14sed aqua quam ego dabō eī, fīet in eō fōns aquae salientis in vītam aeternam.

but the water which I shall give him will become in him a spring of water leaping up into eternal life.

Note. salientis: present participle of saliō, 'leaping, springing up', agreeing with aquae. fīet: future of fīō, 'will become'.

Io 4.15Dīcit ad eum mulier: Domine, dā mihi hanc aquam, ut nōn sitiam, neque veniam hūc haurīre.

The woman says to him: Sir, give me this water, so that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.

Note. ut nōn sitiam, neque veniam: a purpose clause. Classical Latin would prefer nē sitiam; Biblical Latin often uses ut nōn.

Io 4.16Dīcit eī Iēsus: Vāde, vocā virum tuum, et venī hūc.

Jesus says to her: Go, call your husband, and come here.

Note. Vāde, vocā, venī: three imperatives in a row. vādō ('go') is common in the Vulgate where classical prose would use ī or abī.

Io 4.17Respondit mulier, et dīxit: Nōn habeō virum. Dīcit eī Iēsus: Bene dīxistī, quia nōn habeō virum;

The woman answered, and said: I do not have a husband. Jesus says to her: Rightly you have said: I do not have a husband;

Note. Bene dīxistī, quia …: here quia introduces the words being quoted, almost like quotation marks (recitative quia). Jesus repeats her own words back to her.

Io 4.18quīnque enim virōs habuistī, et nunc, quem habēs, nōn est tuus vir: hoc vērē dīxistī.

for five husbands you have had, and the one whom you now have is not your husband: this you have said truly.

Note. quem habēs: the relative clause stands first and its antecedent is understood: '(the man) whom you now have'.

Io 4.19Dīcit eī mulier: Domine, videō quia prophēta es tū.

The woman says to him: Sir, I see that you are a prophet.

Note. videō quia: 'I see that', another quia replacing the accusative and infinitive.

Io 4.20Patrēs nostrī in monte hōc adōrāvērunt, et vōs dīcitis, quia Ierosolymīs est locus ubi adōrāre oportet.

Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where it is necessary to worship.

Note. in monte hōc: Mount Gerizim, the Samaritans' holy mountain, which overlooks the site. Ierosolymīs: locative of the plural Ierosolyma, 'at Jerusalem'. vōs: the plural means 'you Jews'.

Io 4.21Dīcit eī Iēsus: Mulier, crēde mihi, quia venit hōra, quandō neque in monte hōc, neque in Ierosolymīs adōrābitis Patrem.

Jesus says to her: Woman, believe me, that the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.

Note. Mulier is vocative. venit hōra quandō: 'the hour is coming when'. adōrābitis: future, 'you will worship'.

Io 4.22Vōs adōrātis quod nescītis: nōs adōrāmus quod scīmus, quia salūs ex Iūdaeīs est.

You worship what you do not know: we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.

Note. quod nescītis … quod scīmus: quod is a relative pronoun without an expressed antecedent, 'what you do not know'.

Io 4.23Sed venit hōra, et nunc est, quandō vērī adōrātōrēs adōrābunt Patrem in spīritū et vēritāte. Nam et Pater tālēs quaerit, quī adōrent eum.

But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. For the Father also seeks such people, who may worship him.

Note. tālēs … quī adōrent: a relative clause of characteristic after tālēs, 'such people as worship him'. adōrātor is a late word formed from adōrō with the agent suffix -tor.

Io 4.24Spīritus est Deus: et eōs quī adōrant eum, in spīritū et vēritāte oportet adōrāre.

God is spirit: and it is necessary that those who worship him worship in spirit and truth.

Note. Spīritus est Deus: 'God is spirit'; spīritus is the predicate placed first for emphasis. eōs … oportet adōrāre: accusative subject with oportet.

Io 4.25Dīcit eī mulier: Sciō quia Messīās venit (quī dīcitur Chrīstus): cum ergō vēnerit ille, nōbīs annūntiābit omnia.

The woman says to him: I know that the Messiah is coming (who is called Christ): when therefore that one shall have come, he will announce all things to us.

Note. Messīās is the Hebrew word for 'anointed'; Chrīstus is its Greek translation. cum … vēnerit: future perfect in a temporal clause, 'when he has come'. ille here is emphatic: 'that one, he'.

Io 4.26Dīcit eī Iēsus: Ego sum, quī loquor tēcum.

Jesus says to her: I am he, who am speaking with you.

Note. tēcum: the preposition cum is attached to the pronoun, as in mēcum, nōbīscum.

Io 4.27Et continuō vēnērunt discipulī eius, et mīrābantur quia cum muliere loquēbātur. Nēmō tamen dīxit: Quid quaeris? aut, Quid loqueris cum eā?

And immediately his disciples came, and they were wondering that he was speaking with a woman. No one however said: What are you seeking? or, Why are you speaking with her?

Note. mīrābantur quia: 'they were surprised that'. Quid quaeris? … Quid loqueris?: quid is 'what?' in the first question and 'why?' in the second.

Io 4.28Relīquit ergō hydriam suam mulier, et abiit in cīvitātem, et dīcit illīs hominibus:

The woman therefore left her water jar, and went away into the town, and says to those people:

Io 4.29Venīte, et vidēte hominem quī dīxit mihi omnia quaecumque fēcī: numquid ipse est Chrīstus?

Come, and see a man who has told me all things whatever I have done: surely he is not the Christ?

Note. quaecumque fēcī: 'whatever I have done'. numquid ipse est Chrīstus?: numquid normally expects 'no', but here it is a hesitant question: 'surely he can't be the Christ?'

Io 4.30Exiērunt ergō dē cīvitāte et veniēbant ad eum.

They went out therefore from the town and were coming to him.

Io 4.31Intereā rogābant eum discipulī, dīcentēs: Rabbi, mandūcā.

Meanwhile the disciples were asking him, saying: Rabbi, eat.

Note. dīcentēs: present participle, 'saying'. Rabbi: a Hebrew title, 'my teacher', used as a vocative. mandūcā: the everyday Late Latin word for 'eat', the ancestor of French manger and Italian mangiare.

Io 4.32Ille autem dīcit eīs: Ego cibum habeō mandūcāre, quem vōs nescītis.

But he says to them: I have food to eat which you do not know.

Note. cibum habeō mandūcāre: habeō + infinitive, 'I have food to eat', a construction that grows in Late Latin.

Io 4.33Dīcēbant ergō discipulī ad invicem: Numquid aliquis attulit eī mandūcāre?

The disciples therefore were saying to one another: Surely no one has brought him something to eat?

Note. ad invicem: 'to one another'. invicem is an adverb; Biblical Latin adds a preposition to it. Numquid aliquis …?: expecting 'no'.

Io 4.34Dīcit eīs Iēsus: Meus cibus est ut faciam voluntātem eius quī mīsit mē, ut perficiam opus eius.

Jesus says to them: My food is that I may do the will of him who sent me, that I may complete his work.

Note. Meus cibus est ut faciam: the ut-clause explains what the food is, a noun clause after est.

Io 4.35Nōnne vōs dīcitis quod adhūc quatuor mēnsēs sunt, et messis venit? Ecce dīcō vōbīs: levāte oculōs vestrōs, et vidēte regiōnēs, quia albae sunt iam ad messem.

Do you not say that there are still four months, and the harvest comes? Look, I say to you: lift up your eyes, and see the regions, that they are white already for harvest.

Note. Nōnne expects 'yes'. quod adhūc quattuor mēnsēs sunt: 'that there are still four months (before harvest)', probably a proverb. The edition spells quattuor as quatuor. albae … ad messem: 'white for harvest', that is, ripe.

Io 4.36Et quī metit, mercēdem accipit, et congregat frūctum in vītam aeternam: ut et quī sēminat, simul gaudeat, et quī metit.

And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit into eternal life: so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Note. ut et quī sēminat simul gaudeat, et quī metit: et … et, 'both … and', with two relative clauses as the subjects of gaudeat.

Io 4.37In hōc enim est verbum vērum: quia alius est quī sēminat, et alius est quī metit.

For in this the saying is true: that one is he who sows, and another is he who reaps.

Note. In hōc: 'in this (respect)'. alius … alius: 'one … another'.

Io 4.38Ego mīsī vōs metere quod vōs nōn labōrāstis: aliī labōrāvērunt, et vōs in labōrēs eōrum introīstis.

I sent you to reap what you did not labour over: others laboured, and you have entered into their labours.

Note. laborāstis: a contracted perfect, for labōrāvistis. introīstis: likewise, for introīvistis.

Io 4.39Ex cīvitāte autem illā multī crēdidērunt in eum Samarītānōrum, propter verbum mulieris testimōnium perhibentis: Quia dīxit mihi omnia quaecumque fēcī.

And from that town many of the Samaritans believed in him, on account of the word of the woman bearing witness: He told me all things whatever I have done.

Note. multī … Samarītānōrum: a partitive genitive, 'many of the Samaritans', split by the verb. testimōnium perhibentis: 'bearing witness', perhibeō being the Vulgate's usual verb in this phrase. Quia here again introduces direct speech.

Io 4.40Cum vēnissent ergō ad illum Samarītānī, rogāvērunt eum ut ibi manēret. Et mānsit ibi duōs diēs.

When therefore the Samaritans had come to him, they asked him that he should stay there. And he stayed there two days.

Note. rogāvērunt … ut ibi manēret: an indirect request. duōs diēs: accusative of duration of time.

Io 4.41Et multō plūrēs crēdidērunt in eum propter sermōnem eius.

And many more believed in him on account of his speech.

Note. multō plūrēs: 'many more'; multō is an ablative of degree of difference.

Io 4.42Et mulierī dīcēbant: Quia iam nōn propter tuam loquēlam crēdimus: ipsī enim audīvimus, et scīmus quia hic est vērē Salvātor mundī.

And they were saying to the woman: It is no longer on account of your talk that we believe: for we ourselves have heard, and we know that this man is truly the Saviour of the world.

Note. loquēla: 'talk, what you said', a slightly colloquial word. hic … Salvātor mundī: salvātor is a Christian coinage from salvō, 'save'.

Io 4.43Post duōs autem diēs exiit inde, et abiit in Galilaeam.

And after the two days he went out from there, and went away into Galilee.

Io 4.44Ipse enim Iēsus testimōnium perhibuit, quia prophēta in suā patriā honōrem nōn habet.

For Jesus himself bore witness that a prophet does not have honour in his own homeland.

Note. testimōnium perhibuit, quia …: quia gives the content of his testimony, 'testified that'. in suā patriā: 'in his own home country'.

Io 4.45Cum ergō vēnisset in Galilaeam, excēpērunt eum Galilaeī, cum omnia vīdissent quae fēcerat Ierosolymīs in diē fēstō: et ipsī enim vēnerant ad diem fēstum.

When therefore he had come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, since they had seen all the things which he had done at Jerusalem on the feast day: for they too had come to the feast day.

Note. exceperunt: 'welcomed'. Ierosolymīs: locative, 'at Jerusalem'. in diē fēstō: at the Passover festival mentioned in chapter 2.

Io 4.46Vēnit ergō iterum in Cana Galilaeae, ubi fēcit aquam vīnum. Et erat quīdam rēgulus, cuius fīlius īnfirmābātur Capharnaum.

He came therefore again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

Note. in Cana Galilaeae: Cana is indeclinable; here it is accusative after in with a verb of motion. fēcit aquam vīnum: a double accusative, 'made the water (into) wine' (the miracle of chapter 2). rēgulus: literally 'little king', here a royal official, probably in the service of Herod Antipas. Capharnaum: locative, 'at Capernaum'.

Io 4.47Hic cum audīsset quia Iēsus advenīret ā Iūdaeā in Galilaeam, abiit ad eum, et rogābat eum ut dēscenderet, et sānāret fīlium eius: incipiēbat enim morī.

This man, when he had heard that Jesus was arriving from Judea into Galilee, went away to him, and was asking him that he should come down and heal his son: for he was beginning to die.

Note. Hic cum audīsset: cum + pluperfect subjunctive, 'when this man had heard'. quia Iēsūs advenīret: quia with the subjunctive, the reported fact seen through the official's eyes. incipiēbat … morī: 'he was beginning to die', that is, he was close to death.

Io 4.48Dīxit ergō Iēsus ad eum: Nisi signa et prōdigia vīderitis, nōn crēditis.

Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe.

Note. Nisi … vīderitis, nōn crēditis: future perfect in the condition, present in the conclusion: 'unless you see …, you do not believe'. The verbs are plural: Jesus speaks to the people in general.

Io 4.49Dīcit ad eum rēgulus: Domine, dēscende priusquam moriātur fīlius meus.

The official says to him: Sir, come down before my son dies.

Note. priusquam moriātur: priusquam + subjunctive, 'before he dies', expressing what the father wants to prevent.

Io 4.50Dīcit eī Iēsus: Vāde, fīlius tuus vīvit. Crēdidit homō sermōnī quem dīxit eī Iēsus, et ībat.

Jesus says to him: Go, your son lives. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and was going.

Note. Crēdidit … sermōnī: crēdō takes the dative. ībat: imperfect of eō, 'he was on his way'.

Io 4.51Iam autem eō dēscendente, servī occurrērunt eī, et nūntiāvērunt dīcentēs, quia fīlius eius vīveret.

And as he was now going down, his slaves ran to meet him, and reported, saying that his son was living.

Note. eō dēscendente: an ablative absolute, 'as he was going down'. quia fīlius eius vīveret: reported speech with quia + subjunctive.

Io 4.52Interrogābat ergō hōram ab eīs in quā melius habuerit. Et dīxērunt eī: Quia herī hōrā septimā relīquit eum febris.

He was asking therefore from them the hour in which he had become better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

Note. in quā melius habuerit: melius habēre, 'to be better' (in health); the subjunctive is used because this is an indirect question. hōrā septimā: ablative of time when, about one o'clock in the afternoon.

Io 4.53Cognōvit ergō pater, quia illa hōra erat in quā dīxit eī Iēsus: Fīlius tuus vīvit; et crēdidit ipse et domus eius tōta.

The father therefore knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him: Your son lives; and he himself believed, and his whole household.

Note. illā hōrā … in quā: 'at that hour in which'. crēdidit ipse et domus eius tōta: the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Io 4.54Hoc iterum secundum signum fēcit Iēsus, cum vēnisset ā Iūdaeā in Galilaeam.

This again second sign Jesus did, when he had come from Judea into Galilee.

Note. Hoc … secundum signum: 'this as a second sign'. John counts the signs: the wine at Cana was the first.