Читать книгу THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS, THE CHRIST AND THE SON OF GOD, ACCORDING TO JOHN - Manfred Diefenbach - Страница 14

As the encounter of the Pharisee Nicodemus with Jesus, a double setting (cf. 3:22–24, 25–26) in verses 1–3, 4–6 introduces a new (cf. 3:2–21) dialogue²⁸⁸ between Jesus of Nazareth, the “Jew” (v. 9b) from Galilee, and a Samarian woman from Sychar who came to the well to draw water in a water-pot for her home (cf. vv. 5–26). His disciples (cf. vv. 27, 31–38) were shopping in her “town”. The topics of their talk are “the living water” like a theological/spiritual “meditation”²⁸⁹ in verses 7–15, His knowledge of her partnership with “five men” in verses 16–19 and the reflection of the true personal worship²⁹⁰ in contrast to the local prayer-houses on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and on Mount Gerizim²⁹¹ in verses 20–26²⁹² including the “very positive statement”²⁹³ in verse 22 without traditional, cultural and sexual as well as religious barriers. The Evangelist “adopts the double-stage technique”²⁹⁴ after the shopping of bread by His disciples (cf. vv. 27–28) and the going of the woman to her settlement. So Jesus, the “rabbi” (v. 31b), discussed with His disciples about “the nourishing food” in verses 31–34 and “the harvest” in verses 35–38 as a short “monologue”²⁹⁵ by Jesus. The Samaritan woman (cf. vv. 28–30) informed the citizens of Sychar about Jesus as “Christ” (vv. 25c, 29e – note also the titles in her mouth: the “Jew” [v. 9b], the “Lord” [vv. 11b, 15b, 19b], a “prophet” [v. 19c]) like Martha (cf. 11:27) and Mary of Magdalene (cf. 20:18). At the end, the Samaritans from Sychar believed in Him (cf. vv. 39–42) as the “Saviour of the world” (v. 42d).

As in verses 1–6, we have in verses 43–46c a double setting (cf. vv. 43–45, 46a–c) again. Verses 43–45 have the form of a “journey note” (“itinerary”) as in verses 1–3. The second setting in verse 46a–c introduces a distant healing of the royal official’s son from Capernaum in Cana (cf. vv. 46d–53). The Fourth Evangelist concludes the part “from Cana to Cana”²⁹⁶ (cf. 2:1–4:54) with verse 54 as a counting of Jesus’ “signs” – note His “first sign” at the Galilean Cana (cf. 2:11).

Microstructure of John 4

2.2.7 First Setting as a Journey Note²⁹⁷ (vv. 1–3²⁹⁸)

Who: Jesus, Pharisees (v. 1b), His disciples (vv. 1c, 2b), John the Baptist (v. 1c)

Where: from the district “Judea” (v. 3a – cf. 3:22a) to “Galilee” (v. 3b) through/via “Samaria” (v. 4)

When: during the first year of Jesus’ public ministry

v. 1: The Fourth Evangelist again (cf. 3:22–24) inserted a journey note (cf. vv. 1–3) between John the Baptist’s reflections on himself and Jesus (cf. 3:25–36). He relates that “Jesus recognized” that “the Pharisees”²⁹⁹ were informed on His “making … more disciples” and “baptizing” more people than “John” the Baptist from hearsay (cf. 3:22 and 1:19–28).

v. 2: The Evangelist emphasizes with the help of a correction³⁰⁰ (“not … but” – cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17) of the remark in John 3:22 that “Jesus” did “not baptize, but (His) disciples ( )”.

v. 3: He and “(His) disciples ( )” (v. 2b) moved from the southern district “Judea” (in Greek “’Ioudaía” in vv. 3a, 47b, 54b – cf. 3:22; 7:1, 3; 11:7) to the northern district “Galilee” (in Greek “Galɩlaía” in vv. 3a, 43, 45a, 46a, 47b, 54b and in 1:43; 2:1, 11; 6:1; 7:1, 9, 41, 52; 12:21; 21:2) because of the fear of the “Pharisees” (v. 1b and 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 16:2; 19:38; 20:19).

2.2.8 The Discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (vv. 4–42)

- Second Setting (vv. 4–6)

Who: Jesus, a Samaritan woman³⁰¹ (vv. 7–26, 27c–30, 39a, 42a–b), His disciples (vv. 8, 27, 31–38), the Samarian citizen of Sychar (vv. 28b–30, 39–42)

When: “the sixth hour” (= noon) (v. 6c)

Where: the “well of Jacob” (v. 6a) nears the Samarian city of “Sychar” (v. 5a)

Who: Jesus, the Samaritan woman, His disciples, the Samaritans (of the town of Sychar)

v. 4: The transitional verse in an accusative with a particle-infinitive-construction “autón + dé + dɩérchesthaɩ” in verse 4a introduces a new scene (cf. vv. 4–6) of the discourse between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (cf. vv. 7–26/42).

The Fourth Evangelist relates that Jesus (and His disciples) travelled through the region/area of “Samaria”³⁰² (vv. 4, 5a, 7a) – between the districts of “Judea” (v. 3a) in the south and “Galilee” (v. 3b – cf. Luke 9:52–55; 10:33; 17:16; Acts 1:8; 8:4–25) in the north of Palestine as did most pilgrims from Galilee to Jerusalem because it was the shortest/fastest way³⁰³ (cf. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XX 118; Bellum Iudaicum II 232–233).

v. 5: As John 3:22 or 11:54, on their “journey” (in Greek “hodoıporίa” in v. 6b and 2 Corinthians 11:26), they came to the Samarian “town Sychar”³⁰⁴ – in Greek “Suchár” is Hapax legomenon of the New Testament – which is “near”

v. 6: the “well” (cf. v. 14) of “Jacob” (vv. 5–6, 12 – cf. Genesis 33:18–19; 48:22 [“Joseph”, the beloved son of Jacob – also Joshua 24:32 and Acts 7:9, 13–14, 18]) and His disciples went “shopping food” (vv. 8, 27) in this city. The tired Jesus “sat down” for a rest “by the well” a simple cistern and not a spring or fountain “about the sixth hour”³⁰⁵ (cf. John 19:14) of the Jewish daytime that means at 12 o’clock (= noon).

- The Dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (vv. 7–26) and His Disciples (vv. 31–38)

+ The First Dialogue/s (vv. 7–26)

# Part I: Discussion of the so-called “Living water” (vv. 7–15)

The conversation between Jesus (cf. vv. 7d, 10b–f, 13b–14g, 16b–d, 17d–18d, 21b–24b, 26b–c) and the Samaritan woman (cf. vv. 9b–c, 11b–12d, 15b–e, 17b, 19b–20d, 25b–f) has three main themes which are discussed: The “living water” (cf. vv. 7–15) and her relationship with “five men” (cf. vv. 16–19) as well as His identity and the true worship (cf. vv. 20–26).

v. 7: A “Samaritan woman” of the “town” of “Sychar” (cf. v. 28b) also came to the “well” (v. 6a) of Jacob “to scoop/draw³⁰⁶ water” (vv. 7b, 15f and John 2:8–9; Genesis 24:11, 13; 29:2; Exodus 2:16) and to take it home in a “water pot/jar” (cf. v. 28a). That was her daily task to get fresh water for cooking, drinking, washing, cleaning and so on. The “tired”³⁰⁷ (v. 6b) and “thirsty” (vv. 13c, 14c, 15c) (as well as hungry [vv. 8b, 31c]) Jesus who also had the human/essential needs started a dialogue with her, requesting her: “Give me” – note the imperative in Greek “dós” in vv. 7d, 10d, 15b) – “to drink”³⁰⁸ (cf. v. 10d). At the time of Jesus, it was a scandal for Jesus as a Jewish man (cf. v. 9b) to speak with a woman (cf., for example, 1 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:1–3) from Samaria in public who was not married with her common law spouse (cf. v. 18a–c). He ignored all these social and religious barriers with the risk of losing His reputation as a rabbi/teacher.

v. 8: The Evangelist comments that His “disciples”³⁰⁹ (cf. vv. 8a, 27a, 31a, 33a) – including John – were absent because of their “shopping³¹⁰ food” in the “town” of “Sychar” (v. 5a – cf. Luke 9:52). A commentary of the Evangelist in verse 27 states that they came to Jesus and talked with Him (cf. vv. 27, 31–38).

v. 9: She, a Samaritan, requested Jesus, the “Jew” (v. 9b): “How” – note the interrogative pronoun “põs” in John 3:4, 9 – “/can/ you as a Jew ask … contact me” as a Samaritan for a “drink”? (vv. 7d, 9c, 10d, 12c, 13b, 14a³¹¹). Jesus was a Jew from His Birth (cf. Luke 2:21–24) until His Death (cf. John 19:19/Mark 15:26; Matthew 27:37; Luke 23:38) – note verse 22 who visited the synagogues (cf. John 6:59; 18:20; Mark 1:21–28; 3:1; 6,1–6a; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 12:9; 13:54–58; Luke 4:15, 16–30, 31–38, 44; 6:6; 13:10) and the pilgrim feasts (cf. John 2:13, 23; 5:1; 6:4; 7:2, 14, 37; 10:22; 11:55) and the Temple in Jerusalem (cf. John 2:13–22; Mark 11:15–19, 27–13:2; Matthew 21:10–17, 23–24:2; Luke 2:41–42; 19:45–48; 20:1–21:6). The Fourth Evangelist explains with the help of a “commented parenthesis”³¹² (cf. vv. 2a–b, 8a–b, 9c) the historical centuries-old trouble between Jews and the Samaritans due to the Assyrian exile since 722 B.C.³¹³:

v. 10: The verbs “ask”³¹⁴ and “drink” are the catch- respectively keywords for His statement of the “living water” (cf. vv. 11d, 13–15 and John 7:37–38[; 19:34]) in the spiritual sense – note also the “living bread” (6:51) as God’s gift. Jesus will be the “giver” of it all in His name. He emphasizes with His (identity) question – “who is³¹⁵ who”/He (v. 10c) – the reflection on His identity as the “living water” respectively the “living bread” (6:35, 51).

vv. 11–12: She respectfully – “Lord” (note the vocative in vv. 11b, 15b, 19b) – asked Jesus a question (cf., for example, 1:48; 2:9; 3:8) because of her thinking in human terms and thus misunderstanding Him: “Where /do/ ( ) you (have/get) the living water” (v. 11d) – without a “ladle”³¹⁶ (cf. v. 11b) on a rope for the “(deep) well ( )” (v. 11c)? And her second question was: “Are you greater than (our) father/ancestor ( ) Jacob” (v. 12a – cf. v. 5c) – note also the comparative in 8:53 (Abraham) – who “gave … the well” (v. 12b – cf. v. 6a) and for drinking water from it himself, “(his) sons ( )” and “(His) livestock³¹⁷ ( )” (cf. Genesis 29:10; Exodus 2:16) as well as the citizen of Sychar.

vv. 13–14: Jesus, the “giver” (cf. v. 14b) of “the (living) water ( )” (vv. 10f, 11d) on God’s/the Holy Spirit’s behalf (cf. John 14:14, 23), contrasts the “normal” water (cf. v. 13b and Exodus 17:1–7; Psalm 105:41) and the (divine) “living water” in an antithesis respectively a correction in verse 14a–g (“not … but” in v. 14c, d): Everyone who “drinks (v. 13a) “normal” “water will be thirsty³¹⁸ again” (v. 13b–c), however whoever “drinks” (v. 14a) the living “water will never³¹⁹ be thirsty” (v. 14c – cf. v. 15b–c and John 6:35; 7:37 – note also God’s promise in Isaiah 49:10) again. More: This living water will become like a “well”/“spring” (cf. Isaiah 58:11) for a fulfilled life first on earth and “(eternal/everlasting³²⁰) life ( )” (v. 14g) in Heaven.

v. 15: Similar to His request in verse 7d (“give me to drink”), she requests Him “the Lord” (cf. vv. 11b, 15b, 19b), in her literal misunderstanding³²¹ of His (spiritual/divine) “living water” (cf., for example, Psalm 42:1; Jeremiah 17:13: drinking in vv. 7d, 9c, 10c, f, 11d, 12c–d, 13b–15e], and food [vv. 8b, 31c, 32b–34b]) to “give” her this “special” water in the sense of “running water” now, so that it is practical for her: She “will not get thirsty” and will not “scoop/draw water” (v. 7b) again.

# Part II: The Samaritan Woman and Her Men (vv. 16–19)

v. 16: Jesus changed the topic with an invitation in the form of an order – three imperatives:

“Go, call³²² (your) man/husband ( ) and come back”.

v. 17: She briefly answered Him: “( ) I have (no) man/husband” (v. 17b, e).

vv. 18–19: The result of Jesus’ prophetical knowledge (cf. John 1:42, 47–48) of her private situation with “five men” (cf. vv. 17e–18d³²³) was that she confessed Him as “Lord” – note the vocative in verses 11b, 15b, 19b – and as a (Mosaic) “prophet” (v. 19c – cf. John 1:21; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17; Luke 7:39) in consideration of Deuteronomy 18:15–18. Four possibilities regarding her five husbands are discussed by the scholars:

- “The woman’s past would be considered sinful”³²⁴ (cf. John 7:53–8:11)

- That she married five men in the context of the so-called levirate marriage³²⁵ legislation according to Deuteronomy 25:5

- The “five men” have been interpreted symbolically as the five gods of the five foreign nations the Assyrians brought to inhabit Samaria (cf. 2 Kings 17:24–41; Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews IX 288)

- “The five books of Moses” are “the only part of the Jewish Scriptures the Samaritans acknowledged”³²⁶.

# Part III: The Worship of God in Jerusalem and on Mount Gerizim (vv. 20–26)

v. 20: The woman confesses Jesus as a “prophet” (v. 19c) and she introduces the theological issue of the correct place of the true “worship” (in Greek “proskunéo” in vv. 20a, d, 21d, 22a, c, 23b, c, 24c and John 9:38; 12:20 and “worshiper” in Greek “proskunetés” in v. 23b – cf. 1 Kings 17:29–33): in the temple on “Mount” Gerizim in the Samaritan “fathers’” respectively ancestors’ tradition (cf. John 6:31, 49, 58; 7:22) or the temple on “Mount” Zion “in Jerusalem” (v. 21) in the Jewish tradition (cf. Deuteronomy 11:29; 12:4–7; 27:12–16; Judges 9:7–15 or Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII 85–87)?

v. 21: Jesus answered her that the physical/geographical location is not decisive – “neither this mountain” Gerizim “nor” Mount Zion “in Jerusalem” (cf. Acts 17.23) –, but the attitude of the worshipers³²⁷ – here and now (cf. Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 3:16) – in the “coming hour” (vv. 21c, 23a – cf. John 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 16:2, 4, 21, 25, 32; 17:1) in the present-eschatological sense of the end of time.

v. 22: For Jesus it is very important that all “Jewish” including³²⁸ Samaritan people should worship God YHWH together because of their covenant as the basis/foundation of the Jewish tradition and their “salvation”³²⁹ (cf. Psalm 14:7; Isaiah 2:3; 59:20). The Pontifical Biblical Commission (2001) writes that “the relationship between salvation and the Jewish people becomes an explicit object of theological reflection in John: ‘Salvation comes from the Jews’ (Jn 4:22). This saying of Jesus is found in a context of opposition between Jewish and Samaritan cults that will become obsolete with the introduction of adoration ‘in spirit and truth’ (4:23)”³³⁰.

vv. 23–24: Therefore Jesus emphasizes that “God is Spirit” (v. 24a and 2 Corinthians 3:17–18), the “Father” (v. 23d) “in spirit and truth” (vv. 23d, 24b and John 14:6) now.

v. 25: She confessed Him (cf. v. 19: “Prophet”) now as a “Messiah”³³¹ (in Hebrew – cf. 1:41 or in Greek “Chrɩstós” in vv. 25d, 29d), which means the “anointed one”.

v. 26: As in John 9:37, Jesus confirmed her confession with a typical Johannine phrase “I am” (cf., for example, 6:20; 8:18, 24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5–6, 8) as an allusion to God’s proclamation of His name in Exodus 3:14: “I am who I am” (cf. Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 41:4).

+ The Second Dialogue (vv. 27–38)

# A Scenic-Dialogical Intermezzo (vv. 27–30)

v. 27: His “disciples” “came” – note the verbum simplex “érchomaı” (v. 27a) – back from their shopping (cf. v. 8) from the town “Sychar” (v. 5a), the city of the Samaritan woman, and were “wondering”/“surprised” (in Greek “thaumázo” in v. 27b and in John 3:7; 5:20, 28; 7:15, 21; 1 John 3:13) in the negative sense that Jesus – a “Jew” (v. 9b) – “(talked) with ( )” a Samaritan “woman” “in public” (cf. John 7:13). The Evangelist comments that “nobody” asked her (“What do you want”?) or Him (“What do you speak with her”?).

v. 28: However, she “ran”/“went back” – note the verbum compositum “ap-érchomaı” (v. 28b – cf. vv. 3b, 8a) into her town without her “water pot/jar” (v. 7 – cf. 2:6–7), knowing herself the moral Jewish tradition. Her main aim was to draw water, but after her talk with Jesus she became an “ambassador” who had to inform/proclaim/call the citizen of Sychar that

v. 29: Jesus is the “Christ” (cf. v. 25c, d) – therefore “come” and “see” (cf. 1:39) this prophetical (vv. 17d–18d, 19c) “man” (cf. vv. 39–42).

v. 30: The Fourth Evangelist describes their reaction that they “went out” – note the verbum compositum “ex-érchomaı” in verses 30a, 43a – “of the town” Sychar and “came to” (met) Jesus (cf. v. 40) – note the verb “érchomaı” in verse 30b as in verse 27a.

# The Dialogue between Jesus and His Disciples (vv. 31–38)

v. 31: “In the meantime/meanwhile”, that means between their walk from Sychar to the well of Jacob, Jesus’ disciples (cf. v. 8) speaks with His disciples because of their order – note the imperative “eat” in verse 31b₂.

v. 32: Jesus (cf. vv. 32b–c, 34b–38d), the “rabbi”³³² (v. 31b₁), reflected on the “eating” of “food” (in Greek “brõsɩs” in v. 32b and 6:27, 55 or “brõma” in v. 34b) on earth (cf. vv. 31b, 33b) and the (heavenly) “food” (vv. 32b–c, 34b – cf. 6:27, 55) and the harvest of the “fruits” in the form of an agricultural example of the growing of “seeds” and the reaping of “fruits” (cf. vv. 35b–36c), a proverb (cf. v. 37a–d) and a conclusion (cf. v. 38a–d).

v. 33: Like in 16:17, His disciples did not understand His divine, spiritual, theological “words”; therefore they “said/asked to each other”: “… who brought Him to eat”?

v. 34: Jesus answered them that He has to “fulfil”³³³ (cf. 19:28, 30) God’s “work” (cf. 5:36; 17:4) and His “will” (cf. 6:40; 7:17; 9:31). Therefore He was “sent”³³⁴ on earth. That is the special relationship between Him and His “Father” (cf. 5:30; 6:38–39; 20:21) in the Christological/eschatological context.

vv. 35–36: He explained this eschatological³³⁵ theme with the help of an agricultural comparison/parable of the time of “four months” (in Greek “tetrámenos” in v. 35b) from the sowing – for example, wheat – (seedtime in spring) by the “sower”³³⁶ until the “harvest”³³⁷ by the farmer in the summer in verses 35–36 like in Mark 4:26–29. After the “harvest”, both – the sower and the reaper – are “rejoiced/glad”³³⁸ together (cf. Isaiah 9:2).

v. 37: Then He puts the “proverb” (in Greek “ho lógos” – literal: word) of a sower at the beginning and a reaper at the end:

“One is who sows” (vv. 36c, 37c) “and

another /is/ who reaps/harvests” (vv. 36a, 38b).

v. 38: Jesus concretizes who are the sowers and the reapers:

So the sowers are Jesus (cf. v. 38a), the Jewish fathers and prophets as well as John the Baptist (cf. v. 38c) who worked hard/“laboured”³³⁹ (vv. 6b, 38b, c – cf. v. 38d).

However, the reapers are His disciples³⁴⁰ (“you”) – then (and now³⁴¹) (cf. Matthew 9:37) – who “Jesus sent”³⁴² (cf., for example, John 17:18) to “reap” (vv. 36a, 37e) the “labour” of others on their behalf.

+ The Indirect Conversion of the Samaritans by Jesus (vv. 39–42)

v. 39: After the conversation between Jesus and His disciples (cf. vv. 31–38), the Samaritan people of Sychar who “believed” (vv. 21b, 39a, 41, 42b – cf. vv. 48c, 50c, 53e–f) in the Samaritan woman’s “words” (vv. 39a, 41) respectively her “testimony” (in Greek “marturéo” [verb] in vv. 39b, 44a)

v. 40: “came to Him” and “asked/requested”/invited Him “to stay with them” (v. 40b, c). The Evangelist relates that He “stayed” in Sychar “two days” (vv. 40c, 43 – cf. John 11:6) and

v. 41: plenty of them “believed” (vv. 39a, 42b) in Him because of “(His) words ( )” (cf. v. 39a).

v. 42: In this way, the Samaritans acknowledge and decide for themselves for Jesus as the “Saviour³⁴³ of the world” (cf. 1 John 4:14) – note the allusion to the Roman Caesars³⁴⁴ – because of their sharing of “His words” (v. 41) and not only from hearsay of her “word” (v. 39a – cf. v. 29). In other words: “The Samaritans believe first on the basis of the indirect word by the Samaritan “woman who testified about Jesus and then on the basis of their own experience of Jesus’ words”³⁴⁵ (cf. vv. 39a, 41).

The Samaritan woman/housewife (cf. vv. 28–30) confessed the citizen of “Sychar” as His female “disciples”³⁴⁶ that Jesus is the “Christ” (vv. 25c, 29e – note also the titles³⁴⁷ in her mouth: the “Jew” [v. 9b], the “Lord” [vv. 11b, 15b, 19b], a “prophet” [v. 19c]) like Martha (cf. John 11:27) and Mary of Magdalene (cf. 20:18) – note the Galilean women in John 19:25; Mark 15:40–41; 16:1; Matthew 27:55–56, 61; Luke 8:2–3; 10:38–42; 23:49; 24:1, 10. At the end, the Samarian citizen of “Sychar” believed in Him (cf. vv. 39–42) as the “Saviour of the world” (v. 42d and Judges 3:9, 15; Esther 8:12; Wisdom of Solomon 16:7). This messianic title is like a “final chord”³⁴⁸ of Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritans – note “the contrast between the more open faith of the Samaritans and the less adequate belief of those at Jerusalem (cf. John 2:23–25) and Nicodemus”³⁴⁹ (cf. 3:1–21).

2.2.9 First Setting as a Journey Note³⁵⁰ (vv. 43–45³⁵¹)

As in verses 1–6, we have a double setting (cf. vv. 43–45, 46a–c) here again.

v. 43: The Fourth Evangelist continues with a journey note of Jesus’ renewed coming to “Galilee” (cf. v. 3) with the same words “the two days” (in Greek “dúo heméras” in vv. 40c, 43) to bridge the scenic-dialogical scene in verses 4–42 with the story of His distant healing of the royal official’s son from Capernaum in Galilee in verses 46–53/54. The name of the northern district “Galilee” (vv. 43, 45a, 46a, 47b, 54b) is the keyword of the journey note in verses 43–45 and of His healing in verses 46–54.

v. 44: A parenthesis of the Evangelist emphasizes that “Jesus” “Himself” pointed “that /a/ prophet” (v. 19c) “{has no} [honour] in the own hometown/country [ ] { }” (cf. Mark 6:4; Matthew 13:57; Luke 4:24).

v. 45: The Evangelist relates that “the Galileans welcomed/received” Jesus, “(having seen) all ( ) that He had done in Jerusalem” during their visit of the Passover “feast(ival)” (vv. 45d, e – cf. John 2.13).

2.2.10 Jesus’ Distant Healing of the Royal Official’s Son from Capernaum in Cana (vv. 46–54³⁵²)

- The Setting (v. 46a–c)

Who: Jesus, the royal official (from Capernaum), his son (in Capernaum)

Where: “from Judea to Galilee” (vv. 43, 45, 47b, 54b), Cana (v. 46a) – Capernaum (v. 46d)

When: during Jesus’ public mission in Galilee – “yesterday at the 7^th hour” (v. 52d)

A cross-reference with the first sign at “Cana” in John 2:1–11 and verse 54³⁵³ “where” Jesus “had made water wine” (in Greek “tò húdor oῖnon”in v. 46b and 2:9) introduces a new scenic-dialogical story of the “royal official³⁵⁴’s son” (v. 46c, d₁) from “Capernaum”³⁵⁵ (v. 46d₂ and 2:12; 6:17, 24, 59). Because of his Galilean settlement in Capernaum he was probably a royal official of the King Herod Antipas³⁵⁶ (4 B.C.–39 A.D.) (cf. Luke 8:3), the tetrarch of the district Galilee and Perea.

- The Diagnosis (vv. 46d, 47e)

The royal official came from “Capernaum” (v. 46d) to Jesus at “Cana” (v. 46a) because of his “( ) sick³⁵⁷ (son)” (v. 46d). The distance of both settlements is 26 kilometres³⁵⁸ – a one-day trip³⁵⁹ (cf. v. 52d).

- The Double Request by the Royal Official (vv. 47–49)

v. 47: The “father” (v. 53a) of the sick “boy/child” (vv. 49c, 51d) “heard” from hearsay that “Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee” (cf. vv. 3, 47b, 54b). Therefore he “came to Him” – note again the verbum compositum “ap-érchomaɩ” in verses 3b, 8a, 28b, 47c – and “requested/begged/asked” Him as an indirect questioning:

Please “come down”³⁶⁰ from “Cana” about 300 metres above sea-level to “Capernaum” near the northwest corner of the “Sea of Galilee/Tiberias” “and

heal”³⁶¹ my “son” who is “close to die” (cf. v. 49b, c).

v. 48: “Jesus” said a critical word regarding of the faith in wonders³⁶² (cf. John 2:18, 23–25 and Mark 8:11; Matthew 12:38; 16:1; Luke 11:16, 29; 23:8; 1 Corinthians 1:22) to the royal official: “Unless you (see) signs and wonders³⁶³ ( ),

you /do/ not believe.”

v. 49: As in verse 47, the “royal official” (intensively) begged Him again:

“Lord” (vv. 11b, 15b, 19b),

“come down” (vv. 47d, 51a)

“before (my) boy/child ( )” (v. 51d) “dies” (cf. v. 47e).

- Jesus’ Distant Healing with His Word (v. 50a–b)

After His request, “Jesus” gave him the order – note the imperative:

“Go, (your) son ( ) lives” or “/is/ alive” (cf. v. 51d and Mark 7:29) – note the opposite verb “die” in verses 47e, 49c.

- Declaration of the Healing (vv. 50c–53d)

v. 50c: Because of his “believing”/faith³⁶⁴ in Jesus’ “word” (cf. Romans 10:17) his son was cured. So the royal official is a “model of faith” according to the Fourth Gospel (cf. Matthew 8:10; 15:28; Luke 7:9).

v. 51: During his one-day way home from Cana to Capernaum (cf. v. 46a, d) the royal official’s “servants”³⁶⁵ went to “meet”³⁶⁶ him, saying with the same words of Jesus’ promise (cf. v. 50b) in the form of an indirect speech: Your “boy/child³⁶⁷ was living/alive”.

v. 52: The royal official questioned his servants the “hour when” his son’s “fever”³⁶⁸ (cf. Mark 1:31; Matthew 8:15; Luke 4:38–39) started to “get better”. Their answer was: “Yesterday³⁶⁹ at the seventh hour” (= 1 p.m.) –

v. 53: just at this moment “when (Jesus) said /to/ him ( ): “(Your) son ( ) lives”/“/is/ alive” (vv. 50b, 51d, 53d). The royal official “realized ( )” that. At home of the faithful royal official at Capernaum, “the father” (cf. Mark 7:25; Matthew 15:22) found his son well. According to the Hebrew Bible, “God was impressed by the faith of Abraham to save other people. So, in the New Testament, Jesus is impressed by the faith of one man to exercise his power in favour of someone else”³⁷⁰, because God, the Creator, and also His Son Jesus are there for everybody else. Jesus, the healer and the Savour, gave life to the royal official’s son (cf. vv. 50b, 51d, 53d).

- Reaction of the Royal Official (v. 53e)

Therefore the royal official as the “pater familias”³⁷¹ and his “whole household” – that means his wife and his children as well as His (male and female) servants – let themselves be baptized and become a “familia dei”³⁷² (cf., for example, Acts 10:2; 11:14; 16:15, 31–34; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16) who follow/ed God’s criteria and Jesus’ steps in word and deed/action – then and now.

- The Comment by the Evangelist (v. 54)

The Fourth Evangelist concludes the “story” of Jesus’ distant healing of the royal official’s son” (cf. vv. 46–53) in Cana (cf. John 2:1, 11) as “the second sign” (cf. Exodus 4:8) – note the counting of the “first sign” in 2:11 and the “second sign” in verse 54a – of seven signs (cf. 2:1–11; 4:46–53; 5:1–18; 6:1–15, 16–21/24; 9:1–7/42;11:1–45). The Fourth Evangelist also concludes the narrative cycle of Jesus’ public mission “from Cana to Cana” (cf. 2:1–4:54³⁷³) in the districts “Galilee” (vv. 3b, 47b, 54b) and “Judea” (vv. 3a, 47b, 54b).