Joh 4:5-6 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 5. A city-called Sychar ] This city was anciently called Shechem . It seems to have been situated at the foot of Mount Gerizim, in the province of Samaria, on which the temple of the Samaritans was built. After the ruin of Samaria by Salmanezer, Sychar , or Shechem , became the capital of the Samaritans; and it continued so, according to Josephus, Ant. l. xi. c. 8, in the time of Alexander the Great. It was about ten miles from Shiloh , forty from Jerusalem , and fifty-two from Jericho . It probably got the name of Sychar, which signifies drunken , from the drunkenness of its inhabitants. With this crime the Prophet Isaiah ( ) solemnly charges the Ephraimites, within whose limits the city stood. This place is remarkable in the Scriptures: 1. As being that where Abram first stopped on his coming from Haran to Canaan. 2. Where God first appeared to that patriarch, and promised to give the land to his seed. 3. The place where Abram first built an altar to the Lord, and called upon his name, . The present name of this city is Neapolis , or Naplouse . See Calmet. That Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ] Jacob had bought this field from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver, or lambs , ; and in it he built an altar, which he dedicated to El Elohey Yishrael , the strong God, the covenant God of Israel, . This, Jacob left as a private or overplus inheritance to Joseph and his children. See , and .

‏ John 4:5-6

Verse 5. A city-called Sychar] This city was anciently called Shechem. It seems to have been situated at the foot of Mount Gerizim, in the province of Samaria, on which the temple of the Samaritans was built. After the ruin of Samaria by Salmanezer, Sychar, or Shechem, became the capital of the Samaritans; and it continued so, according to Josephus, Ant. l. xi. c. 8, in the time of Alexander the Great. It was about ten miles from Shiloh, forty from Jerusalem, and fifty-two from Jericho. It probably got the name of Sychar, which signifies drunken, from the drunkenness of its inhabitants. With this crime the Prophet Isaiah (Isa 28:1, 3, 7, 8) solemnly charges the Ephraimites, within whose limits the city stood. This place is remarkable in the Scriptures: 1. As being that where Abram first stopped on his coming from Haran to Canaan. 2. Where God first appeared to that patriarch, and promised to give the land to his seed. 3. The place where Abram first built an altar to the Lord, and called upon his name, Ge 12:7. The present name of this city is Neapolis, or Naplouse. See Calmet.

That Jacob gave to his son Joseph.] Jacob had bought this field from the children of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver, or lambs, Ge 33:19; and in it he built an altar, which he dedicated to El Elohey Yishrael, the strong God, the covenant God of Israel, Ge 33:20. This, Jacob left as a private or overplus inheritance to Joseph and his children. See Ge 48:21, 22, and Jos 24:32.

Verse 6. Jacob's well was there.] Of this well Mr. Maundrell gives the following account. "About one-third of an hour from Naplosa, the ancient Sychar and Sychem, stood Jacob's well. If it be inquired, whether this be the very place, seeing it may be suspected to stand too remote from Sychar for the women to come and draw water, we may answer-that, in all probability, the city extended farther in former times than it does now, as may be conjectured from some pieces of a very thick wall, the remains perhaps of the ancient Sychem, still to be seen not far from hence. Over it stood formerly a large church, erected by the Empress Irene; but of this the voracity of time, assisted by the hands of the Turks, has left nothing but a few foundations remaining. The well is covered at present with an old stone vault, into which you are let down by a very strait hole; and then, removing a broad flat stone, you discover the well itself. It is dug in a firm rock, is about three yards in diameter, and thirty-five in depth, five of which we found full of water. This confutes a story frequently told to travellers, 'That it is dry all the year round, except on the anniversary of that day on which our blessed Saviour sat upon it; but then bubbles up with abundance of water.' At this well the narrow valley of Sychem ends, opening itself into a wide field, which probably is part of the ground given by Jacob to his son Joseph. It is watered by a fresh stream, running between it and Sychem, which makes it exceedingly verdant and fruitful." See Maundrell's Travels, 5th edit. p. 62.

Cutting pools, or making wells for public use, renders a man famous among the Hindoos. So this well had the name of Jacob, because he had digged it, and it was for public use.

Sat thus] Chrysostom inquires what the particle thus, ουτως, means here? and answers, that it simply signifies, he sat not upon a throne, seat, or cushion; but (as the circumstances of the case required) upon the ground. This is a sense which is given to the word in the ancient Greek writers. See Raphelius, Wetstein, and Pearce. It is probably a mere expletive, and is often so used by Josephus. See several examples in Rosenmuller.

The sixth hour.] About twelve o'clock: See Clarke on Joh 1:31. The time is noted here: 1. To account for Christ's fatigue-he had already travelled several hours. 2. To account for his thirst-the sun had at this time waxed hot. 3. To account for the disciples going to buy food, Joh 4:8, because this was the ordinary time of dinner among the Jews. See the note referred to above. Dr. Macknight thinks the sixth hour to be the Roman six o'clock in the afternoon. See Clarke on Joh 1:29.