Home › People of the Bible › The Woman at the Well
People of the Bible
Who Was the Woman at the Well?
In short
The woman at the well was a Samaritan whom Jesus met at midday, surprising her by speaking with her at all, for Jews and Samaritans did not associate, and her life was marked by shame.
Jesus offered her 'living water,' knew her whole story without condemning her, and revealed Himself as the Messiah. She left her water jar and ran to tell her town, one of the first to share the good news.
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:14 · King James Version (public domain)
The Woman at the Well at a glance
| Name | The Woman at the Well |
|---|---|
| Where to read about them | The Gospel of John |
| Key passage on this page | John 4:14 |
| Passages linked to that verse | 10 |
| Translation on this page | King James Version (public domain) |
Read it in context
Read it beside its neighbours. These are the passages readers most often set next to this one.
- John 7:38-39
- John 6:35
- Isaiah 49:10
- Revelation 7:16
- Ephesians 1:13-14
- John 11:26
- John 6:58
- 1 John 5:20
- 2 Corinthians 1:22
- Romans 6:23
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY.
Questions people ask
Where can I read about The Woman at the Well in the Bible?
The Woman at the Well appears in The Gospel of John. Start with the key passage on this page, then read the whole chapter around it.
What other passages sit beside John 4:14?
Readers most often set it next to John 7:38-39, John 6:35, Isaiah 49:10, Revelation 7:16.
Why does The Woman at the Well matter to Christians today?
Because the story of The Woman at the Well is told to point to Christ and to teach us to love one another. Read it as part of the one story of Scripture, not as a stand-alone biography.
Pray this
Lord Christ, you love the people of The Woman at the Well more than we can. We bring you The Woman at the Well, The Gospel of John. Let your Body in that place love one another and be one. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Live this
Three small things you can do this week.
- Read the key passage, John 4:14, aloud once today.
- Write one sentence about what The Woman at the Well's story says about God, not only about The Woman at the Well.
- Tell one person what you noticed, and ask what Bible story has stayed with them.
Where this fits in the walk with Christ
Christ meets people in a place, and then walks on with them. Here are doors that walk on.
Read the story of The Woman at the Well
You can read the story of The Woman at the Well in The Gospel of John on The Living Bread, free, with audio, and with Simon to answer your questions along the way.
