Jesus answered and said unto her
In a very serious manner, in a different way from hers:
if thou knewest the gift of God;
meaning, not the Holy Spirit with his gifts and graces, as some
think, but himself; for the following clause is explanatory of
it;
and who it is that saith to thee, give me to
drink;
and Christ is also spoken of in the Old Testament, as the gift of
God, ( Isaiah
9:6 ) and he had lately spoken of himself as such, ( John 3:16 ) and he is, by
way of eminency, "the gift of God"; which is comprehensive of all
others, is exceeding large, and very suitable to the wants and
cases of men; and is irrevocable, unchangeable, and unspeakable:
for he is God's gift, as he is his own and only begotten Son; and
he is given for a covenant to the people, with all the promises
and blessings of it; and as an head, both of eminence and
influence; and to be a Saviour of them, and a sacrifice for their
sins; and as the bread of life, for them to feed and live upon;
of which gift, men are naturally ignorant, as this woman was:
they know not the dignity of his person; nor the nature and
usefulness of his offices; nor the way of peace, righteousness,
and salvation by him; nor do they see any amiableness, or
loveliness in him; and whatever notional knowledge some natural
men may have of him, they know him not spiritually and
experimentally, or as the gift of God to them:
thou wouldst have asked of him;
a favour and benefit; for such who truly know Christ, the worth
and value of him, and their need of him, will apply to him for
grace, as they have encouragement to do; since all grace is
treasured up in him, and he gives it freely, and upbraideth not;
and souls are invited to ask it of him, and take it freely; nor
is it to be had anywhere else: but knowledge of Christ, is
absolutely necessary, to asking anything of him; for till he is
known, he will not be applied to; but when he is made known to
any, in his fulness and suitableness, they will have recourse to
him, and ask grace and mercy of him; and which is freely had: the
Vulgate Latin very wrongly adds, "perhaps"; reading it, "perhaps
thou wouldst have asked"; whereas our Lord's meaning is, that she
would certainly have asked:
and he would have given thee living water;
pardoning and justifying grace, every branch of sanctifying
grace, and all the supplies of it; so called, because his grace
quickens sinners dead in sin, and dead in law, and in, their own
apprehensions; and causes them to live in themselves, and before
God; and because it refreshes and comforts, revives and cheers,
and is like rivers of water in a dry land; and because it
maintains and supports spiritual life in their souls; and it ever
abides, and continues, and springs up unto everlasting life: for
the allusion is to spring water, that bubbles up in a fountain,
and is ever running; for such water the Jews call "living water";
see ( Genesis
26:19 ) ; where in the Hebrew text it is "living water";
which we, and also the Chaldee paraphrase, render "springing
water". So living waters with them, are said to be always
flowing, and never cease F20.