Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar,
&c.] Now called Neapolis F4; the same with "Sichem", or "Shechem", as appears from its situation,
near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;
see ( Genesis 33:18 Genesis 33:19 ) ( 48:22 ) ( Joshua 24:32 ) ; and is either the same, only its termination is changed from "em" into "ar", as Achan into Achar, ( 1 Chronicles 2:7 ) . Or it is a new name that was given it, and by which it went in the time of Christ; and might be so called, either from (rkwo) , "Socher", which signifies a grave; because here, Joseph and the rest of the patriarchs were buried, ( Joshua 24:32 ) ( Acts 7:16 ) . Or rather, it was a name of reproach, and so called, from (rkv) , "drunken"; since the Ephraimites, the posterity of Joseph, which dwelt in these parts, were infamous for the sin of drunkenness; see ( Isaiah 28:1 ) . Hence "Sychar Sichem", is "drunken Sichem"; mention is made in the Talmud F5, of a place called (arkyo) , "Sichra". The "parcel of ground", or of a "field", as in ( Genesis 33:19 ) ( Joshua 24:32 ) , is in the Persic version, called "a vineyard"; and so Nonnus renders it, "a field planted with vines"; and which may serve to confirm the above conjecture, concerning "Sychar" being a nickname.