John 4:39

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator states that many Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus following the woman’s report that he knew her past. This event occurs after Jesus compares the harvest to reaping what others prepared and before the townspeople ask him to remain for two days.

The words — ἐπίστευσαν (episteusan) means “believed,” and εἰς (eis) means “into,” forming the phrase “believed into” Jesus. This grammatical pairing indicates a directional movement of trust toward his person rather than a static acknowledgment.

The thread — The text directly follows John 4:29, where the woman first invites the townspeople to see Jesus, and precedes John 4:40, where they later request his extended stay. John 10:41 parallels this pattern by noting that many came to Jesus because John’s testimony proved true.

Why it lands — The text records that secondary testimony initiated belief, but the narrative immediately shows that belief requires direct engagement with Jesus. It asks the reader to evaluate whether their trust rests on another’s report or on personal encounter with him.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

Cross-references

John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
John 4:5 So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
John 10:41 Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.”
John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.
John 4:42 They said to the woman, “We now believe not only because of your words; we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world.”