John 4:42

42. Omit ὁ Χριστός after κόσμον, with אBC1 and most versions and Fathers against Acts 3D.

42. οὐκέτι κ.τ.λ. Note the order: No longer is it because of thy speech that we believe (see on John 1:7). Λαλιά and λόγος should be distinguished in translation. In classical Greek λαλιά has a slightly uncomplimentary turn, ‘gossip, chatter.’ But this shade of meaning is lost in later Greek, though there is perhaps a tinge of it here, ‘not because of thy talk;’ but this being doubtful, ‘speech’ will be safer. S. John uses λόγος both for her word (John 4:39) and Christ’s (John 4:41). See on John 8:43, where Christ uses λαλιά of His own teaching.

αὐτοὶ γ. ἀκ. For we have heard for ourselves.

ἀληθῶς ὁ σ. τ. κ. See on John 1:48; John 1:10. It is not improbable that such ready hearers should arrive at this great truth so rapidly. They had the Pentateuch (comp. Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4), and not being in the trammels of Jewish exclusiveness would believe that the Messiah was not for the Jew alone. The Samaritan gave up less than the Jew when he accepted Christ. It is therefore unnecessary to suppose that S. John is unconsciously giving his own expression (1 John 4:14) for theirs.