John 4:27

But just at this critical juncture, ἐπὶ τούτῳ, “on this,” came His disciples καὶ ἐθαύμασαν. The imperfect better suits the sense; “they were wondering”: the cause of wonder being ὅτι μετὰ γυναικὸς ἐλάλει, “that He was speaking with a woman”; this being forbidden to Rabbis. “Samuel dicit: non salutant feminam omnino.” “The wise have said, Each time that the man prolongs converse with the woman [that is, his own wife] he causes evil to himself, and desists from words of Thorah and in the end inherits Gehinnom” (Taylor, Pirke Aboth, p. 29; see also Schoettgen in loc.). But although the disciples wondered οὐδεὶς μέντοι εἶπε, “no one, however, said” τί ζητεῖς, “what are you seeking?” nor even the more general question τί λαλεῖς μετʼ αὐτῆς, “why are you talking with her?” Their silence was due to reverence. They had already learned that He had reasons for His actions which might not lie on the surface.