Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 4:9

πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν. How did she know He was a Jew? Probably there were slight differences in dress, feature and accent. Edersheim says “the fringes on the Tallith of the Samaritans are blue, while those worn by the Jews are white”. He also exposes the mistake of some commentators regarding the words uttered by Jesus: “Teni li lishtoth”. The reason of the woman's surprise is given by the Evangelist in the words οὐ γὰρ συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαίοι Σαμαρείταις. “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” Συγχρᾶσθαι literally signifies “to use together with,” so that the sense here might be that the woman was surprised that Jesus should use the same vessel she used; rather it has the secondary meaning “to have intercourse” or “dealings with”; similarly to the Latin utor, see Hor., Ep., i. xii. 22, “utere Pompeio Grospho,” and xvii. 13, “regibus uti,” to make a friend of, or “be on terms of intimacy with”. The classical phrase is οἶσιν οὐκ ἐπιστροφαί, Eurip., Helena, 440. The later tradition said: “Samaritanis panem comedere aut vinum bibere prohibitum est”. Of course the hostile feeling ran back to the days of Nehemiah. And see Sir 50:25-3. “With two nations is my soul vexed, and the third is no nation: they that sit upon Mount Seir and the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwelleth in Sichem.” For the origin of the Samaritans see 2 Kings 17, and cf. Farrar's Life of Christ in loc. Tristram, Land of Israel, 134.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

John 4:9

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