4:14a
But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But indicates contrast between the results of two different actions. The two actions are drinking the well’s water and drinking the water that Jesus will give. Those who drink the well’s water will get thirsty again. Those who drink Jesus’ water will never be thirsty again and will have eternal life. The contrast shows that Jesus’ water was better than the well water.
whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst: This clause does not mean that those people would never want to drink water again, although that is what the woman thought. Jesus was talking about a spiritual thirst or desire. When people receive living water (spiritual life) from Jesus, it will satisfy them. They may thirst for more of God, but they know that he has already given them what they really thirst for. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as never is a strong negative word that emphasizes what Jesus said. In some languages it may be more natural to say:
But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
But no one who drinks the water that I give will ever be thirsty again. (Contemporary English Version)
4:14b–c
Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life: Jesus continued to use a metaphor to describe what would happen to those who drink his water that gives life. (See the note at 4:10d for more information on “living water.”) In this sentence he said that the water would keep coming forever like a spring that never stops. That shows that this water gives eternal life. If this metaphor is difficult to understand in your language, you may need to use a simile instead. For example:
The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Because the water that I give, it will become like a spring in his body which never becomes dry which gives him life that lasts forever.
4:14b
Indeed: The Greek text includes a conjunction that is usually translated as “but,” but the Berean Standard Bible translates emphatically as Indeed. Here, the Greek conjunction connects a negative statement (“those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty ”) to a positive statement (“The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life ”). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:
• Use the conjunction “but.”
…whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life (NET Bible)
• Use a conjunction other than “but.” This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:
…those who drink the water that I will give them will never become thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give them will become in them a spring that gushes up to eternal life. (God’s Word)
• Do not use a conjunction as in the New Revised Standard Version. For example:
…no one who drinks the water I give will ever be thirsty again. The water I give is like a flowing fountain that gives eternal life. (Contemporary English Version)
• Change the order of the clauses. For example:
Those who drink the water that I will give, it will become like a spring in his body that always flows and gives forever life. He will never be thirsty again.
You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.
the water I give him will become: The Greek text emphasizes the word I. Jesus was contrasting himself and the water that he will give with Jacob and the water that he gave.
In some languages it may be natural to say to whom Jesus will give this water. For example:
the water I will give them will become (God’s Word)
4:14c
in him: This phrase refers to the spirits or souls of the people who drink or receive the water Jesus offers. Their bodies would die, but their souls/spirits would live forever. If it is not natural to say in him, use an expression that indicates that this water will affect these people. For example:
for them
a fount of water springing up: This phrase refers to fresh (not salty) water that jumps or rises up (gushes) out of the ground. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
a spring of water welling up (New International Version)
-or-
a fresh, bubbling spring (New Living Translation (2004))
to eternal life: This phrase indicates that this water brings eternal life. The phrase eternal life refers to the new spiritual life that God gives us when we believe in Jesus. It is life that never ends. See the note at 3:15 and how you translated the phrase there. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
forever life ⌊from God⌋
-or-
⌊spiritual⌋ life that never ends
-or-
living forever ⌊with God⌋
General Comment on 4:14a–c
In some languages it may be natural to follow the Greek and translate 4:14a using a singular subject meaning “whoever.” For example:
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (New International Version)
-or-
but anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. For it will jump up like a fountain inside that person and bring eternal life.
© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.