4:15a

Sir: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sir is a title of respect. It is the same word as in 4:11a.

give me this water: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as give me this water is a request for a drink. Translate it in a way that is polite and natural in your language. For example:

Sir, please give me a drink of that water! (Contemporary English Version)

4:15b

so that I will not get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water: The woman misunderstood Jesus. She thought he was talking about literal water and being literally thirsty. She wanted to drink Jesus’ water so that she would not be thirsty again. She did not want to have to come back to the well for water.

This is a negative purpose clause. There were two things the woman wanted to avoid: being thirsty and returning to the well again and again. These two things may be connected either by a word meaning “or” or by a word meaning “and.” For example:

and then I shall not be thirsty, nor have to come all this way to draw water (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water. (God’s Word)

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