4:40a
So: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces the result of the Samaritans’ belief. Because of their belief, they wanted Jesus to stay with them. Here are other ways to translate this connection:
Because of their belief
-or-
Therefore
-or-
As a result
when the Samaritans came to Him: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as came to Him indicates that the Samaritans walked to where Jesus was. Consider whether it is more natural to say came or “went.” For example:
So when the Samaritans went to Jesus (God’s Word)
4:40b
they asked Him to stay with them: The pronouns they and them refer to the Samaritans. They wanted Jesus to remain for a while in their town, Sychar. Here is another way to translate this clause:
they begged him to stay in their town
4:40c
and He stayed two days: Jesus stayed two days with those Samaritans, in Sychar.
General Comment on 4:40
In some languages it is more natural to use direct speech here. For example:
The Samaritans came to Jesus and said to him, “Please stay in our town a while.” So he stayed for two days.
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