John 4:4
New International Version
Now he had to go through Samaria.

New Living Translation
He had to go through Samaria on the way.

English Standard Version
And he had to pass through Samaria.

Berean Standard Bible
Now He had to pass through Samaria.

Berean Literal Bible
And it was necessary for Him to pass through Samaria.

King James Bible
And he must needs go through Samaria.

New King James Version
But He needed to go through Samaria.

New American Standard Bible
And He had to pass through Samaria.

NASB 1995
And He had to pass through Samaria.

NASB 1977
And He had to pass through Samaria.

Legacy Standard Bible
And He had to pass through Samaria.

Amplified Bible
Now He had to go through Samaria.

Christian Standard Bible
He had to travel through Samaria;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He had to travel through Samaria,

American Standard Version
And he must needs pass through Samaria.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But it was necessary for him to come and pass through Samaria.

Contemporary English Version
This time he had to go through Samaria,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he was of necessity to pass through Samaria.

English Revised Version
And he must needs pass through Samaria.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus had to go through Samaria.

Good News Translation
on his way there he had to go through Samaria.

International Standard Version
Now it was necessary for him to go through Samaria.

Literal Standard Version
and it was necessary [for] Him to go through Samaria.

Majority Standard Bible
Now He had to pass through Samaria.

New American Bible
He had to pass through Samaria.

NET Bible
But he had to pass through Samaria.

New Revised Standard Version
But he had to go through Samaria.

New Heart English Bible
He needed to pass through Samaria.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he must needs go through Samaria.

Weymouth New Testament
His road lay through Samaria,

World English Bible
He needed to pass through Samaria.

Young's Literal Translation
and it was behoving him to go through Samaria.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
3He left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4Now He had to pass through Samaria. 5So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.…

Cross References
Luke 9:52
He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.

Luke 22:7
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed.


Treasury of Scripture

And he must needs go through Samaria.

Matthew 10:5,6
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: …

Luke 2:49
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Luke 9:51,52
And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, …

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Behoving Lay Necessary Needed Needs Road Samaria Samar'ia
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Behoving Lay Necessary Needed Needs Road Samaria Samar'ia
John 4
1. Jesus talks with a woman of Samaria, and reveals his identity to her.
27. His disciples marvel.
31. He declares to them his zeal for God's glory.
39. Many Samaritans believe on him.
43. He departs into Galilee, and heals the ruler's son that lay sick at Capernaum.














(4) He must needs go through Samaria--i.e., following the shortest and most usual road, and the one we find Him taking from Galilee to Jerusalem (Luke 9:52; see Note there). Josephus spoke of this as the customary way of the Galileans going up during the feasts at Jerusalem (Ant. xx. 6, ? 1). The Pharisees, indeed, took the longer road through Peraea, to avoid contact with the country and people of Samaria, but it is within the purpose of His life and work ("needs go," i.e., was necessary that He should go) to teach in Samaria, as in Judaea, the principles of true religion and worship, which would cut away the foundations of all local jealousies and feuds, and establish for all nations the spiritual service of the universal Father (John 4:21-24).

Verse 4. - And he must needs go through Samaria. There was no physical necessity about it. He might, as bigoted Jews were accustomed to do, have crossed the Jordan and passed through Peraea instead. There was no such animus in the heart of Jesus, and a Divine and providential monition was the occasion of his taking the direct road. Geikie has drawn a vivid picture of the difficulties to which Jewish travellers on the borders of Samaria were exposed (see Hosea 6:9; Josephus, 'Ant.,' 20:06. 1; 'Bell. Jud.,' 2:12. 4; 'Vit.,' 52), and also of the physical features of the land. Samaria, as a name of the small district of central Palestine, arose from the name of the city "Samaria," built by Omri, and made the site of the kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:24), and that of the Baal- and of the calf-worship. Samaria suffered from the siege, and the city was depopulated by Shalmanezer (Sargon), and colonized with Assyrians under Esarhaddon. It was destroyed by Hyrcanus, and rebuilt in splendour by Herod the Great, and by him dedicated to Augustus, and called Sebaste after him. Though Shechem (equivalent to Sichem) was the more famous site, and overshadowed Herod's city by its historical interest, yet "Samaria" was the name which has survived all others, and covered a larger space. Jesus was probably on the borders of Samaria, in the Judaean country, before he commenced his journey. Samaria was included in the tetrarchy of Archelaus, and formed part of the province under the pro-curatorship of Pontius Pilate; while Herod Antipas reigned over Galilee and Persia. The Lord was fulfilling the Divine will, in commencing his Galilaean ministry, in leaving Judaea proper for the present, and passing through Samaria. It is worthy of notice that John here attributes to "the Pharisees," rather than "the Jews," the opposition which indicated the wisdom or necessity of this course.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Now
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

He
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

had
Ἔδει (Edei)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

to pass
διέρχεσθαι (dierchesthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 1330: To pass through, spread (as a report). From dia and erchomai; to traverse.

through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

Samaria.
Σαμαρείας (Samareias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4540: Of Hebrew origin; Samaria, a city and region of Palestine.


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NT Gospels: John 4:4 He needed to pass through Samaria (Jhn Jo Jn)
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