John 4:14

Whosoever drinketh (ὃς δ' ἂν πίῃ) So Rev. The A.V. renders the two expressions in the same way, but there is a difference in the pronouns, indicated, though very vaguely, by every one that and whosoever, besides a more striking difference in the verb drinketh. In the former case, the article with the participle indicates something habitual; every one that drinks repeatedly, as men ordinarily do on the recurrence of their thirst. In John 4:14 the definite aorist tense expresses a single act - something done once for all. Literally, he who may have drunk. Shall never thirst (οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα) The double negative, οὐ μὴ, is a very strong mode of statement, equivalent to by no means, or in nowise. It must not be understood, however, that the reception of the divine life by a believer does away with all further desire. On the contrary, it generates new desires. The drinking of the living water is put as a single act, in order to indicate the divine principle of life as containing in itself alone the satisfaction of all holy desires as they successively arise; in contrast with human sources, which are soon exhausted, and drive one to other fountains. Holy desire, no matter how large or how varied it may become, will always seek and find its satisfaction in Christ, and in Christ only. Thirst is to be taken in the same sense in both clauses, as referring to that natural craving which the world cannot satisfy, and which is therefore ever restless.

Drusius, a Flemish critic, cited by Trench ("Studies in the Gospels"), says: "He who drinks the water of wisdom thirsts and does not thirst. He thirsts, that is, he more and more desires that which he drinks. He does not thirst, because he is so filled that he desires no other drink." The strong contrast of this declaration of our Lord with pagan sentiment, is illustrated by the following passage from Plato: "Socrates: Let me request you to consider how far you would accept this as an account of the two lives of the temperate and intemperate: There are two men, both of whom have a number of casks; the one man has his casks sound and full, one of wine, another of honey, and a third of milk, besides others filled with other liquids, and the streams which fill them are few and scanty, and he can only obtain them with a great deal of toil and difficulty; but when his casks are once filled he has no need to feed them any more, and has no further trouble with them, or care about them. The other, in like manner, can procure streams, though not without difficulty, but his vessels are leaky and unsound, and night and day he is compelled to be filling them, and if he pauses for a moment he is in an agony of pain. Such are their respective lives: And now would you say that the life of the intemperate is happier than that of the temperate? Do I not convince you that the opposite is the truth?

13, 14. thirst again … never thirst, &c.—The contrast here is fundamental and all comprehensive. "This water" plainly means "this natural water and all satisfactions of a like earthly and perishable nature." Coming to us from without, and reaching only the superficial parts of our nature, they are soon spent, and need to be anew supplied as much as if we had never experienced them before, while the deeper wants of our being are not reached by them at all; whereas the "water" that Christ gives—spiritual life—is struck out of the very depths of our being, making the soul not a cistern, for holding water poured into it from without, but a fountain (the word had been better so rendered, to distinguish it from the word rendered "well" in Joh 4:11), springing, gushing, bubbling up and flowing forth within us, ever fresh, ever living. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of Christ is the secret of this life with all its enduring energies and satisfactions, as is expressly said (Joh 7:37-39). "Never thirsting," then, means simply that such souls have the supplies at home. into everlasting life—carrying the thoughts up from the eternal freshness and vitality of these waters to the great ocean in which they have their confluence. "Thither may I arrive!" [Bengel].

But he who receiveth the Holy Spirit, and the grace thereof, though he will be daily saying, Give, give, and be continually desiring further supplies of grace, yet he shall never wholly want, never want any good thing that shall be necessary for him; the seed of God shall abide in him, and this water shall be in him a spring of water, supplying him until he come to heaven. But this text was excellently expounded by our Saviour, John 7:38,39 , He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. From which it is plain, that our Saviour here by the living water he speaketh of understood the Holy Spirit.

14 . shall never thirst ] Literally, will certainly not thirst for ever , for the craving is satisfied as soon as ever it recurs. See on John 8:51 . springing up into everlasting life ] Not that eternal life is some future result to be realised hereafter; it is the immediate result. The soul in which the living water flows has eternal life. See on John 4:36 and John 3:16 .

John 4:14 . Οὐ μὴ διψήσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα , to all eternity shall not thirst ) Is then he, who once has drunk the water, which Christ gives, free from all thirst? Truly that water, as far as it depends on itself, has in it an everlasting virtue; and when thirst returns, the defect is on the part of the man, not of the water. But the drinking of elementary water is able to allay thirst subsequently, only for some hours.— ἀλλά , but ) Comp. ch. John 6:27 , “that meat, which endureth unto everlasting life.”— γενήσεται ) from being water shall become a fountain, as a tree from a sucker. The fountain has no thirst.— πηγή , fountain ) The antithesis to πηγή is φρέαρ [an antithesis lost by the Eng. Vers. translating both well ] the well , John 4:11 . In believers there is a spring: the Roman Pontiff is not that spring, from whom in particular is to be derived faith, holiness, blessedness, and the ratification [validity] of every function in the Church.— ὓδατος ἁλλομένου , of springing water ) The abounding fruitfulness of believers. Ἅλλεσθαι , to spring up , said of water, a delightful expression.— εἰς , to) All things [come] from God, [and tend] to God— ζωήν , life ) Life eternal (concerning which comp. John 4:36 , “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal,” the confluence of such fountains; nay, the ocean. May I attain unto it!

(14) The water that I shall give him. —These words are emphatic as opposed to this water. It is not an external supply, which must be sought to meet the recurring physical want, but it is the inner never-failing source, the fountain of living water, which satisfies every want as it occurs. He who has it, therefore, can never thirst. Coming from the source of all life, it issues in eternal life. (Comp. Notes on John 7:37-38 .)

The water that I shall give him - Jesus here refers, without doubt, to his own teaching, his "grace," his "spirit," and to the benefits which come into the soul that embraces his gospel. It is a striking image, and especially in Eastern countries, where there are vast deserts, and often a great want of water. The soul by nature is like such a desert, or like a traveler wandering through such a desert. It is thirsting for happiness, and seeking it everywhere, and finds it not. It looks in all directions and tries all objects, but in vain. Nothing meets its desires. Though a sinner seeks for joy in wealth and pleasures, yet he is not satisfied. He still thirsts for more, and seeks still for happiness in some new enjoyment. To such a weary and unsatisfied sinner the grace of Christ is "as cold waters to a thirsty soul." Shall never thirst - He shall be "satisfied" with this, and will not have a sense of want, a distressing feeling that it is not adapted to him. He who drinks this will not wish to seek for happiness in other objects. "Satisfied" with the grace of Christ, he will not desire the pleasures and amusements of this world. And this will be forever - in this world and the world to come. "Whosoever" drinketh of this all who partake of the gospel - shall be "forever" satisfied with its pure and rich joys. Shall be in him - The grace of Christ shall be in his heart; or the principles of religion shall abide with him.

A well of water - There shall be a constant supply, an unfailing fountain; or religion shall live constantly with him. Springing up - This is a beautiful image, It shall bubble or spring up like a fountain. It is not like a stagnant pool - not like a deep well, but like an ever-living fountain, that flows at all seasons of the year, in heat and cold, and in all external circumstances of weather, whether foul or fair, wet or dry. So religion always lives; and, amid all changes of external circumstances - in heat and cold, hunger and thirst, prosperity and adversity, life, persecution, contempt, or death - it still lives on, and refreshes and cheers the soul. Into everlasting life - It is not temporary, like the supply of our natural wants; it is not changing in its nature; it is not like a natural fountain or spring of water, to play a While and then die away, as all natural springs will at the end of the world. It is eternal in its nature and supply, and will continue to live on forever. We may learn here: 1. that the Christian has a never-failing source of consolation adapted to all times and circumstances. 2. that religion has its seat in the heart, and that it should constantly live there. 3. that it sheds its blessings on a world of sin, and is manifest by a continual life of piety, like a constant flowing spring. 4. that its end is everlasting life.