The story of the Samaritan woman is one of the most beloved stories ever told by the gospel writers. The story is read and heard dozens of times throughout the life of almost every Christ-follower. Yet some key questions in the story seem to remain unanswered.
Why does John mention to the reader that the conversation takes place in the presence of the silent witness – the bones of Joseph? (Every Israelite knew that the bones of Joseph were buried in the plot of land that Jacob gave to Joseph (John 4:5; Josh.24:32)). Is it because the woman suffered much in her life, and just as with Joseph, her suffering will lead to the salvation of her people?
Why did the Samaritan woman (if she really was a woman of ill repute, as traditional interpretation has it) command such a sway over the religious Samaritan society, that upon hearing her the villagers drop what they are doing and immediately come to meet a young Jew that is passing through Samaria at her request? These are not the only issues that seem to seriously question the traditional reading of the Samaritan woman. There are many others.
One of the key problems that we face today is that we do not understand the ancient inter-Israelite polemic, as did John and his readers.
They knew that Samaritans (as oppose to Samarians) believed themselves to be the faithful remnant of Israel, preserving the original Mosaic and Abrahamic traditions.
They were not Samarians inhabitants of Samaria who once offered to help rebuild the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 4:1-3). They were the Samaritans, the Guardians of Torah. They could not possibly come to help the returned Judean exiles, whom they considered straying away from the original Israelite religion and bringing back to Israel their dangerous Babylonian practices.
The difference between Samarians and Samaritans would be easily discernible if you had the basics of Biblical Hebrew. Come join us on this exciting journey. To explore, go to our website.
Yours,
Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg
Dr.eli@eTeachergroup.com