Victor Wilson points out that the story of Jesus and the woman at the well is arranged in a series of six exchanges between Jesus as the woman (vv. 7b-9; 10-12; 13-15; 16-17a; 17b-20; 21-25), and ends with Jesus speaking and the woman answering by action instead of words (26-27). The dialogue is framed by references to the disciples leaving for bread and returning with bread (vv 8, 27). This 6 + 1 hints, he says, at a creation pattern, and the dialogue at points matches the days of creation”
Verses 16-17: Call your husband Day 4: Rulers of heavens
Verses 21-25: I know Messiah comes Day 6: Man and woman
Verses 26-27: I am He Day 7: Sabbath
This creation motif also fits neatly with the fact that Jesus is revealed as the “seventh man.” The woman has had five husbands, and now has a sixth who is not a husband. Jesus reveals himself in the seventh-day section of the text as the seventh man, the man of Sabbath, the Good Husband to this Samaritan Bride. The bridal imagery is not only hinted at by the well setting, but also more directly by the reference to Jacob’s arrival at a well in Genesis 29:1-12. There Jacob meets Rachel, rolls the large stone from the well, and gives her water. Jesus is greater than Jacob since He gives water that will satisfy forever.
Wilson also notes the internal parallels between Jesus’ dealings with the woman and his dealings with the disciples. Both the disciples and the woman go into the city (vv. 8, 28); both are confused about Jesus’ references to food and drink (vv. 10-11, 32-33); both receive an explanation about a food symbol (vv. 13-14, 34); both are sent (vv. 16, 38). The main difference in these two sections is that Jesus’ conversation with the woman focuses on water, while His conversation with the disciples focuses on bread. He brings a new creation with water and food; He is the greater Moses who gives water and bread to the world.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
