I know
The woman's statement of knowledge indicates a level of religious awareness and expectation. Despite the Samaritans' distinct religious practices, they shared the Jewish anticipation of a coming Messiah. This reflects the widespread hope for deliverance and divine revelation prevalent in the region. Her confidence in this knowledge suggests a deep-seated belief in the promises of God, which were rooted in the Pentateuch, the only scriptures the Samaritans accepted.

that Messiah
The term "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew "Mashiach," meaning "anointed one." In Jewish tradition, the Messiah was expected to be a divinely appointed leader who would restore Israel. The Samaritan expectation of a Messiah, though differing in some aspects, still anticipated a figure of great significance. This highlights the universal longing for redemption and divine intervention present in both Jewish and Samaritan communities.

(called Christ)
"Christ" is the Greek equivalent of "Messiah," derived from "Christos," meaning "anointed one." The inclusion of this parenthetical explanation by the Gospel writer serves to clarify for a Greek-speaking audience unfamiliar with Hebrew terms. It emphasizes the continuity between Jewish and Christian understandings of the anointed deliverer, bridging cultural and linguistic divides.

is coming
This phrase captures the anticipation and hope for the future arrival of the Messiah. It reflects the eschatological expectation that characterized both Jewish and Samaritan beliefs. The use of the present tense "is coming" conveys immediacy and certainty, suggesting that the fulfillment of God's promises is imminent. This expectation is a central theme in the Gospels, where Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies.

When He comes
The woman's statement here indicates a future event that she believes will bring clarity and understanding. It underscores the transformative impact expected from the Messiah's arrival. This reflects a common belief that the Messiah would bring divine wisdom and insight, resolving theological and existential questions. It also foreshadows Jesus' role as the revealer of truth and the one who fulfills God's redemptive plan.

He will explain everything to us
This expectation of comprehensive revelation highlights the Messiah's role as a teacher and prophet. The woman's belief that the Messiah will "explain everything" suggests a longing for truth and understanding, which Jesus fulfills through His teachings and actions. This phrase also points to the broader theme of divine revelation in the Gospel of John, where Jesus is portrayed as the Word made flesh, bringing light and truth to the world. The Samaritan woman's anticipation is met in Jesus, who reveals the nature of true worship and the kingdom of God.

(e) The Christ as conceived by Samaria. Verse 25. - We probably do not possess here the whole of the conversation. It is clear, however, that strange presentiments of something more precious than any sanctuary, or any ritual, dawned upon the Samaritan woman. "A prophet" might tell her and her people where men ought to worship. The Prophet she discovered answered a desire for the "where" by revealing the "how" they are to worship. But there are many other lessons they need, and she gives expression to an idea of the Messiah, and of his coming, which startles us by its boldness. The woman saith unto him, I know (οϊδα, I know as a matter of current opinion and with intuitive certainty) that Messias cometh (which is called Christ). [This parenthetical clause by the evangelist is the explanatory translation into Greek of the Aramaic word. This must be so, unless we could be certain, with Hug, Diodati, and Roberts, that Jesus and the woman were speaking Greek to each other.] The woman turns from a theme which she has partially understood. How should a woman have been able at a moment to discharge and dispense with the traditions of a life, and the prejudices hoary with age? We know that the Samaritans anticipated One who should be a "converter," or "restorer" (Gesenius, 'Anecdota Samaritana,' p. 65, translates the Samaritan word הַשָּׁהֵב by conversor (so Ewald); Hengstenberg, Tholuck, Meyer, by restitutor), and cherished a hope of his appearance, upon the faith of the great promise (Deuteronomy 18:15) that One would arise who would make known to them the Divine will. It is remarkable, but not unreasonable, that she should have adopted the Hebrew word in common use among all the Jewish people. In ver. 29 it is given in Greek without any reference to the original speech. Samaritans and Jews alike anticipated a Christ an Anointed One, a Plenipotentiary, a Guide. The more spiritual apprehension which follows becomes some explanation of the fact that our blessed Lord should have admitted to her what he afterwards, in Galilee, kept reticently in reserve. The Galilaeans would have come, on his slightest encouragement, and against his will have made him a king. This would have forced on him a position and dignity which, from their standpoint, would have wrecked his spiritual mission and frustrated his design. This woman, here and later on, made it obvious that her notion of the "Restitutor" or "Messiah" was One who, when he is come, will declare to us all things; in ver. 29 One who can read the secrets of the heart, and knows her and others altogether; while from ver. 42 we learn that she and her friends were anticipating there and then "the Saviour of the world." Luthardt here points back to Genesis 5:29 as part of the origin of the Samaritan idea.

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