John · Chapter 4

John 4:14 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Read in chapter context · John 4

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”"

KJV · King James Version

"But1161 whosoever3739 302 drinketh4095 of1537 the water5204 that3739 I1473 shall give1325 him846 shall1372 never1519 165 3364 thirst1372; but235 the water5204 that3739 I shall give1325 him846 shall be1096 in1722 him846 a well4077 of water5204 springing up242 into1519 everlasting166 life2222."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses whosoever, drinketh, shall, into, while the WEB renders these as whoever, drinks, will, again. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

John 4:14 in John 4

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is John 4:14 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of John 4. Read the full chapter →

v.12 Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?”
v.13 Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,
v.14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
v.15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
v.16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Book background

About the Book of John

Testament: New Testament
Genre: Gospel
Author: John the apostle, son of Zebedee
Date written: c. 85–95 AD
Audience: A mixed audience facing both Jewish and proto-gnostic challenges
Chapters: 21

John's Gospel is structured around seven "signs" (miracles) and seven "I am" statements, framing Jesus as God incarnate — "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (1:14). It contains the most famous verse in the Bible (3:16), the High Priestly Prayer (17), and the most explicit declarations of Jesus' deity.

Setting: The latest Gospel; written so that readers "may believe" (20:31).

Key themes: life · light · belief · love · glory

Read John from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise John 4:14

John 4:14 contains 36 words in 2 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again

BWDOTW
2

but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

BTWTIW

Frequently asked

FAQ about John 4:14

What does John 4:14 say?

John 4:14 reads: "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”" — from the New Testament, John (Gospel). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is John 4:14 in?

John 4:14 is in the book of John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle, son of Zebedee and written around c. 85–95 AD. John is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to A mixed audience facing both Jewish and proto-gnostic challenges. Best known for John 3:16 and the "I am" statements.

What is the difference between John 4:14 in WEB and KJV?

John 4:14 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "But1161 whosoever3739 302 drinketh4095 of1537 the water5204 that3739 I1473 shall give1325 him846 shall1372 never1519 165 3364 thirst1372; but235 the water5204 that3739 I shall give1325 him846 shall be1096 in1722 him846 a well4077 of water5204 springing up242 into1519 everlasting166 life2222.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is John 4:14?

John 4:14 is 36 words in the WEB translation (178 characters), broken into 2 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 11 seconds.

How can I memorise John 4:14?

To memorise John 4:14, split it into its 2 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does John 4:14 matter in John?

How can I apply John 4:14 today?

Many readers use John 4:14 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download John 4:14 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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