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John 4:14Samaritan woman at the well
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.
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Interpretation

John 4:14 shows a living water that is lived within solitude and community—see "water" and "give". Align living water in what we celebrate and refuse—bind joy to obedience.

Context

John speaks here as gospel narrative writing, highlighting living water. Within ch. 4, a small unit frames the emphasis. Watch the terms “water” and “give”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early attribution points to John the Apostle for John. Many scholars judge John as follows: Tradition ties it to John’s circle; narrative differs from the Synoptics.. Date: AD 90–100. John seems aimed at Johannine circles.. It sits within the Samaritan woman at the well (gospel narrative). Johannine style and community setting feature in scholarly accounts.

More details
Traditional:John the Apostle
Modern scholarship:Johannine community; final redaction distinct from Synoptics.
Date:AD 90–100
Audience:Johannine circles.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in over 5,800 manuscripts, more than any other surviving ancient work. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within 100–150 years of composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46