Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 7:38

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water." — John 7:38 (ASV)

The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles included a daily procession of priests from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, from which they drew water that was poured out as a libation at the altar, accompanied by a recitation of Isa 12:3: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” This offering of water memorialized God’s provision for the thirsty people in the wilderness, but the water had been poured out and had left them unsatisfied. Now Jesus appeals to the individual: “Whoever believes in me.” He was requiring an individual response of faith rather than a collective observance of a ritual. In the light of v.39, which connects the manifestation of the Spirit with the believer, it seems most likely that “from within him” refers to the believer, rather than to Christ.

If “as the Scripture has said” refers to a particular OT passage, it is impossible to locate it. The OT has numerous allusions to water, but none accords exactly with this utterance. Certainly Isa 12:3, quoted above, is a possibility; similar imagery with reference to “the pouring out” of the Holy Spirit occurs in Isa 32:15; 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28–32. Jesus took the symbolism of the OT and applied it to the gift he intended to bestow on the disciples after his passion was completed (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:12– 15).