John Calvin Commentary John 4:12

"Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" — John 4:12 (ASV)

Art thou greater than our father Jacob? She proceeds to charge him with arrogance for exalting himself above the holy patriarch Jacob. "Jacob," she says, "was satisfied with this well for his own use and that of his whole family: and hast thou a more excellent water?" How faulty this comparison is becomes plain enough when we consider that she compares the servant to the master, and a dead man to the living God. And yet, how many today fall into this very error?

We should, therefore, be all the more cautious not to extol people in such a way as to obscure the glory of God. Indeed, we ought to acknowledge with reverence the gifts of God wherever they appear. It is, therefore, proper that we should honor those who are eminent in piety or endowed with other uncommon gifts; but this ought to be done in such a manner that God may always remain eminent above all—that Christ, with his Gospel, may shine illustriously, for to him all the splendor of the world must yield.

It should also be observed that the Samaritans falsely boasted of being descended from the holy Fathers. In the same way, the Papists, though they are a bastard seed, arrogantly boast of the Fathers and despise the true children of God.

Even if the Samaritans had been descended from Jacob according to the flesh, yet, since they were completely degenerated and estranged from true godliness, this boasting would have been ridiculous. But now that they are Cutheans by descent (2 Kings 17:24), or at least gathered from among the profane Gentiles, they still make false claims to the name of the holy Patriarch. This, however, is of no use to them; and the same must be true for all who wickedly exult in the light of human beings, so as to deprive themselves of the light of God, and who have nothing in common with the holy Fathers whose name they have abused.