John 4:11 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Thou hast nothing to draw with, &c.— Literally, Thou hast no bucket. See John 4:28 and on John 4:6. In the dry countries of the East, the inhabitants find themselves obliged to carry with them great leathern bottles of water, which they fill from time to time as they have opportunity; but what is very extraordinary, in order to be able to do this, they, in many places, are obliged to carry lines and buckets with them. So Thevenot, in giving an account of what he provided for his journey from Egypt to Jerusalem, tells us, "He did not forget leathern buckets to draw water with." Rauwolff goes farther; for he gives usto understand, that the wells of inhabited countries there, as well as in the desarts, have no implements for drawing of water, but what those bring with them who come thither; for, speaking of the well or cistern of Bethlehem, he says, "It is a good rich cistern, deep and wide; for which reason, the people that go to dip for water, are provided with small leathern buckets and a line, as is usual in those countries; and so the merchants, who go in caravans through great desarts in far countries, provide themselves also with these, because in these countries you find more cisterns or wells, than springs that lie high." In how easy a light, says the author of the Observations, doth this place the Samaritan woman's talking of the depth of Jacob's well, and her remarking, that she did not observe our Lord had any thing to draw with, though he had spoken of presenting her with water.