Not because of thy speaking (ουκετ δια την σην
λαλιαν). "No longer because of thy talk," good and effective as that
was. Λαλια (cf. λαλεω) is talk, talkativeness, mode of speech, one's
vernacular, used by Jesus of his own speech (John 8:43).
We have heard (ακηκοαμεν). Perfect active indicative
of ακουω, their abiding experience.
For ourselves (αυτο). Just "ourselves."
The Saviour of the world (ο σωτηρ του κοσμου).
See Matthew 1:21 for sosei used of Jesus by the angel Gabriel. John applies the
term σωτηρ to Jesus again in 1
John 4:14. Jesus had said to the woman that salvation is of the Jews
(verse John 4:22). He clearly told the Samaritans during these two days that he
was the Messiah as he had done to the woman (verse John 4:26) and explained that to mean Saviour of Samaritans as well as
Jews. Sanday thinks that probably John puts this epithet of Saviour in
the mouth of the Samaritans, but adds: "At the same time it is possible
that such an epithet might be employed by them merely as synonymous with
Messiah." But why "merely"? Was it not natural for these Samaritans who
took Jesus as their "Saviour," Jew as he was, to enlarge the idea to the
whole world? Bernard has this amazing statement on John 4:42: "That in the first century Messiah was given the title sotr is
not proven." The use of "saviour and god" for Ptolemy in the third
century B.C. is well known. "The ample materials collected by Magie show
that the full title of honour, Saviour of the world, with which St. John
adorns the Master, was bestowed with sundry variations in the Greek
expression on Julius Caesar, Augustus, Claudius, Vespasian, Titus,
Trajan, Hadrian, and other Emperors in inscriptions in the Hellenistic
East" (Deissmann, Light, etc., p. 364). Perhaps Bernard means
that the Jews did not call Messiah Saviour. But what of it? The Romans
so termed their emperors and the New Testament so calls Christ (Luke 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31; Acts 3:23; Philippians 3:20; Ephesians 5:23; Titus 1:4; Titus 2:13; Titus 3:6; 2
Timothy 1:10; 2
Peter 1:1; 2
Peter 1:11; 2
Peter 2:20; 2
Peter 3:2; 2
Peter 3:18). All these are writings of the first century A.D. The
Samaritan villagers rise to the conception that he was the Saviour of
the world.