³ Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so he left Judea [^Cthe southern region of Israel] and went back to Galilee [^Cthe northern region of Israel; Mark 1:14]. ⁴ But on the way he had to go through the country of Samaria [^Cthe central region occupied by a people disliked because they were only partly Jewish].

⁵ In Samaria Jesus came to the town called Sychar [^Cperhaps Shechem or a village near it; compare Gen. 33:18–19; 48:22], which is near the ·field [plot of ground] Jacob gave to his son Joseph.