SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:38
El que cree en mí, como dice la Escritura, ríos de agua viva corrern de su vientre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 7:38
Verse 38. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said] He who receives me as the Messiah, according to what the Scripture has said concerning me; my person, birth, conduct, preaching, and miracles, being compared with what is written there as ascertaining the true Messiah. Out of his belly-from his heart and soul; for in his soul shall this Spirit dwell. Living water.] As a true spring is ever supplied with water from the great deep, with which it has communication, so shall the soul of the genuine believer be supplied with light, life, love, and liberty, and all the other graces of the indwelling Spirit, from the indwelling Christ. The Jews frequently compare the gifts and influences of the Holy Spirit to water in general-to rain, fountains, wells, rivers, &c., &c. The Scriptures abound in this metaphor. Psa. xxxvi. 8, 9; Isa. xliv. 3, 4; Joel ii. 23.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 38. He that believeth on me , etc.] Which explains what is meant by coming to Christ, and drinking; for these acts are no other than for a man to go out of himself to Christ, and live by faith on him, and his grace. To which what follows is a great encouragement; as the Scripture hath said : some refer these words to the preceding clause concerning believing in Christ, which the writings of the Old Testament speak of, as in ( Deuteronomy 18:15 Isaiah 28:16 Habakkuk 2:4), and the sense is, that he that believes on Christ, the object of faith the Scripture points at, and in him, as that directs and requires; that believes in him as the mighty God, and as the prophet, priest, and King, and as the only foundation of the church, and lives by faith upon him, as just men do, then out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water , though rather they belong to what follows; and do not design any particular place of Scripture; for no such one is to be found, where the following passage is expressed in so many words; but all those Scriptures which speak of grace, under the metaphors of water, and abundance of water, as rivers and floods of water, and of the effusion of the Holy Spirit, under such figurative expressions, such as ( Isaiah 41:17,18 43:20 44:3 58:11 Joel 2:28). Hence the Syriac version reads in the plural number, as the Scriptures hath said; referring to more than one: out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; the grace of the Spirit of God is signified by water, because it is of a cleansing and purifying nature, as faith and hope are, having to do with the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin; and because it fructifies and causes the saints, as trees of righteousness, to grow, and bring forth fruit; and especially because it is cooling to those who are scorched with the heat of a fiery law, and very refreshing to thirsty souls: and it is called living water, because by it dead sinners are quickened, drooping saints are revived, and comforted; spiritual life in them is maintained and supported, and it springs up to, and issues in eternal life: and it is expressed by rivers of living water, because of the abundance of it in regeneration, justification, and pardon; it is grace for grace, abundance of grace believers receive from Christ; and from him, in whom those large measures of grace are, they flow out again, even out of his belly: from within him, out of his heart, the seat of it, by his lips, both in prayer to God, and in conversation with the saints, to whom he communicates his rich experiences of grace, to their comfort, and the glory of God: for grace is of a diffusive and communicative nature; out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh: and also it flows out by his life and conversation, which is sober, righteous, and godly; and this the grace of God teaches and influences: and this grace, as it is permanent and lasting itself, even perpetual, and always abiding; so it continues to flow, and to show itself in its acts and effects, in one way or another. The Jews ought not to find fault with Christs using such expressions, mystically understood, since they, comparing Moses and the Messiah together, say, as the first Redeemer caused a well to spring up, so the last Redeemer shall cause waters to spring up, according to ( Joel 3:18) f339 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-39 - On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water an poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him appl to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires afte spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifyin and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfor flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bea down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fulness in Christ of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is a a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful stream flow, cooling and cleansing as water. The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit we do not expect, but for his more common and more valuabl influences we may apply. These streams have flowed from our glorifie Redeemer, down to this age, and to the remote corners of the earth. Ma we be anxious to make them known to others.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM πιστευων 4100 5723 V-PAP-NSM εις 1519 PREP εμε 1691 P-1AS καθως 2531 ADV ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S η 3588 T-NSF γραφη 1124 N-NSF ποταμοι 4215 N-NPM εκ 1537 PREP της 3588 T-GSF κοιλιας 2836 N-GSF αυτου 846 P-GSM ρευσουσιν 4482 5692 V-FAI-3P υδατος 5204 N-GSN ζωντος 2198 5723 V-PAP-GSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
38. The scripture hath said. There is no exactly corresponding passage, but the quotation harmonizes with the general tenor of several passages, as Isa. lv. 1; lviii. 11; Zech. xiii. 1; xiv. 8; Ezek. xlvii. 1; Joel iii. 18. Belly (koiliav). The word is often used in the Old Testament for the innermost part of a man, the soul or heart. See Job xv. 35; xxxii. 19; Proverbs xviii. 8; xx. 27, 30. The rite of drawing and pouring out the water pointed back to the smitten rock in the desert. In Exod. xvii. 6, "there shall come water out of it," is literally, "there shall come water from within him." The word belly here means the inmost heart of the believer, which pours forth spiritual refreshment. Compare 1 Cor. x. 4; John iv. 14.Shall flow (reusousin). The word occurs only here in the New Testament.
Rivers. A type of abundance. Compare Num. xx. 11.
Living water. Compare iv. 10.
