Cyril of Alexandria

They went out of the city, and came unto Him. The obedience of the Samaritans is a conviction of the hardness of heart of the Jews, and their inhumanity is clearly shown in the gentleness of these. And let the seeker of learning see again the difference of habit in both, that he may justly wonder at Jesus, departing from the Synagogue of the Jews, and giving Himself rather to the aliens. …

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 2 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

The fruit of her preaching is given when he says, At that they set out from the town, to where she had returned, to meet him, Christ. We see by this that if we desire to come to Christ, we must set out from the town, i.e., leave behind our carnal desires: "Let us go out to him outside the camp, bearing the abuse he took," as we read in Hebrews (13:13).

Commentary on John ↗

Bonaventure

"They went out of the city and were coming to him." Rightly they went out, because Christ was before the gate as one unknown, and suffered outside the gate: whence in the last chapter of Hebrews: "Christ suffered outside the gate: let us therefore go out to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach." In this it is intimated that those who wish to be taught by Christ must leave the tumult of the city: Jeremiah 48: "Leave the cities and dwell in the rock, O inhabitants of Moab"; because it is said in the Psalm: "In a desert and …

Commentary on John, Chapter 4 ↗