3. The suppliant requests a boon. 4. The benefactor responds. The synoptic tradition often plays with this pattern by moving the gesture of supplication to the end, where it takes the form of thanks or worship. In his suppliant stories, John finds a variety of ways to play with the convention. Rather than entering into the betrothal type-scene, the woman acts out the conflict narrative by implicitly denying his request. “How is it that you, being a Jew, beg [aiteis] [something] to drink from me,