John:4:27-38
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rwp @
John:4:27 @{
Upon this } (\
epi tout
i \).
This idiom only here in N .
T .
At this juncture .
Apparently the woman left at once when the disciples came . {
They marvelled } (\
ethaumazon \).
Imperfect active describing the astonishment of the disciples as they watched Jesus talking with a woman . {
Was speaking } (\
elalei \).
As in strkjv @
2:25 |,
so here the tense is changed in indirect discourse from \
lalei \
to \
elalei \,
an unusual idiom in Greek .
However , \
hoti \
here may be "
because "
and then the imperfect is regular .
It is not "
with the woman " (\
meta t
s gunaikos \),
but simply "
with a woman " (\
meta gunaikos \).
There was a rabbinical precept : "
Let no one talk with a woman in the street ,
no ,
not with his own wife " (
Lightfoot ,
_Hor
,
Hebr_
.
iii .
287 ).
The disciples held Jesus to be a rabbi and felt that he was acting in a way beneath his dignity . {
Yet no man said } (\
oudeis mentoi eipen \).
John remembers through the years their amazement and also their reverence for Jesus and unwillingness to reflect upon him .
rwp @
John:4:28 @{
Left her waterpot } (\
aph
ken t
n hudrian \).
First aorist active indicative of \
aphi
mi \,
ingressive aorist ,
in her excitement and embarrassment .
It was too large for speed anyhow (
2:6 |).
And says (\
kai legei \).
Graphic historic present indicative again .
rwp @
John:4:29 @{
All things that ever I did } (\
panta ha epoi
sa \). {
Ha },
not \
hosa \ (
as many as ),
no "
ever "
in the Greek .
But a guilty conscience (
verse 18f .|)
led her to exaggerate a bit . {
Can this be the Christ ?} (\
m
ti houtos estin ho Christos ;\).
She is already convinced herself (
verses 26f .|),
but she puts the question in a hesitant form to avoid arousing opposition .
With a woman '
s intuition she avoided \
ouk \
and uses \
m
ti \.
She does not take sides ,
but piques their curiosity .
rwp @
John:4:30 @{
They went out } (\
ex
lthon \).
Second aorist (
effective )
indicative of \
exerchomai \,
at once and in a rush . {
And were coming to him } (\
kai
rchonto pros auton \).
Imperfect middle ,
graphically picturing the long procession as they approached Jesus .
rwp @
John:4:31 @{
In the meanwhile } (\
en t
i metaxu \).
Supply \
kairoi \
or \
chronoi \.
See \
to metaxu Sabbaton \, "
the next Sabbath " (
Acts:13:42 |)
and \
en t
i metaxu \ (
Luke:8:1 |). \
Metaxu \
means between . {
Prayed him } (\
r
t
n auton \).
Imperfect active , "
kept beseeching him ."
For this late (
_Koin
_
)
use of \
er
ta \,
to beseech ,
instead of the usual sense to question see also verses 40 ,
47 |.
Their concern for the comfort of Jesus overcame their surprise about the woman .
rwp @
John:4:32 @{
Meat } (\
br
sin \).
Originally the act of eating (
Romans:14:17 |)
from \
bibr
sk \,
but soon and commonly as that which is eaten like \
br
ma \
once in John (
verse 34 |).
Songs:here and strkjv @
6:27 ,
55 |.
Cf .
vernacular English "
good eating ," "
good eats ." {
I ...
ye } (\
eg ...
humeis \).
Emphatic contrast .
Spiritual food Jesus had .
rwp @
John:4:33 @{
Hath any man brought him aught to eat ?} (\
M
tis
negken aut
i phagein ;\).
Negative answer expected (\
m \). "
Did any one bring him (
something )
to eat ?"
During our absence ,
they mean .
Second aorist active indicative of \
pher \ (\
negken \)
and second aorist active infinitive of \
esthi \ (\
phagein \),
defective verbs both of them .
See strkjv @
4:7 |
for like infinitive construction (\
dos pein \).
rwp @
John:4:34 @{
To do the will } (\
hina poi
s
to thel
ma \).
Non-final use of \
hina \
and the first aorist active subjunctive as subject or predicate nominative as in strkjv @
6:29 ;
strkjv @
15:8 ;
strkjv @
17:3 |.
The Messianic consciousness of Jesus is clear and steady (
5:30 ;
strkjv @
6:38 |).
He never doubted that the Father sent him . {
And to accomplish his work } (\
kai telei
s
autou to ergon \). \
Hina \
understood with \
telei
s \
in like idiom ,
first aorist active subjunctive of \
teleio \ (
from \
teleios \),
to bring to an end .
See strkjv @
5:36 |.
In strkjv @
17:4 | (
the Intercessory Prayer )
he will say that he has done (\
telei
sas \)
this task which the Father gave him to do .
On the Cross Jesus will cry \
Tetelestai \ (
It is finished ).
He will carry through the Father '
s programme (
John:3:16 |).
That is his "
food ."
He had been doing that in winning the woman to God .
rwp @
John:4:35 @{
Say not ye ?} (\
Ouch humeis legete ;\).
It is not possible to tell whether Jesus is alluding to a rural proverb of which nothing is known about there being four months from seedtime to harvest (
a longer time than four months in fact )
or whether he means that it was then actually four months to harvest .
In the latter sense ,
since harvest began about the middle of April ,
it would be December when Jesus spoke . {
There are yet four months } (\
eti tetram
nos estin \).
The use of \
eti \ (
yet )
and the fact that the space between seedtime and harvest is longer than four months (\
tetra \,
Aeolic for \
tessara \,
and \
m
n \,
month )
argue against the proverb idea . {
And then cometh the harvest } (\
kai ho therismos erchetai \). "
And the harvest (\
therismos \,
from \
theriz \,
rare in Greek writers )
comes ."
The possible Iambic verse here is purely accidental as in strkjv @
5:14 |. {
Lift up your eyes } (\
eparate tous ophthalmous hum
n \).
First aorist active imperative of \
epair \.
Deliberate looking as in strkjv @
John:6:5 |
where \
theaomai \
also is used as here . {
Fields } (\
ch
ras \).
Cultivated or ploughed ground as in strkjv @
Luke:21:21 |. {
White } (\
leukai \).
Ripened grain like grey hair (
Matthew:5:36 |). {
Already unto harvest } (\
pros therismon
d \).
Probably \
d \ (
already )
goes with verse 36 |.
The Samaritans could already be seen approaching and they were the field "
white for harvest ."
This is the meaning of Christ '
s parable .
If it is the spring of the year and Christ can point to the ripened grain ,
the parable is all the plainer ,
but it is not dependent on this detail .
Recall the parable of the sower in strkjv @
Matthew:13 |.
rwp @
John:4:36 @{
Already he that reapeth receiveth wages } (\
d
ho theriz
n misthon lambanei \).
The spiritual harvester can gather his harvest without waiting four months .
Jesus is reaping a harvest right now by the conversion of this woman .
The labourer is worthy of his hire (
Luke:10:7 ;
strkjv @
2Timothy:2:6 |).
John does not use \
misthos \ (
reward )
again ,
but \
karpos \ (
15:2-16 |), "
fruit for life eternal " (
cf .
strkjv @
4:14 |). {
That he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together } (\
hina ho speir
n homou chair
i kai ho theriz
n \).
Final use of \
hina \
with present active subjunctive of \
chair \,
to rejoice ,
in the singular with \
ho speir
n \ (
the sower )
and to be repeated with \
ho theriz
n \ (
the reaper ).
The adverb \
homou \ (
together )
elsewhere in N .
T .
only strkjv @
20:4 ;
strkjv @
21:2 ;
strkjv @
Acts:2:1 |.
Usually considerable time passes between the sowing and the reaping as in verse 35 |.
Amos (
Amos:9:13 |)
spoke of the time when "
the ploughman shall overtake the reaper "
and that has happened here with the joy of the harvest time (
Isaiah:9:3 |).
Jesus the Sower and the disciples as the reapers are here rejoicing simultaneously .
rwp @
John:4:37 @{
For herein } (\
en gar tout
i \).
In this relation between the sower and the reaper . {
The saying } (\
ho logos \).
Like strkjv @
1Timothy:1:15 ;
strkjv @
3:1 |,
etc .
Probably a proverb that is particularly true (\
al
thinos \
for which see strkjv @
1:9 |)
in the spiritual realm . {
One soweth ,
and another reapeth } (\
allos estin ho speir
n kai allos ho theriz
n \). "
One is the sower and another the reaper ."
It is sad when the sower misses the joy of reaping (
Job:31:8 |)
and has only the sowing in tears (
Psalms:126:5f .|).
This may be the punishment for sin (
Deuteronomy:28:30 ;
strkjv @
Micah:6:15 |).
Sometimes one reaps where he has not sown (
Deuteronomy:6:11 ;
strkjv @
Joshua:24:13 |).
It is the prerogative of the Master to reap (
Matthew:25:26f .|),
but Jesus here lets the disciples share his joy .
rwp @
John:4:38 @{
I sent } (\
eg
apesteila \).
Emphatic use of \
eg \
and first aorist active indicative of \
apostell \
common in John for to send . {
Whereon ye have not laboured } (\
ho ouch humeis kekopiakate \).
Perfect active indicative of \
kopia \
for which see strkjv @
4:6 |.
Songs:also \
kekopiakasin \
in next line .
The disciples had done no sowing here in Sychar ,
only Jesus and the woman . {
Others } (\
alloi \:
Jesus ,
the Baptist ,
the prophets ). {
And ye } (\
kai humeis \).
Emphatic contrast . {
Have entered } (\
eisel
luthate \).
Perfect active indicative of \
eiserchomai \. {
Into their labour } (\
eis ton kopon aut
n \).
Into the fruit and blessed results of their toil (\
kopos \).
This is always true as seen in strkjv @
Acts:8:5-7 ,
14f |.