31-38. meantime—that is, while the woman was away. Master, eat—Fatigue and thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of our common infirmities to which the Lord was subject—hunger. read more
38. I sent you, &c.—The I is emphatic—I, the Lord of the whole harvest: "sent you," points to their past appointment to the apostleship, though it has reference only to their future discharge of it, for they had nothing to do with the present ingathering of the Sycharites. ye bestowed no labour—meaning that much of their future success would arise from the preparation already made for them. (See on :-). others laboured—Referring to the Old Testament laborers, the Baptist, and by... read more
D. Jesus’ ministry in Samaria 4:1-42The writer now showed Jesus moving north from Judea into Samaria where He had another important conversation with another person who was completely different from Nicodemus. As in the previous chapter, theological explanation follows personal encounter in this one. read more
2. Jesus’ explanation of evangelistic ministry 4:27-38Jesus had modeled evangelistic effectiveness for His disciples, though ironically they were absent for most of the lesson. Now he explained the rewards, urgency, and partnership of evangelism. read more
"Thus" in the NIV is misleading. It implies that this verse explains the previous one. However the Greek term, en touto (lit. in this) can look forward as well as backward. In this case it looks forward. John 4:37, which contains a proverb, summarizes John 4:38. It means that both sowers and reapers are necessary to get a good harvest. Sowers must not think that their work is secondary to reaping, and reapers must remember the important contribution of those who sow. Today some Christians do... read more
The proverb was true in the situation of Jesus and His disciples. The purpose of the disciples’ calling was reaping believers in Jesus. The Apostle John did not record Jesus’ commissioning them for that purpose earlier, but that was His purpose (cf. John 4:2). The Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist had sowed, but now Jesus and His disciples were reaping (cf. Acts 2). read more
The Samaritan Woman1-42. Christ in Samaria. The ministry in Samaria is recorded because it is the author’s design to exhibit Christ as the Saviour, not only of Israel, but of the world (John 4:42).The Samaritans were mainly an alien race, descended from the colonists planted in the land by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17:6, 2 Kings 17:24, 2 Kings 17:26, 2 Kings 17:29; Ezra 4:1, Ezra 4:9-10). They boasted, however, of being Israelites, and with some degree of justification, for there was probably a... read more
(37) Herein is that saying true—i.e., in the deeper sense of the word true (comp. Note on John 1:9)—has its realisation; is ideally true. The proverb itself was known both to the Greeks and to the Romans (sec examples in Schottgen and Lampe), but the reference is probably to the Old Testament Scriptures. Those who heard it would certainly think of such passages as Deuteronomy 6:11, or Isaiah 65:21-22. The saying expressed something of the bitterness of human disappointment, which in darker... read more
(38) I sent you to reap . . .—The pronouns are again emphatic. “I sent you to reap;” and the statement is of wide meaning. He is ever the Sower. All others are more or less fully reapers, though in the degree in which they really reap they will become likened unto Him, and will become sowers too. We all inherit from the past the greatest part of our mental and spiritual knowledge. The child of to-day knows more than the philosopher of early history.Other men laboured, and ye are entered into... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - John 4:36-38
John 4:36-38. And he that reapeth, &c.— As the disciples laboured together with our Lord in this spiritual harvest,—to encourage them, he put them in mind of the reward. The passage should be read as follows: "He that reapeth and gathereth the fruit [of souls] unto life eternal; he that conducts others into heaven (alluding to the gathering of reaped corn into barns) such a person—receiveth wages; that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together; namely, in the reward... read more