John 4 35

John 4:35 kjv

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

John 4:35 nkjv

Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!

John 4:35 niv

Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

John 4:35 esv

Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.

John 4:35 nlt

You know the saying, 'Four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

John 4 verses

John 4 35 Meaning

John 4:35 reveals Jesus' urgent call to His disciples to shift their perception from a literal, future agricultural harvest to an immediate, spiritual harvest of souls. He contrasts their human saying, which marks a typical delay before reaping, with the present reality that many people are ready to receive the message of salvation. The "fields white for harvest" is a vivid metaphor signifying that people, exemplified by the Samaritans approaching Jesus, are spiritually prepared and eager to believe, calling for immediate evangelistic action. It underscores the urgency and boundless nature of God's work.

John 4 35 Context

John 4:35 occurs during Jesus' extended interaction in Samaria, specifically following His revolutionary encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Jesus' disciples had gone into the nearby city to buy food, returning to find Him conversing with this woman, whom they perceived as an improper associate given her background and the deep-seated ethnic hostility between Jews and Samaritans. After her profound conversion experience, the woman left her water pot and enthusiastically invited her townspeople to "come, see a man who told me all that I ever did" (John 4:28-29). As the disciples offered Jesus food, He responded by declaring His "food" was "to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work" (John 4:34). Immediately after this statement, John 4:35 acts as a direct challenge to the disciples' narrow, temporal understanding of work and spiritual reality. The fields that are "white for harvest" are a visible manifestation of the Samaritan people, coming out of their city in response to the woman's testimony, eager to hear more about the Messiah, thereby shattering the traditional Jewish expectation that salvation was exclusively for their nation.

John 4 35 Word analysis

• Do you not say (Οὐχ ὑμεῖς λέγετε - Ouch hymeis legete): A rhetorical question challenging a common, conventional saying or a familiar proverb among people concerning agricultural timing. It sets up a contrast between a widely held human perspective and Jesus' divine perspective.
• There are yet four months (ἔτι τέσσαρές εἰσιν μῆνες - eti tessares eisin menes): Refers to a specific humanly calculated time period, likely the remaining time until the grain harvest, which typically occurred in late spring (around Passover or Pentecost, April-June) in Judea. This implies a future event, distant and predictable.
• then comes the harvest (καὶ ὁ θερισμὸς ἔρχεται - kai ho therismos erchetai): The term "harvest" (therismos) literally refers to the reaping of agricultural crops. In common speech, it signifies the culmination of effort and waiting. Here, it contrasts with Jesus' immediate spiritual call.
• Look (Ἰδοὺ - Idou): A sudden, attention-grabbing interjection or imperative command ("Behold!"). It demands immediate observation and focuses attention on something important that is about to be revealed.
• I tell you (λέγω ὑμῖν - lego hymin): A common emphatic phrase used by Jesus to underscore the authority and truth of His subsequent statement, setting His teaching apart from human proverbs.
• lift up your eyes (ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν - eparate tous ophthalmous hymon): An imperative command to actively change one's physical and, more importantly, spiritual perception. It suggests that the disciples' current "sight" is inadequate or focused on the wrong thing. They need to perceive the spiritual reality around them.
• and see (καὶ θεάσασθε - kai theasasate): Implies not just looking, but perceiving with understanding and insight. It's a call to witness something profoundly significant and act upon it.
• that the fields are white for harvest (ὅτι λευκαί εἰσιν πρὸς θερισμόν - hoti leukai eisin pros therismon): This is the core visual metaphor.
  • white (λευκαί - leukai): Can refer to grain fields that turn a pale, golden-white when fully ripe and ready for harvesting. However, in the immediate context of Samaritans approaching, many scholars interpret "white" as the white head coverings or garments of the approaching crowd, vividly symbolizing a multitude of people ready to hear and believe. It transforms a common agricultural image into an urgent spiritual sign.
  • for harvest (πρὸς θερισμόν - pros therismon): Reinforces the readiness. The condition indicates an imminent opportunity for spiritual reaping. The time is now, not in "four months."
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'?" vs. "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.": This direct contrast highlights the central theme. The disciples operate on a natural, future-oriented, conventional timeline (temporal). Jesus, with divine insight, declares an immediate, spiritual reality (eschatological and present). It's a reorientation of time and priorities.
  • "four months" vs. "white for harvest": The temporal gap (four months) is eradicated by the present, visible spiritual readiness (white fields). Jesus bridges the perceived future with the undeniable present, calling for instant recognition and action.

John 4 35 Bonus section

The immediate fulfillment of the "white fields" being the Samaritans themselves (John 4:39-42) serves as a dramatic living parable of the global mission that would follow the Ascension. It establishes Samaria, a highly improbable mission field for the Jewish disciples, as a model for breaking through social, ethnic, and religious barriers for the sake of the Gospel. This anticipatory glimpse of Gentile inclusion powerfully prefigures the Great Commission. Furthermore, this passage implicitly reveals Jesus' continuous discernment of spiritual hunger, challenging believers to always maintain an active, Spirit-led perception of ripe spiritual opportunities rather than relying on human calendars or preconceived notions of "when" or "where" the work of God should occur.

John 4 35 Commentary

John 4:35 encapsulates a profound truth about mission and perception. Jesus corrects His disciples' mindset, which was likely confined to an earthly, seasonal understanding of a harvest. He challenges their human proverb ("four months till harvest") with an urgent divine imperative to perceive the immediate spiritual reality: souls ready for salvation. The "fields white for harvest" is a potent symbol. While it could literally allude to mature grain, in this unique Samaritan context, it's widely understood as the approaching crowd of Samaritans, their white attire a visual representation of their readiness to embrace the Messiah. This immediate harvest challenges not only the concept of waiting but also the disciples' ingrained prejudice against non-Jews. Jesus calls for spiritual vision, enabling them to see what is already manifest—people prepared by the Spirit, simply awaiting the reapers. This verse thus functions as a powerful missionary call to urgent evangelism, highlighting that spiritual opportunities are not bound by human timelines but are ripe for immediate action when the Spirit prepares hearts. It teaches that the "harvest" is wherever hearts are open, regardless of prior societal or religious barriers.