John 4 44

John 4:44 kjv

For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

John 4:44 nkjv

For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

John 4:44 niv

(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)

John 4:44 esv

(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)

John 4:44 nlt

He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.

John 4 verses

John 4 44 Meaning

Jesus states that a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and among his relatives and in his own household. This means that people often fail to recognize or value the gifts and contributions of individuals whom they know very well and consider ordinary. Familiarity can breed a lack of appreciation.

John 4 44 Context

This verse occurs within Jesus' ministry in Galilee, specifically in his hometown of Nazareth, as detailed in Luke 4:16-30 and is echoed in Matthew 13:53-58 and Mark 6:1-6. Despite Jesus having performed miracles elsewhere, the people of Nazareth, who knew him from childhood, struggled to accept that he was the promised Messiah. They focused on his familiar upbringing, questioning his authority and the source of his power. This sentiment explains why Jesus makes this observation about the lack of honor for a prophet in his own community.

John 4 44 Word Analysis

• And (καὶ, kai): A conjunction used to connect clauses or sentences, often indicating addition or consequence.

• Jesus (Ἰησοῦς, Iēsous): The name of the Messiah, referring to Jesus Christ.

• said (εἶπεν, eipen): A past tense verb indicating speech or declaration.

• unto (πρὸς, pros): A preposition indicating direction towards, in this context, a direct address.

• them (αὐτούς, autous): The pronoun referring to the people to whom Jesus was speaking.

• that (ὅτι, hoti): A conjunction introducing a subordinate clause that functions as the content of what was said.

• a (οὐκ, ouk): A negative particle used for direct negation.

• prophet (προφήτης, prophētēs): One who speaks forth God's message, a messenger of God.

• is (τιμῆ, timē): From the verb "to honor," meaning to give or ascribe value, esteem, or respect.

• without (ἔν, en): A preposition indicating location or sphere, here suggesting "in" or "within."

• honor (ἔν, en): As mentioned above, it denotes honor or respect.

• except (εἰ μὴ, ei mē): A conjunction signifying exclusion, meaning "unless" or "except for."

• in (ἐν, en): Again, indicating presence or location.

• his (πατρίδι, patridi): Dative case of "patris," meaning fatherland, homeland, or native place.

• own (αὐτοῦ, autou): Possessive pronoun, "his own."

• hometown (οἰκείῳ, oikeiō): Belonging to oneself, one's own, in this context "own."

• and (καὶ, kai): Conjunction.

• among (καὶ, kai): Conjunction, connecting the next phrase.

• his (οἰκείων, oikeiōn): Belonging to oneself, one's own, here referring to his own relatives.

• kinsmen (οἰκείων, oikeiōn): Relatives, family members, household.

• and (καὶ, kai): Conjunction.

• in (οἴκῳ, oiko): In his own house, household.

• his (αὐτοῦ, autou): Possessive pronoun, "his own."

• own (αὐτοῦ, autou): Possessive pronoun, "his own."

• house (αὐτοῦ, autou): Household, family.

• Group analysis: The phrase "a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown, and among his own kinsmen, and in his own house" encapsulates the phenomenon of familiar incredulity. It highlights the paradox that the very proximity and intimacy that should breed appreciation can instead lead to disdain or a lack of recognition for one's true value or divine calling. The repeated use of "his own" (αὐτοῦ) emphasizes the intensely personal nature of this lack of honor.

John 4 44 Bonus Section

This saying of Jesus echoes sentiments found in Jewish tradition. Prophets themselves often faced rejection in their own communities. The passage demonstrates the concept of spiritual blindness caused by over-familiarity. It’s also relevant to how believers may struggle to see God’s hand at work through leaders or fellow congregants whom they know on a personal, everyday level. The truth of the message is amplified by the very place it is spoken – his own village, where its resonance should have been strongest but was met with the greatest resistance. This incident highlights that belief is often tied to preconception rather than direct evidence or divine revelation itself.

John 4 44 Commentary

Jesus articulates a universal human tendency: people often struggle to recognize and honor the extraordinary within the ordinary, especially when that ordinariness is deeply familiar. Those closest to a person—family, neighbors, those who knew them growing up—may find it hardest to see them as set apart or uniquely gifted by God. This is not a lack of Jesus' authority or power, but a reflection of human limitations in perception due to familiarity. It is a poignant observation about how human relationships and biases can obscure divine truth and miss the prophetic calling right in their midst. This reluctance to accept the extraordinary from the familiar is a recurring theme, showing that divine revelation often faces greater resistance from those who should be most receptive.