John 4:52 kjv
Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
John 4:52 nkjv
Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
John 4:52 niv
When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him."
John 4:52 esv
So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
John 4:52 nlt
He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!"
John 4 52 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 8:5-13 | When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward... "Only say the word" | Jesus heals at a distance by His word (Centurion). |
| Lk 7:1-10 | Parallel account of the centurion's servant, healed by a mere command. | Distant healing, power of Jesus's word. |
| Isa 55:11 | So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return empty | God's word is powerful and accomplishes its purpose. |
| Gen 1:3 | And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. | God speaks, and creation occurs instantly. |
| Ps 33:9 | For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. | God's sovereign power through His word. |
| Pss 107:20 | He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from their destrucn. | God's word is a source of healing and deliverance. |
| Lk 4:32 | and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed auth. | Jesus's word carries inherent divine authority. |
| Lk 5:5 | But Simon answered, "Master, we toiled all night... but at your word I..." | Obedience to Jesus's word yields results. |
| Mk 11:23 | truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up...' | The power released through spoken word, connected to faith. |
| Acts 16:31 | "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." | Faith extends to the entire household for salvation. |
| Josh 24:15 | But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." | Example of household-wide commitment to God. |
| John 2:11 | ...His disciples believed in him. | Signs lead to belief in Jesus. |
| John 11:20-44 | Account of Lazarus being raised from the dead, by Jesus's command. | Jesus has authority over life and death, even from distance/time. |
| Mk 5:29 | And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body... | Immediate and tangible manifestation of healing. |
| John 2:23 | Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. | Miracles provide evidence leading to faith. |
| John 20:30-31 | ...these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ... | The purpose of recording Jesus's signs is to foster belief. |
| Acts 3:1-10 | Account of Peter healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate instantly. | Public, observable, and immediate healing verifies divine power. |
| Ps 103:3 | He forgives all your iniquity; he heals all your diseases. | God is the ultimate healer of physical ailments. |
| Jer 30:17 | For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares... | Prophecy of God's future healing and restoration. |
| John 1:4-5 | In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines... | Jesus as the source of life, conquering spiritual darkness. |
| John 8:12 | Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world..." | Jesus dispels all forms of darkness, including sickness/ignorance. |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged... | The enduring and dynamic power of God's word. |
| Rom 10:17 | So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. | The essential role of the spoken word in generating faith. |
John 4 verses
John 4 52 Meaning
John 4:52 confirms the exact timing of the healing of the royal official's son. The servants reported that the fever departed at the precise "seventh hour" of the previous day, aligning perfectly with the moment Jesus spoke the word of healing. This synchronization provides objective, empirical proof of Jesus's miraculous power and the immediate efficacy of His divine command, strengthening the official's initial faith into full conviction for his entire household.
John 4 52 Context
This verse is the climax of Jesus's second sign in Cana (Jn 4:46-54). The royal official, an influential man in Capernaum (over 20 miles away), urgently seeks Jesus to heal his dying son. Despite his prominent position, he comes humbly, demonstrating an initial, desperate belief in Jesus's power to physically come and heal (Jn 4:47-49). Jesus, without accompanying the official, declares, "Go; your son will live" (Jn 4:50). The official believes Jesus's word and begins his journey home. Verse 52 describes the pivotal moment of verification, where the official's prior faith, prompted by a desperate need, is fully solidified into certain knowledge through concrete evidence. This not only confirms Jesus's power to heal instantly from a distance but also introduces a major theme in John's Gospel: the sufficiency and efficacy of Jesus's spoken word, requiring no physical presence or external rituals. The official’s household also believes, signifying the extension of the miracle’s spiritual impact beyond the immediate healing.
John 4 52 Word analysis
- Then enquired he: The royal official, filled with expectation based on Jesus's word, takes the initiative to verify. This implies an act of seeking confirmation for a prior belief.
- of them: Refers to his servants, who had been present at the location of the son and could confirm the events.
- the hour: Signifies a specific time, underscoring the desire for precise alignment with Jesus's declaration. It removes ambiguity and reinforces divine precision.
- when he began to amend: (Greek: hotepōs ischysen, literally "when he had strength"). This emphasizes the point of initiation of recovery, not a gradual process. The healing was instantaneous, at a definitive moment.
- And they said unto him: A direct, unambiguous report from credible witnesses.
- Yesterday: Crucial detail, highlighting the distance the father had traveled and the time gap since Jesus spoke. It removes any possibility of delayed action, coincidence, or the father's presence influencing the healing.
- at the seventh hour: (Greek: hebdómēn hōran). In Jewish time-reckoning, this would be 1 PM. This specific hour precisely matched the time Jesus declared "Your son will live." It emphasizes exact synchronicity between Jesus's word and the miracle's occurrence.
- the fever left him: (Greek: ho pyretòs aphēken autón, "the fever sent away/released him"). The verb "left" (ἀφίημι - aphíēmi) suggests a sudden, complete departure of the illness, not a gradual subsidence or natural recovery. It denotes the disease was commanded out of the child.
Words-group analysis
- "Then enquired he...the hour when he began to amend": This phrase captures the official's diligent pursuit of verification. He trusted Jesus's word initially (Jn 4:50) but sought specific evidence, which ultimately cemented his belief. It highlights a common human need for confirmation even in faith.
- "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him": This complete report provides irrefutable evidence. The combination of "Yesterday" (ruling out immediate suggestion/placebo), "seventh hour" (exact alignment with Jesus's word across distance), and "the fever left him" (instant and complete departure, not gradual amendment) powerfully affirms the supernatural nature of the healing. It speaks to Jesus's divine omnipresence and omnipotence.
John 4 52 Bonus section
The account of the royal official's son highlights the distinct quality of John's signs. Unlike some Synoptic accounts where Jesus performs physical actions, here His power is conveyed purely by spoken word, from a significant distance (Cana to Capernaum). This elevates the miracle beyond human explanation or common "healing" practices of the time, emphasizing Jesus's unique divine essence and authority over the natural realm without needing physical proximity. This prefigures the spiritual truth that God's word is efficacious globally and transcends physical barriers, impacting lives regardless of their geographical location relative to Jesus's earthly presence. This detailed timing also reflects the precision of God's providential working.
John 4 52 Commentary
John 4:52 serves as a pivotal point of objective evidence validating Jesus's miraculous power. The inquiry of the royal official upon meeting his servants, particularly about the exact timing, demonstrates his keen desire to confirm the divine causality of his son's recovery. The servants' response, detailing the "seventh hour" of "yesterday," provides perfect, independent corroboration of Jesus's word. This synchronicity — the immediate departure of the fever at the very moment Jesus spoke over a significant distance — eliminates any natural explanation. It solidifies the official's initial, fragile faith, born of desperation (Jn 4:47), into a robust conviction (Jn 4:53). The Greek terms used ("began to amend," "fever left") emphasize an instant and complete expulsion of the disease rather than a gradual convalescence. This miracle uniquely highlights the absolute authority and efficacy of Jesus's spoken word, illustrating Him as the true Life-Giver, a profound theological point central to John's Gospel.