John 4:34

John 4:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
• New International Version (NIV)“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.

Context of John 4:34

32But He told them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to completely finish His work. 35Do you not say, ‘It is still four months until the harvest comes?’ Look, I say to you, raise your eyes and look at the fields and see, they are white for harvest. 36Already the reaper is receiving his wages and he is gathering fruit for eternal life; so that he who plants and he who reaps may rejoice together.

John 4:34 word by word

λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν ἵνα ποιήσω τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με καὶ τελειώσω αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• meatβρῶμαbrōma · foodG1033
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• the willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• of him that sentπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to finishτελειόωteleioō · to perfectG5048
• workἔργονergon · workG2041

Cross-references for John 4:34

• John 4:32But He told them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”
• John 6:33For the Bread of God is He who comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.”
• Job 23:12I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
• Psalms 40:8I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,
• Luke 15:4“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost, [searching] until he finds it?
• Luke 19:10for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
• Acts 20:35In everything I showed you [by example] that by working hard in this way you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed [and brings greater joy] to give than to receive.’ ”
• John 5:36But the testimony which I have is far greater than the testimony of John; for the works that the Father has given Me to finish—the very same works [that is, the miracles and proofs of My deity] that I am [now] doing—testify about Me, [by providing evidence] that the Father has sent Me.
• John 17:4I have glorified You [down here] on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do.
• John 19:30When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.
• Hebrews 12:2[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

Commentaries on John 4:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34My meat is to do the will of him that sent me - In these words, our blessed Lord teaches a lesson of zeal and earnestness to his apostles, and to all their successors in the Christian ministry. Let the salvation of souls lie nearer your heart than life itself. Let eating and drinking, labor and rest, reading, thinking, study, prayer, and all things, be directed to the accomplishment of this great work. Ministers of Jesus! imitate your Lord! Souls are…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34My meat … - Jesus here explains what he said in John 4:32. His great object - the great design of his life - was to do the will of God. He came to that place weary and thirsty, and at the usual time of meals, probably hungry; yet an opportunity of doing good presented itself, and he forgot his fatigue and hunger, and found comfort and joy in doing good - in seeking to save a soul. This one great object absorbed all his powers, and made him forget his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-42Verses 27-42 The disciples wondered that Christ talked thus with a Samaritan. Yet they knew it was for some good reason, and for some good end. Thus when particular difficulties occur in the word and providence of God, it is good to satisfy ourselves that all is well that Jesus Christ says and does. Two things affected the woman. The extent of his knowledge. Christ knows all the thoughts, words, and actions, of all the children of men. And the power of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 32-34While Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, the disciples had gone to buy food (4:8). When they returned, they urged Jesus to eat. Jesus spoke with symbolic language, but they did not understand him (4:33). Later, when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they understood what he meant (2:22). Jesus sustained himself spiritually by doing what his Father told him to do (see 5:30; 6:38; 7:18; 8:50; 9:4; 10:37–38; 12:49–50).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 31-3831-38. 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 the comment

Topics related to John 4:34

• Converts
• Duty
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Obedience
• Samaria
• Shechem
• Will
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Dealing
• Ere
• God
• Hear
• Live
• Meat
• Messiah
• Samaritans

Commentaries on John 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings