John 4:20

John 4:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
• New International Version (NIV)Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Context of John 4:20

18for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.” 19The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” 21Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.

John 4:20 word by word

οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν, καὶ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου προσκυνεῖν δεῖ.¶Read the interlinear

• Our fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• worshipedπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• mountainὄροςoros · mountainG3735
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• in JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• is the placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
• whereὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• one mustδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163

Cross-references for John 4:20

• Genesis 12:6Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanites were in the land at that time.
• Genesis 33:18Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.
• Deuteronomy 27:12“When you cross the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• Joshua 8:33And all Israel with their elders, officers, and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded at first to bless the people of Israel.
• Judges 9:6All the leaders of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the memorial stone which was in Shechem.
• 2 Kings 17:26So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations whom you have taken into exile and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the custom of the God of the land; so He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they do not know the custom of the God of the land.”
• Deuteronomy 12:5But you shall seek the Lord at the place which the Lord your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and you shall come there.
• 1 Kings 9:3And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea which you have offered before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built, by putting My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there always.
• 1 Chronicles 21:26Then David built an altar there to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the Lord, and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
• 1 Chronicles 22:1Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:6but I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
• 2 Chronicles 7:12Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
• Psalms 78:68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
• Psalms 87:1His foundation is in the holy mountains.
• Psalms 132:13For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it as His dwelling place.

Commentaries on John 4:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Worshipped in this mountain - Probably pointing to Mount Gerizim, at the foot of which Sychar was situated. The patriarchs had worshipped here-Jacob builded an altar on this mountain, and worshiped the true God: see Genesis 22:2; Genesis 33:20. Thus she could say, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain. On this mountain Sanballat had built them a temple, about 332 years before our Lord's incarnation. See Joseph. Antiq. xi. c. viii. s. 4, and 2 Maccabees…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Our fathers - The Samaritans; perhaps also meaning to intimate that the patriarchs had done it also. See Genesis 12:6; Genesis 33:20. Worshipped - Had a place of worship. In this mountain - Mount Gerizim, only a little way from Sychar. On this mountain they had built a temple somewhat similar to the one in Jerusalem. This was one of the main subjects of controversy between them and the Jews. The old Samaritan Pentateuch, or five books of Moses, has the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-26Verses 4-26 There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim. This mountain rises above the city of Shechem. Both Mount Gerizim and Shechem were important places in the Old Testament (see Genesis 12:6–7; 33:19; Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:33; 24:1, 25, 32).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 19-2019-20. Sir, I perceive, &c.--Seeing herself all revealed, does she now break down and ask what hopes there might be for one so guilty? Nay, her convictions have not reached that point yet. She ingeniously shifts the subject from a personal to a public question. It is not, "Alas, what a wicked life am I leading!" but "Lo, what a wonderful prophet I got into conversation with! He will be able to settle that interminable dispute between us and the Jews. Sir…Read the comment

Topics related to John 4:20

• Gerizim
• Jacob
• Jerusalem
• Jesus, the Christ
• Law
• Samaria
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Dealing
• Ere
• Gerizim
• 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