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 man you are living with now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• fathersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• worshippedπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• mountainὄροςoros · mountainG3735
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
• whereὅπουhopou · where(-ever)G3699
• men oughtδεῖdei · be necessaryG1163

Cross-references for John 4:20

• Genesis 12:6Abram traveled through the land as far as the oak tree of Moreh at Shechem. (At that time the Canaanites were in the land.)
• Genesis 33:18After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near the city.
• Deuteronomy 27:12“The following tribes must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• Joshua 8:33All the people, rulers, leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony.
• Judges 9:6All the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo assembled and then went and made Abimelech king by the oak near the pillar in Shechem.
• 2 Kings 17:26The king of Assyria was told, “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people because they do not know the requirements of the God of the land.”
• Deuteronomy 12:5But you must seek only the place he chooses from all your tribes to establish his name as his place of residence, and you must go there.
• 1 Kings 9:3The Lord said to him, “I have answered your prayer and your request for help that you made to me. I have consecrated this temple you built by making it my permanent home; I will be constantly present there.
• 1 Chronicles 21:26David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. He called out to the Lord, and the Lord responded by sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the altar.
• 1 Chronicles 22:1David then said, “This is the place where the temple of the Lord God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:6But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’
• 2 Chronicles 7:12the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: “I have answered your prayer and chosen this place to be my temple where sacrifices are to be made.
• Psalms 78:68He chose the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loves.
• Psalms 87:1The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.
• Psalms 132:13Certainly the Lord has chosen Zion; he decided to make it his home.

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