John 4:21

John 4:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
• New International Version (NIV)“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Context of John 4:21

19The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus 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. 23But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers.

John 4:21 word by word

Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· πίστευέ μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσκυνήσετε τῷ πατρί.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto herαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Womanγυνήgunē · womanG1135
• believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• the hourὥραhōra · hourG5610
• comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• ye shallπροσκυνέωproskuneō · to worshipG4352
• neitherοὔτεoute · neitherG3777
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• mountainὄροςoros · mountainG3735
• JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962

Cross-references for John 4:21

• Ezekiel 14:3“Son of man, these men have erected their idols in their hearts and placed the obstacle leading to their iniquity right before their faces. Should I really allow them to seek me?
• Ezekiel 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me, declares the sovereign Lord.’
• Malachi 1:11For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord who rules over all.
• Matthew 18:20For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
• Luke 21:5Now while some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and offerings, Jesus said,
• Acts 6:14For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
• 1 Timothy 2:8So I want the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without anger or dispute.
• John 4:23But a time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers.
• John 14:6Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
• Matthew 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
• Ephesians 2:18so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
• Ephesians 3:14For this reason I kneel before the Father,
• 1 Peter 1:17And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.

Commentaries on John 4:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The hour cometh, etc. - The time was now at hand in which the spiritual worship of God was about to be established in the earth, and all the Jewish rites and ceremonies entirely abolished. Worship the Father - This epithet shows the mild, benignant, and tender nature of the Gospel dispensation. Men are called to worship their heavenly Father, and to consider themselves as his children. In reference to this, our Lord's prayer begins, Our Father, who art in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Believe me - As she had professed to believe that he was a prophet, it was right to require her to put faith in what he was about to utter. It also shows the importance of what he was about to say. The hour cometh - The time is coming, or is near. When neither in this mountain … - Hitherto the public solemn worship of God has been confined to one place. It has been a matter of dispute whether that place should be Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim. That…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. 21-22Jesus affirmed that the Jews had preserved the correct understanding of the one true God whom they worshiped. God chose the Jewish people for a special relationship with himself. He gave them his law, his promises, and his covenant (promises between God and his people). The Messiah (God’s chosen one) was to come from the Jewish people (see also Romans 9:4–5).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2421-24. Woman, &c.--Here are three weighty pieces of information: (1) The point raised will very soon cease to be of any moment, for a total change of dispensation is about to come over the Church. (2) The Samaritans are wrong, not only as to the place, but the whole grounds and nature of their worship, while in all these respects the truth lies with the Jews. (3) As God is a Spirit, so He both invites and demands a spiritual worship, and already all is in…Read the comment

Topics related to John 4:21

• God
• Jacob
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Law
• Samaria
• Shechem

In the dictionaries

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

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