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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

Context of John 4:34

32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad 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 said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
• John 6:33For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
• Job 23:12I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.
• Psalms 40:8I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
• Luke 15:4“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
• Luke 19:10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
• Acts 20:35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
• John 5:36“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
• John 17:4I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
• John 19:30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
• Hebrews 12:2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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