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’ve had five husbands, and the man you have now isn’t your husband. This you’ve spoken truthfully!” 19“Sir,” the woman tells Him, “I see that You are a prophet! Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you all say that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21Yeshua tells her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for 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 passed through the land as far as the place of Shechem, as far as Moreh’s big tree. (The Canaanites were in the land then.)
• Genesis 33:18So Jacob arrived in shalom to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped right in front of the city.
• Deuteronomy 27:12“When you have crossed over the Jordan, these are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
• Joshua 8:33Then all Israel, with their elders and officials, and their judges, were standing on both sides of the ark facing the Levitical kohanim carrying the ark of the covenant of Adonai—the outsider as well as the native-born. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal—just as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded before—in order to bless the people of Israel.
• Judges 9:6Then all the leaders of Shechem and all Beth-millo assembled themselves together and went and made Abimelech king at the terebinth of the pillar that was in Shechem.
• 2 Kings 17:26Then they spoke to the king of Assyria saying, “The nations that you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know the requirement of the God of the land. Therefore He has sent lions among them, and behold, they are killing them because they don’t know the requirement of the God of the land.”
• Deuteronomy 12:5Rather you are to seek only the place Adonai your God chooses from all your tribes to put His Name to dwell—there you will come.
• 1 Kings 9:3Adonai said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your petition that you made before Me. I have consecrated this House, which you have built, to put My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there every day.
• 1 Chronicles 21:26David built there an altar to Adonai and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called on Adonai and He answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.
• 1 Chronicles 22:1Then David said, “This is the place where the House of Adonai Elohim will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.”
• 2 Chronicles 6:6But I have chosen Jerusalem that My Name would abide there and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
• 2 Chronicles 7:12Then Adonai appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself for a House of sacrifice.
• Psalms 78:68Instead He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
• Psalms 87:1A psalm of the sons of Korah, a song. His foundation is in the holy mountains.
• Psalms 132:13For Adonai has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His dwelling:

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