John 4:19-26 New English Translation
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see[a] that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,[b] and you people[c] say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman,[d] a time[e] is coming when you will worship[f] the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people[g] worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.[h] 23 But a time[i] is coming—and now is here[j]—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks[k] such people to be[l] his worshipers.[m] 24 God is spirit,[n] and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ);[o] “whenever he[p] comes, he will tell[q] us everything.”[r] 26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
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- John 4:19 tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.
- John 4:20 sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.
- John 4:20 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.
- John 4:21 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
- John 4:21 tn Grk “an hour.”
- John 4:21 tn The verb is plural.
- John 4:22 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “worship” is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.
- John 4:22 tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.
- John 4:23 tn Grk “an hour.”
- John 4:23 tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
- John 4:23 sn See also John 4:27.
- John 4:23 tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”
- John 4:23 tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunountas) as the complement.sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.
- John 4:24 tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (theos) is the subject.
- John 4:25 tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
- John 4:25 tn Grk “that one.”
- John 4:25 tn Or “he will announce to us.”
- John 4:25 tn Grk “all things.”
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