John 4 · Verse 21

John 4:21

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
John 4:21, King James Version

John 4:21 in other translations

BSB“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
WEBJesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
ASVJesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father.
YLTJesus saith to her, ‘Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;
DARBYJesus says to her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father.
BBEJesus said to her, Woman, take my word for this; the time is coming when you will not give worship to the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.
WebsterJesus saith to her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

What does John 4:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 4:21-24
21-24. 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 preparation for a spiritual economy, more in harmony with the true nature of acceptable service than the ceremonial worship by consecrated persons, place, and times, which God for a time has seen meet to keep up till fulness of the time should come. neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem--that is, exclusively (Mal 1:11; 1Ti 2:8). worship the Father--She had talked simply of "worship"; our Lord brings up before her the great Object of all acceptable worship--"THE Father."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Believe 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 mountains, &c. 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 controversy is to be of much less importance than you have supposed. The old dispensation is about to pass away. The peculiar rites of the Jews are to cease. The worship of God, so long confined to a single place, is soon to be celebrated everywhere, and with as much acceptance in one place as in another. He does not say that there would be no worship of God in that place or in Jerusalem, but that the worship of God would not be confined there. He would be worshipped in other places as well as there.

(n) "when ye shall neither" Mal 1:11, Mt 18:20

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 The 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 heaven, etc. See Joh 4:23.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 4:4-26

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…

Read the full comment on John 4:4-26 →

John 4:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΛέγειLegeiSaysG3004
αὐτῇautēato herG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
πίστευέpisteuedo believeG4100
μοι,moiMe,G3165
γύναι,gunaiwoman,G1135
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ἔρχεταιerchetaiis comingG2064
ὥραhōraan hourG5610
ὅτεhotewhenG3753
οὔτεouteneither [you will worship]G3777
ἐνenonG1722
τῷtō<the>G3588
ὄρειoreimountainG3735
τούτῳtoutōthisG3778
οὔτεoutenorG3777
ἐνeninG1722
ἹεροσολύμοιςHi'erosolumoisJerusalemG2414
προσκυνήσετεproskunēsetewill you worshipG4352
τῷtōtheG3588
πατρί.patriFather.G3962

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 4:21

  • 1 Timothy 2:8

    I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

  • Ephesians 2:18

    For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

  • Malachi 1:11

    For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Matthew 18:20

    For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

  • John 4:23

    But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

  • Ezekiel 14:3

    Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

  • Ephesians 3:14

    For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

  • John 16:32

    Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

  • John 16:2

    They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

  • John 5:28

    Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

  • Luke 21:5-6

    And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

  • Ezekiel 20:3

    Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
saith.
Eze 14:3; 20:3
when.
Mal 1:11; Mt 18:20; Lu 21:5,6,24; Ac 6:14; 1Ti 2:8
worship.
23; 14:6; Mt 28:19; Eph 2:18; 3:14; 1Pe 1:17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 4:20

    Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

  • John 4:21

    Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

  • John 4:22

    Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Read all of John 4

John 4:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dícele Jesús: Mujer, créeme, que la hora viene, cuando ni en este monte, ni en Jerusalem adoraréis al Padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus lui dit: Femme, crois-moi: l’heure vient que vous n’adorerez le Père, ni sur cette montagne, ni à Jérusalem.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus spricht zu ihr: Weib, glaube mir, es kommt die Stunde, da ihr weder auf diesem Berge, noch in Jerusalem den Vater anbeten werdet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicit ei Jesus: Mulier, crede mihi, quia venit hora, quando neque in monte hoc, neque in Jerosolymis adorabitis Patrem.