John 4 · Verse 34

John 4:34

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 4:34, King James Version

John 4:34 in other translations

BSBJesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.
WEBJesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
ASVJesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work.
YLTJesus saith to them, ‘My food is, that I may do the will of Him who sent me, and may finish His work;
DARBYJesus says to them, My food is that I should do the will of him that has sent me, and that I should finish his work.
BBEJesus said, My food is to do the pleasure of him who sent me and to make his work complete.
WebsterJesus saith to them, My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

What does John 4:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 4:31-38

31-38. 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 full comment on John 4:31-38 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 34. My meat, &c. Jesus here explains what he said in Jn 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 an hungered; 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 weariness and the wants of nature. The mind may be so absorbed in doing the will of God as to forget all other things. Intent on this, we may rise above fatigue, and hardship, and want, and bear all with pleasure in seeing the work of God advance. See Job 23:12: "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." We may learn, also, that the main business of life is not to avoid fatigue or to seek the supply of our temporal wants, but to do the will of God. The mere supply of our temporal necessities, though most men make it an object of their chief solicitude, is a small consideration in the sight of him who has just views of the great design of human life.

The will of him that sent me. The will of God in regard to the salvation of men. See Jn 6:38.

To finish his work. To complete or fully to do the work which he has commanded in regard to the salvation of men. It is his work to provide salvation, and his to redeem, and his to apply the salvation to the heart. Jesus came to do it by teaching, by his example, and by his death as an expiation for sin. And he shows us that we should be diligent. If he was so diligent for our welfare, if he bore fatigue and want to benefit us, then we should be diligent, also, in regard to our own salvation, and also in seeking the salvation of others.

(t) "My meat" Job 23:12, Jn 6:38 (u) "finish his work" Jn 17:4

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 My 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 perishing for lack of knowledge - God has given you the key of the kingdom, the knowledge of his word - O open unto them the gate of life! They are dropping by thousands into hell! O pluck the brands out of the burning!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 4:27-42

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…

Read the full comment on John 4:27-42 →

John 4:34 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
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ἐμὸνemonMy ownG1473
βρῶμάbrōmafoodG1033
ἐστινestinisG1510
ἵναinathatG2443
ποιήσωpoiēsōI may doG4160
τὸtotheG3588
θέλημαthelēmawillG2307
τοῦtouof the [One who]G3588
πέμψαντόςpempsantoshaving sentG3992
μεmeMeG3165
καὶkaiandG2532
τελειώσωteleiōsōmay finishG5048
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
τὸtotheG3588
ἔργον.ergonwork.G2041

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

Cross references for John 4:34

  • John 6:38

    For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

  • John 5:30

    I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

  • Job 23:12

    Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

  • John 17:4

    I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

  • John 19:30

    When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

  • Matthew 26:39

    And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

  • John 4:32

    But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

  • John 5:36

    But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

  • Luke 19:10

    For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

  • Psalms 40:8

    I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

  • Hebrews 12:2

    Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

  • Luke 15:10

    Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
My meat.
32; 6:33,38; Job 23:12; Ps 40:8; Isa 61:1-3; Lu 15:4-6,10; 19:10
Ac 20:35
and.
5:36; 17:4; 19:30; Heb 12:2

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

Context

  • John 4:33

    Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

  • John 4:34

    Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

  • John 4:35

    Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Read all of John 4

John 4:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Díceles Jesús: Mi comida es que haga la voluntad del que me envió, y que acabe su obra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus leur dit: Ma viande est de faire la volonté de celui qui m’a envoyé, et d’accomplir son œuvre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus spricht zu ihnen: Meine Speise ist, daß ich den Willen dessen tue, der mich gesandt hat, und sein Werk vollbringe.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicit eis Jesus: Meus cibus est ut faciam voluntatem ejus qui misit me, ut perficiam opus ejus.