• John 4:35
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 35 οὐχ Not ὑμεῖς YOU λέγετε are saying ὅτι that Ἔτι Yet τετράμηνός four months ἐστιν it is καὶ and ὁ the θερισμὸς harvest ἔρχεται; is coming? ἰδοὺ Look! λέγω I am saying ὑμῖν, to YOU, ἐπάρατε lift YOU up τοὺς the ὀφθαλμοὺς eyes ὑμῶν of YOU καὶ and θεάσασθε view YOU τὰς the χώρας fields ὅτι that λευκαί white εἰσιν they are πρὸς toward θερισμόν· harvest; ἤδη already

  • John 4:35
    The Bible in Living English

    • 35* You say, do you not, ‘Another four months and harvest comes’? here I am telling you, raise your eyes and look at the fields to see that they are white for harvest already.

  • John 4:35
    American Standard Version

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

  • John 4:35
    The Emphasized Bible

    • 35 Are ye not saying—Yet a fourmonth it is and the harvest cometh? Lo! I say unto you—Lift up your eyes and gaze at the fields,—That white are they unto harvest. Already

  • John 4:35
    King James Version

    • 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.

  • John Study Notes—Chapter 4
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 4:35

      there are yet four months before the harvest comes: The barley harvest begins in the Jewish month Nisan (March/April), about Passover time. (See App. B15.) Counting back four months would indicate that Jesus spoke these words in the month of Chislev (November/December). That was the time when rains were becoming heavier and colder weather was ahead. So Jesus’ words about a harvesting that was already taking place apparently refer to a figurative harvest, or ingathering of people, rather than to a literal harvest.​—Joh 4:36.

      white: That is, ripe. The Greek word leu·kosʹ denotes white and different shades of light color, such as light yellow, indicating that the crop was ripe and was ready to be harvested. Since Jesus here states that there are “four months before the harvest comes,” the surrounding fields were likely green​—the color of recently sprouted barley. So when Jesus spoke about the fields’ being ripe for harvesting, he no doubt had a spiritual harvest in mind, not a literal one. Some scholars have suggested that when Jesus encouraged his listeners to view the fields, he may have been referring to a crowd of Samaritans approaching and that his remark about the fields’ being “white” could have been an allusion to the white robes that they may have worn. Or the remark may have been a figure of speech indicating that they were ready to accept the message.​—Joh 4:28-30.