Devine Scripture

John 4:37

What does John 4:37 mean?

A plain-English look at John 4:37 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What John 4:37 means

This verse affirms the truth of a common saying, "One soweth, and another reapeth," applying it to the spiritual harvest. This illustrates that God's work often involves different individuals or generations playing distinct roles in bringing people to faith. It acknowledges that the disciples will benefit from the preparatory work of others, particularly drawing on the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist, in preparing hearts for the Gospel.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

In this the saying is a true one, One does the planting, and another gets in the grain.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

for in this the saying is the true one, that one is the sower and another the reaper.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

For in this is the saying true: That it is one man that soweth, and it is another that reapeth.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

For in this is [verified] the true saying, It is one who sows and another who reaps.

Context

This verse reinforces the collaborative nature of spiritual labor within the harvest metaphor. It immediately follows Jesus' explanation of the reaper's wages and the gathering of fruit for eternal life in verse 36. This general truth about sowing and reaping serves as a bridge to the next verse, where Jesus applies this principle directly to the disciples' upcoming work and their entry into the labors of others.

v.36He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

v.37This passage

v.38I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Judges 6:3

    And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east; they came up against them;

  • Luke 19:21

    for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.

  • Job 31:8

    Then let me sow, and let another eat; Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

  • Micah 6:15

    Thou shalt sow, but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine.

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