Discovery BoxJohn 4:34-36 
Context4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me 1 and to complete 2 his work. 3 4:35 Don’t you say, 4 ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up 5 and see that the fields are already white 6 for harvest! 4:36 The one who reaps receives pay 7 and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together.
1 sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.
2 tn Or “to accomplish.”
3 tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.
sn No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: The disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.
4 tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.
5 tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.
6 tn That is, “ripe.”
7 tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.
