John 4:38

I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses his disciples as the Samaritan harvest begins, immediately after the woman’s testimony prompts many townspeople to believe.

The words — θερισῆν (therisēn) = to reap and κεκοπιακότες (kekopiakotes) = have toiled for.

The thread — The sower-reaper pattern is explicitly stated in John 4:37, while the motif of divine sending to bear witness appears in John 1:7, 2 Chronicles 36:15, and Acts 10:42.

Why it lands — The text states that the disciples will harvest results they did not prepare, relying on labor already completed by others. It requires accepting that spiritual gain depends on God’s commission and prior work rather than personal exertion.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ἐγὼegōI myself ἀπέστειλαapesteilasent ὑμᾶςhumasyou θερίζεινtherizeinto reap ὃhowhat οὐχouchnot ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselves κεκοπιάκατε·kekopiakatehave toiled for;ἄλλοιalloiothers κεκοπιάκασιν,kekopiakasinhave toiled,καὶkaiand ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselves εἰςeisinto τὸνtonthe κόπονkoponlabor αὐτῶνautōnof them εἰσεληλύθατε.eiselēluthatehave entered.

King James Version

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

Cross-references

John 1:7 He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
2 Chronicles 36:15 Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place.
Acts 10:42 And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
1 Peter 1:11 trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
Acts 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
Acts 10:37 You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:
Matthew 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
Matthew 11:8 Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
Acts 5:14 Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.