28. Reliquit ergo hydriam suam mulier, et abiit in civitatem, et dicit illis hominibus:28. The woman therefore left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men there:
29. Venite, et videte hominem qui dixit mihi omnia quaecumque feci: numquid ipse est Christus?29. Come, and see a man who has told me all things whatsoever I have done. Is not he the Christ?
30. Exierunt ergo de civitate, et veniebant ad eum.30. They went therefore out of the city, and came unto him.

28-30. The discourse being interrupted by the arrival of the disciples, the woman, forgetful or indifferent regarding the errand [pg 084] which had brought her to the well, went her way into the city, and soon returned with a number of her fellow-citizens.

31. Interea rogabant eum discipuli, dicentes: Rabbi, manduca.31. In the meantime the disciples prayed him, saying: Rabbi, eat.
32. Ille autem dicit eis: Ego cibum habeo manducare, quem vos nescitis.32. But he said to them: I have meat to eat which you know not.
33. Dicebant ergo discipuli ad invicem: Numquid aliquis attulit ei manducare?33. The disciples therefore said one to another: Hath any man brought him to eat?
34. Dicit eis Iesus: Meus cibus est ut faciam voluntatem eius qui misit me, ut perficiam opus eius.34. Jesus saith to them: My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, that I may perfect his work.

31-34. Meanwhile the disciples invite Jesus to eat, to whom He replies that He has meat to eat which they know not, that meat being, as He explains in verse 34, to do the will of Him that sent Him. It was no time for attending to the wants of His human nature; He had more serious work in hand in the conversion of the Samaritans.

35. Nonne vos dicitis quod adhuc quatuor menses sunt, et messis venit? Ecce dico vobis: Levate oculos vestros, et videte regiones, quia albae sunt iam ad messem.35. Do not you say, there are yet four months, and then the harvest cometh? Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes, and see the countries, for they are white already to harvest.

35. There are yet four months, and then the harvest cometh. Maldonatus, followed by Father Coleridge, takes this to be a proverb[43] meaning that there is no need of hurry—that the matter in question is still far off. As, however, there is [pg 085] no evidence that such a proverb was current among the Jews, it is much better to understand the verse thus: You say what is true, that it is still four months till the harvest of nature; but lift up your eyes, and behold the harvest of grace in the men of Sichar who are approaching.

As the barley harvest in Palestine came in about the middle of April, this time, four months earlier, was the middle of December, the end of the first year of our Lord's public life.[44]

36. Et qui metit, mercedem accipit, et congregat fructum in vitam aeternam: ut, et qui seminat, simul gaudeat, et qui metit.36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting: that both he that soweth, and he that reapeth, may rejoice together.

36. He encourages His disciples to the work; in saving others they save themselves.

37. In hoc enim est verbum verum: quia alius est qui seminat, et alius est qui metit.37. For in this is the saying true: that it is one man that soweth, and it is another that reapeth.
38. Ego misi vos metere quod vos non laborastis: alii laboraverunt, et vos in labores: eorum introistis.38. I have sent you to reap that in which you did not labour: others have laboured, and you have entered into their labours.