Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 4:44
For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.
44. For Jesus himself testified ] This is a well-known difficulty. As in Joh 20:17, we have a reason assigned which seems to be the very opposite of what we should expect. This witness of Jesus would account for His not going into Galilee: how does it account for His going thither? It seems best to fall back on the old explanation of Origen, that by ‘his own country’ is meant Judaea, ‘the home of the Prophets.’ Moreover, Judaea fits in with the circumstances. He had not only met with little honour in Judaea; He had been forced to retreat from it. No Apostle had been found there. The appeal to Judaea had in the main been a failure.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For Jesus himself testified … – See the notes at Mat 13:57. The connection of this verse with the preceding may be thus explained: Jesus went to Galilee, but not to Nazareth, for he testified, etc. Or, Jesus went to Galilee, although he had said that a prophet had no honor in his own country; yet, because he foreknew that the Galileans would many of them believe on him, he went at this time.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 44. Jesus himself testified] He bore testimony to the general truth of the following proverb. See Clarke on Mt 13:57.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Christ spake those words more than once, Mat 13:57; Mar 6:4; Luk 4:24. But the question is, what force of reason this hath why he went into Galilee, whereas Nazareth, which was in Galilee, was his own country; for though he was born in Bethlehem, yet he was educated at Nazareth; upon which account, Luk 4:23, it is called his own country? The best resolution of this difficulty is, that by Galilee here is to be understood, the country part of Galilee, exclusive to Nazareth; and this is not given as a reason why our Saviour went into Galilee, but why he did not go to Nazareth, but into the country part of Galilee, because Nazareth was his own country, and
a prophet is not without honour, except in his own country.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
44. For Jesus testified, c.Thisverse had occasioned much discussion. For it seems strange, if “Hisown country” here means Nazareth, which was in Galilee,that it should be said He came to Galilee because in one ofits towns He expected no good reception. But all will be simple andnatural if we fill up the statement thus: “He went into theregion of Galilee, but not, as might have been expected, to that partof it called ‘His own country,’ Nazareth (see Mar 6:4Luk 4:24), for He acted onthe maxim which He oft repeated, that ‘a prophet,'” &c.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For Jesus himself testified,…. Mt 13:57;
that a prophet hath no honour in his own country: all the Oriental versions read, “in his own city”; that is, Nazareth: for these words must not be understood as a reason why Christ left Judea, and went into Galilee, because he had no honour in Judea, in which was Bethlehem, the place of his nativity; but are a reason why, when he came into Galilee, he did not go to Nazareth, his own city, where he was educated, and had been brought up, and had lived the greatest part of his life, because they treated him with great disrespect and contempt; [See comments on Mt 13:57].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For Jesus himself testified ( ). John’s explanation of the conduct of Jesus by quoting a proverb often used by Jesus (Mark 6:4; Matt 13:57; Luke 4:24 in reference to Nazareth), but not necessarily used by Jesus on this occasion. A similar proverb has been found in Plutarch, Pliny, Seneca.
A prophet hath no honour in his own country ( ). What is meant by ? In the Synoptics (Luke 4:24; Mark 6:4; Matt 13:57) the reference is to Nazareth where he was twice rejected. But what has John in mind in quoting it here? He probably knew the quotations in the Synoptics. Does John refer to Judea by “his own country”? If so, the application hardly fits for he had already explained that Jesus was leaving Judea because he was too popular there (4:1-3). If he means Galilee, he immediately mentions the cordial welcome accorded Jesus there (verse 45). But even so this is probably John’s meaning for he is speaking of the motive of Jesus in going into Galilee where he had not yet laboured and where he apparently had no such fame as in Judea and now in Samaria.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
For – in His own country [ – ] . For assigns the reason why Jesus went into Galilee. By His own country, Judaea seems to
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For Jesus himself testified,” (autos gar lesous emarturesen) “For Jesus himself testified,” often, on numerous occasions, of His lack of acceptance, lack of recognition among His own, Joh 1:11-12; especially in His own native land.
2) “That a prophet hath no honor in his own country.” (hoti prophetes ten te idia patridi timen ouk ekei) “That a prophet has not honor (due him) in his own native place,” his own community, especially, as recounted, Mat 13:54,57; Mar 6:4; Luk 4:23-24.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(44) A prophet hath no honour.The statement that a prophet hath no honour in his own country is at first thought a strange explanation of the fact that He went into Galilee, and that the Galileans received Him; and the common geographical solutions, as that His own country means Juda, or Nazareth, as distinct from Galilee, or the district of the so-called lower Galilee, are brought to, not from, the text. The narrative of the earlier Gospels places the commencement of the ministry in Galilee. John has in these opening chapters told of an earlier ministry in Juda and Samaria. He now records the reception in Galilee to which this earlier ministry had been the real introduction. Jesus Himself said so. He knew the principle that a prophets own friends are the last to hear his message, and He came to His own country only when that message had been received by many in Juda and Samaria, and when His own countrymen had seen and known His work at the Passover. Others had received Him at Jerusalem, and they therefore receive Him in Galilee. The honour is brought from without. It does not arise in His own country.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
44. Prophet in his own country From foreign Samaria, where Jesus was honoured, he departs, after a brief sojourn, to his own country, Galilee, where he was, in the comparison, without honour; and he must go to win their honour, and convert, if possible, their hearts from contempt to adoration.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 4:44. For Jesus himself testified, &c. It is plain that this is spoken as the reason why he rather chose to travel into those parts of Galilee, than to go directly to Nazareth, which is particularly called his own country, in distinction from Galilee, and even from Capernaum. Luk 4:23. The time when Jesus made the testimony in this verse, is not limited; for the tense of the verb , testified, is used in a vague sense, and applied to things past, present, and future; the testimony therefore might have been given some time after, without the least impeachment of the sacred historian’s order. See Mat 13:57.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
Ver. 44. Jesus himself testified ] Had testified, when he was cast out at Nazareth; therefore he came no more there. A minister that can do no good once in the place where he lives, is bound to leave, though the fault be not in him, but the people, saith an interpreter here; otherwise (if for self-respects he there abide) it is to be feared that he will lose his gifts, and either fall into errors and heresies, or prove but a dull and dry doctor. Metuendum est ne donum quod acceperis, omittas vel degeneres in errores, vel haereses, vel si retineas puritatem doctrinae, evadas tamen frigidus et aridus doctor. (Rolloc in loc. )
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
44. ] Much difficulty has been found in the connexion of this verse, but unnecessarily. Some have supposed that the Evangelist means Juda by (Orig [66] , Lcke (second edn., but see below), Ebrard, &c.), which cannot be, for there is no allusion to Juda at all here, as He came from Samaria , and the verse manifestly alludes to His journey into Galilee: some, that Capernaum is meant, or Nazareth, and ‘He went into Galilee,’ as distinguished from one or other of these places (Chrys., Euthym [67] , Cyril, Olsh.); but neither can this be, for our Evangelist does not so lightly pass over the reasons of the remarks he makes, and there is no allusion to any city in Galilee , but to His going into Galilee in general.
[66] Origen, b. 185, d. 254
[67] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Some again suppose it to be a reason why He did not go into Galilee before, but remained in Juda and Samaria (Theophyl., Meyer (1), and somewhat similarly Neander, L. J. 385, and Jacobi); this however would be equally alien from the simplicity of John’s style, and not in accordance with the fact of almost all His teaching and working being in Galilee. Nor is to be rendered ‘ although ’ (Kuinoel) a sense (Lcke, 1. 613) which it never has. One admissible view is (Tholuck, Lcke (third edn.), De Wette), that this verse refers to the next following, and indeed to the whole narrative which it introduces. It stands as a preliminary explanation of the ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe;’ and as indicating the contrast between the Samaritans, who believed on Him for His word , and His own countrymen, who only received Him because they had seen the miracles which He did at Jerusalem. Such use of is not unexampled (see Hartung, Partikellehre, i. p. 467; Lcke, 467; Thol.; De Wette; and Matthi, Gr. Gr. 615). In Herod. 1. 124 we have , . Soph. Antig. 393: , | , | . . . And thus the in the next verse will be a particle connecting it with this preliminary reason given. But is not to be taken as a pluperfect.
A simpler view still is this: the reason ( Joh 4:1 ) why He left Juda for Galilee was, because of the publicity which was gathering round Himself and his ministry. He betakes Himself to Galilee therefore, to avoid fame, testifying that His own country (Galilee) was that where, as a prophet, He was least likely to be honoured.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 4:44 . The reason for His proceeding to Galilee is given in Joh 4:44 . , “for Jesus Himself testified”. The evangelist would not have presumed to apply to Jesus the proverbial expression, , but Jesus Himself used it. The saying embodies a common observation. Montaigne complained that in his own country he had to purchase publishers: while elsewhere publishers purchased him. The difficulty lies in the present application of the saying. If Galilee was His “fatherland,” how can He use this proverb as a reason for His going there? To escape the difficulty Cyril, followed by Calvin, Grotius, and many more, says Nazareth was His , and here [ ] he assigns the reason for His passing by Nazareth. can be used of a town as in Philo’s Leg. ad Caium , Agrippa says (Kypke). See also Achilles Tat., 22; Luk 4:23 . But the objection is that Lk. tells us He did go to Nazareth. Origen says Judaea was the ; and Lcke, Westcott, Reith, and others believe that Judaea is here meant; and that Jesus, by citing the proverb, gives the reason for His rejection in Jerusalem. But this is out of place, as He had long since left Jerusalem. Meyer thinks the meaning is that Jesus left Galilee in order to substantiate His Messianic claim in Jerusalem, and this having been accomplished, He returns with His credentials to His own country. This agrees with Joh 4:45 , “having seen the miracles which He had done in Jerusalem”. Weiss interprets the words as meaning that Jesus leaves Samaria, where honour had come unbidden, in order to evoke faith and honour where as yet He had none: thus continuing the hard work of sowing and leaving to the disciples the glad harvesting. This is ingenious; but the obvious interpretation is that which finds in the statement (Joh 4:43-44 ) a resumption of the narrative of Joh 4:1-3 , which had been interrupted by the account of the Lord’s experience in Samaria. That narrative had assigned as the reason for our Lord’s leaving Judaea and making for Galilee, His own over-popularity, which threatened a collision with the Pharisees. To avoid this He goes to Galilee, where, as He Himself said, there was little risk of His being too highly honoured.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
For Jesus, &c. Note the parenthetical explanation, and see note on “and we beheld”, Joh 1:14.
a prophet. Figure of speech Parcemia. App-169.
his own country = his native place. See Joh 7:41, Joh 7:42. Which was Galilee (App-169). The Lord had proved the truth of this proverb before He went to Cana (from Nazareth), as recorded in Luk 4:16-30. See App-97. The Lord went and returned thither, notwithstanding that experience.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
44.] Much difficulty has been found in the connexion of this verse, but unnecessarily. Some have supposed that the Evangelist means Juda by (Orig[66], Lcke (second edn., but see below), Ebrard, &c.),-which cannot be, for there is no allusion to Juda at all here, as He came from Samaria, and the verse manifestly alludes to His journey into Galilee:-some, that Capernaum is meant, or Nazareth, and He went into Galilee, as distinguished from one or other of these places (Chrys., Euthym[67], Cyril, Olsh.);-but neither can this be, for our Evangelist does not so lightly pass over the reasons of the remarks he makes, and there is no allusion to any city in Galilee, but to His going into Galilee in general.
[66] Origen, b. 185, d. 254
[67] Euthymius Zigabenus, 1116
Some again suppose it to be a reason why He did not go into Galilee before, but remained in Juda and Samaria (Theophyl., Meyer (1), and somewhat similarly Neander, L. J. 385, and Jacobi); this however would be equally alien from the simplicity of Johns style, and not in accordance with the fact of almost all His teaching and working being in Galilee. Nor is to be rendered although (Kuinoel)-a sense (Lcke, 1. 613) which it never has. One admissible view is (Tholuck, Lcke (third edn.), De Wette), that this verse refers to the next following, and indeed to the whole narrative which it introduces. It stands as a preliminary explanation of the Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe; and as indicating the contrast between the Samaritans, who believed on Him for His word,-and His own countrymen, who only received Him because they had seen the miracles which He did at Jerusalem. Such use of is not unexampled (see Hartung, Partikellehre, i. p. 467; Lcke, 467; Thol.; De Wette; and Matthi, Gr. Gr. 615). In Herod. 1. 124 we have , . Soph. Antig. 393: , | , | … And thus the in the next verse will be a particle connecting it with this preliminary reason given. But is not to be taken as a pluperfect.
A simpler view still is this: the reason (Joh 4:1) why He left Juda for Galilee was, because of the publicity which was gathering round Himself and his ministry. He betakes Himself to Galilee therefore, to avoid fame, testifying that His own country (Galilee) was that where, as a prophet, He was least likely to be honoured.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 4:44. , His own country) John presupposes it as a fact known, from ch. Joh 1:46, [Nathanael] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Joh 19:19, [the inscription over the cross, which would be well known] Jesus of Nazareth, etc., and from the other evangelists, that Nazareth was the country of Jesus; and hence he infers, from the testimony of Jesus, the reason why He went into Galilee at large, and not to His own country, Nazareth.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 4:44
Joh 4:44
For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.-Exactly what country he regarded as his own in this statement is difficult to determine. While born in Judea, he was generally regarded as a Galilean. It may possibly have been spoken to show his approbation of his reception in Samaria on his leaving it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
that: Mat 13:57, Mar 6:4, Luk 4:24
Reciprocal: Heb 12:1 – witnesses
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
Because of the truth stated here, Jesus came into that part of Galilee that contained Cana (verse 46), instead of that where Nazareth was located.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Ver. 44. , he, the same who apparently was acting in an opposite way. The solution of the contradiction is given in Joh 4:45. , testified, can here, whatever Meyer, Weiss, etc., may say, have only the sense of the pluperfect, like and which follow. It is difficult to believe, indeed, that John quotes here, for the purpose of explaining the conduct of Jesus, a declaration which was uttered at an epoch much farther on, like that of Mar 6:4. Comp. Luk 4:24, which assigns to this saying a much earlier date. The idea of the quoted proverb is that one is less disposed to recognize a superior being in a fellow countryman, very nearly connected with us, than in a stranger who is clothed, to our view, in a veil of mystery. But after that this same man has brought himself to notice elsewhere and on a wider theatre, this glory opens the way for Him to the hearts of His own fellow- citizens. That moment had arrived for Jesus; this is the reason why He now braves the vulgar prejudice which He had Himself pointed out; and of which we have seen an instance in the reply of Nathanael, Joh 1:47. And the success justifies this course. The words , having seen …, explain the , they received:there is undoubtedly an allusion to Joh 2:23-25. This verse finds its commentary in Luk 4:14-15 : And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and his fame spread abroad through all the region round about; and He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Verse 44
In his own country. Nazareth was the home of Joseph and Mary; and it was to another part of Galilee, as it appears, that he returned at this time.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
These verses seem incongruous. If a prophet has no honor in his own country, why did the Galileans welcome Jesus, since Galilee was His homeland? The Greek word patris translated "country" can mean either homeland or hometown. The Synoptics always used it to describe Nazareth (Mat 13:57; Mar 6:4; Luk 4:24).
One explanation is that John viewed Judea as Jesus’ homeland or possibly Jerusalem as His hometown. [Note: Westcott, 1:77-78; Hoskyns, pp. 287-88; B. Lindars, The Gospel of John, pp. 200-201.] Perhaps John regarded Judea and Jerusalem as Jesus’ spiritual homeland and hometown as David’s spiritual heir. The "Jews" is a term that John used particularly of the Jews in Judea (cf. Joh 1:19; Joh 7:1). However, John referred to Nazareth as Jesus’ physical home frequently (Joh 1:45-46; Joh 7:41; Joh 7:52; Joh 19:19). Moreover Jesus did not choose where He ministered because of the popular acceptance He received. He did seek to avoid premature conflict with the religious leaders in Jerusalem, but the implication of Joh 4:44-45 is that Jesus’ honor was the determining factor. Furthermore the reception that Jesus received in Galilee was not entirely positive.
A second explanation is that patris refers to heaven. [Note: Lightfoot, p. 35.] However this view does not explain why John included the proverb as an explanation for Jesus’ going into Galilee from Judea.
Probably patris refers to Galilee in contrast to Samaria rather than in contrast to Judea. [Note: Brown, 1:187; Carson, pp. 235-36; John W. Pryor, "John 4:44 and the Patris of Jesus," Catholic Biblical Quarterly 49 (1987):254-63. For several other less probable solutions, see D. A. Carson, "Current Source Criticism of the Fourth Gospel: Some Methodological Questions," Journal of Biblical Literature 97 (1978):424, n. 50.] Jesus’ own country was Jewish turf rather than Samaritan territory. On Jewish turf Jesus had not experienced the honor that He had among the Samaritans (cf. Joh 2:18; Joh 2:20; Joh 2:22-25; Joh 3:10; Joh 4:1-3). The "so" or "therefore" that begins Joh 4:45 does not explain why Jesus went back into Jewish territory. He did not go there because the Jews typically rejected Him. The "so" or "therefore" introduces the reason for the Galileans’ reception of Him that follows. The people from the Prophet’s own country received Him because they had seen the miracles that He had done at Passover in Jerusalem, not because they honored Him as a prophet (cf. Joh 4:48). Thus John was contrasting the unbelief of the Jews with the belief of the Samaritans.