Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 4:33
Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him [aught] to eat?
33. Hath any man brought him ] The emphasis is on ‘brought.’ ‘Surely no one hath brought Him any thing to eat.’ Another instance of dulness as to spiritual meaning. In Joh 2:20 it was the Jews; in Joh 3:4 Nicodemus; in Joh 4:11 the Samaritan woman; and now the disciples. Comp. Joh 11:12, Joh 14:5. These candid reports of what tells against the disciples add to the trust which we place in the narratives of the Evangelists.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hath any man brought him … – This is one of the many instances in which the disciples were slow to understand the Saviour.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 33. Hath any man brought him aught to eat?] Has he got food in any preternatural way? They could not help remembering the miraculous interventions of Divine providence in feeding Elijah by the ravens, at the brook Cherith, 1Kg 17:4-6, and by the ministry of an angel, 1Kg 19:5-8, and our Lord’s preternatural repast in the wilderness, after his victory over Satan, Mt 4:11.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His disciples, being yet carnal, did not understand him, but thought that he had spoken of bodily nourishment. See the like instances, Mat 16:7; 11:13. They were wondering how he came by meat, and who should bring it him: so hard are we to conceive of spiritual things, till God openeth our eyes.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
31-38. meantimethat is, whilethe woman was away.
Master, eatFatigueand thirst we saw He felt; here is revealed another of ourcommon infirmities to which the Lord was subjecthunger.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore said the disciples one to another,…. Privately, among themselves, though in his hearing; at least he knew what they said by answer;
hath any man; or anyone, any angel from heaven, or any of the inhabitants of the city, or any man or woman, or this woman they had found him talking with:
brought him [ought] to eat? for they thought of nothing else but bodily food; just as when he cautioned them against the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees, they imagined he said it, because they had taken no bread; whereas he meant the doctrine of these persons: so dull of understanding spiritual things were the disciples themselves, that it is not so much to be wondered at that the Samaritan woman, whilst in her carnal state, when Christ spoke of living water, should understand him of material water, or spring water.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Hath any man brought him aught to eat? ( ;). Negative answer expected (). “Did any one bring him (something) to eat?” During our absence, they mean. Second aorist active indicative of () and second aorist active infinitive of (), defective verbs both of them. See 4:7 for like infinitive construction ( ).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Said [] . Imperfect tense : began to say, or were saying. The question was discussed among them.
One to another. Fearing to ask Jesus.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Therefore said the disciples one to another,” (elegon oun hoi mathetai pros allelous) “Then the disciples said to one another,” inquiring with uncertainty what He meant, but not daring to ask Him further. They had interpreted His language literally; Yet they sensed that they could be misinterpreting what He had meant as in Mat 16:6-12.
2) “Hath any man brought him ought to eat?” (me tis enegken auto phagein)”No one has brought him anything to eat, has he?” They did not grasp the spiritual sense of His words of the moment; They inquired still, of natural food and drink, Job 23:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(33) Hath any man brought him ought to eat?The question expects the negative answer, Surely no one hath brought Him anything to eat? The only person with Him is this Samaritan woman. Surely she has not! They understand His words in the ordinary sense. He proceeds to explain their real meaning.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
Ver. 33. Hath any man brought, &c. ] “Are not these yet carnal, and talk as men?”1Co 3:31Co 3:3 . How dull and thick brained are the best till God rend the veil, and enlighten both organ and object!
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
33. ] It is very characteristic of the first part of this Gospel to bring forward instances of unreceptivity of spiritual meaning: compare Joh 4:11 ; ch. Joh 2:20 ; Joh 3:4 ; Joh 6:42 ; Joh 6:52 . The disciples probably have the woman in their thoughts.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
to. Greek. pros. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
33.] It is very characteristic of the first part of this Gospel to bring forward instances of unreceptivity of spiritual meaning: compare Joh 4:11; ch. Joh 2:20; Joh 3:4; Joh 6:42; Joh 6:52. The disciples probably have the woman in their thoughts.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 4:33
Joh 4:33
The disciples therefore said one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat?-They had left him when they went into the city wearied and no doubt hungry. They had returned, prepared food, and now he declines to eat. Jesus told them he had sources of strength and satisfaction of which they were ignorant.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Mat 16:6-11, Luk 9:45
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
The disciples thought Jesus meant temporal food, and that someone unknown to them had served it to him while they were in the city.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 4:33. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Their perplexity is like that of the woman of Samaria in regard to the living water (Joh 4:11).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Vv. 33, 34. The disciples therefore said one to another: Has any one brought him anything to eat? 34.Jesus says unto them: My meat is to do the will of my Father and to accomplish his work.
introduces a negative question: No one indeed has brought Him…? Jesus explains the profound meaning of His answer. Here He uses , in connection with the gross interpretation of the disciples. We need not see in the conjunction , as Weiss would have us, a mere periphrasis for the infinitive. That which sustains Him is His proposing to Himself continually to do…to accomplish …The present this is the reading of the T. R.refers to the permanent accomplishment of the divine will at each moment, and the conjunctive aorist (to accomplish, to finish), refers to the end of the labor, to the perfect consummation of the task which will, of course, depend on the obedience of every moment (Joh 17:4). The reading (), of the Vatican MS., Origen, and the Greco-Latin authorities spoils this beautiful relation; it is rejected by Tischendorf and Meyer. This arose from an assimilation to .
The relation between the two substantives (will), and (work), corresponds with that of the two verbs. In order that the work of God may be accomplished at the last moment, His will must have been executed at every moment. Hereby Jesus makes His disciples see that, in their absence He has been laboring in the Father’s work, and that it is this labor which has revived Him. This is the idea which He is about to develop, by means of an image which is furnished Him by the present situation.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
The disciples continued to think only on the level of physical food, as the woman had thought only of physical water (Joh 4:15). They were all unspiritual in their thinking. Jesus responded that what satisfied Him more than physical food was the spiritual nourishment that came from doing the Father’s will and advancing His work (cf. Deu 8:3; Mat 4:4; Luk 4:4; Joh 5:36; Joh 6:38). That mission involved bringing eternal life to people (cf. Joh 20:21).
"The creative will of God, realized in obedience, sustains life." [Note: Barrett, p. 241.]