John 4:30-34

4:30 So ¹  they left the town and began coming ²  to him.

Workers for the Harvest

4:31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ³  “Rabbi, eat something.” ⁴  4:32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 4:33 So the disciples began to say ⁵  to one another, “No one brought him anything ⁶  to eat, did they?” ⁷  4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me ⁸  and to complete ⁹  his work. ¹⁰ 

[4:30]  ¹ tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.

[4:30]  ² sn The imperfect tense is here rendered began coming for the author is not finished with this part of the story yet; these same Samaritans will appear again in v. 35.

[4:31]  ³ tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”

[4:31]  ⁴ tn The direct object of φάγε (fage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ⁵ tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.

[4:33]  ⁶ tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (hnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ⁷ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “did they?”).

[4:34]  ⁷ sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.

[4:34]  ⁸ tn Or “to accomplish.”

[4:34]  ⁹ tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.