To the Samaritan woman after she says her people worship on the mountain, not in Jerusalem.
John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
John 4:22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
You bowed to what you have not perceived. We bow to what we have perceived since the deliverance is out of the Jews.
We are rescued by a specific line of tradition.
The joke here is that the word translated as "know" also means "seen." And it is not in the present tense, but the past perfects sense, something completed in the past. So Jesus is making the point that God was seen in the past by those who saw themselves as Judeans, not Samaristans.
The term translated as "worship" in this verse means to physically, bowing down to a superior. We discussed it in the earlier verse of John 4:21. There is a change of tense here. The first "you worship" is in the imperfect tense, usually translated as the English past, but the second one, we worship" is in the present tense. The Samaritans doing what they started in the past while the Jews are bowing now. Both
The noun translated as "salvation" primarily means "deliverance", "preservation", "a way or means of safety", "keeping safe", "security", and "safety." It is hard to know how Jesus meant it, but he did not mean "salvation" in the religious sense the word has taken on today. We don't know because this words is used very seldom in the Gospels, just here and in Luke 19:9. where he uses it to praise the decision of Zacchaeus to give half his wealth tot the poor. It is far from a central in Jesus's teaching. And clearly does not mean what Christianity uses it to mean today. -
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "yourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "worship" is the present tense, but Greek is in the simple past, "worshipped."
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "know" is the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have seen."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "ourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "salvation" is not shown in the English translation.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "know" is the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have seen."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "yourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "Samaritans" doesn't exist in the source.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "worship" is the present tense, but Greek is in the simple past, "worshipped."
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "do know" is the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have seen."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "ourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "salvation" is not shown in the English translation.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "do know" is the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have seen."
Ye -- The pronoun "ye" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.
missing "yourselves" -- (MW) The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "you yourselves."
worship - - (WT) "Worship" if from a verb that means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow." The tense is the simple past, "worshipped."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
know; -- (WT) The verb translated as "know" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." In th KJV, it is almost translated as many times as "know" as it is "see." However, the tense of the verb is the past perfect, requiring a "have" here.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
what -- The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.
we - This is from the first-person, plural pronoun. Since this information is part of the verb, the pronoun is only used to emphasize it as we might say "we ourselves" in English.
missing "ourselves" -- (MW) The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "we ourselves."
know; -- (WT) The verb translated as "know" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." In th KJV, it is almost translated as many times as "know" as it is "see." However, the tense of the verb is the past perfect, requiring a "have" here.
what -- The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.
we -- This is from the first-person, plural form of the verb.
worship - - "Worship" if from a verb that means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow."
for -- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
salvation - (CW) The noun "salvation" is used very seldom in the Gospels, just here and three times in Luke. It means "deliverance", "preservation", "a way or means of safety", "keeping safe", "security", "safety," and "salvation."
is -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."
of -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases the "of" phrases.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
Jews. - "Jews" is from a Greek word meaning Jew. It is also the future particple of a verb meaning "to side with."
You -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.
missing "yourselves" -- (MW) The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "you yourselves."
Samaritans -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "Samaritans" in the Greek source.
worship - - (WT) "Worship" if from a verb that means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow."
what -- The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
do -- (WT) This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement. However, the tense of the verb is the past perfect, requiring a "have" here.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
know; -- The verb translated as "know" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." In th KJV, it is almost translated as many times as "know" as it is "see,"
we - This is from the first-person, plural pronoun. Since this information is part of the verb, the pronoun is only used to emphasize it as we might say "we ourselves" in English.
missing "ourselves" -- (MW) The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "we ourselves."
worship - - "Worship" if from a verb that means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow."
what -- The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.
we -- This is from the first-person, plural form of the verb.
do -- (WT) This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement. However, the tense of the verb is the past perfect, requiring a "have" here.
know, -- The verb translated as "know" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." In th KJV, it is almost translated as many times as "know" as it is "see,"
for -- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
salvation - (CW) The noun "salvation" is used very seldom in the Gospels, just here and three times in Luke. It means "deliverance", "preservation", "a way or means of safety", "keeping safe", "security", "safety," and "salvation."
is -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."
from -- The Greek preposition translated as "from" means "out of" or "from."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
Jews. - "Jews" is from a Greek word meaning Jew. It is also the future particple of a verb meaning "to side with."
ὑμεῖς [92 verses](pron 2nd pl nom) "You" is hymeis (humeis), which is the plural nominative form of the second person, "you."
προσκυνεῖτε [7 verses] (2nd pl imperf ind act) "Worship" is proskyneo, which means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow." -
ὃ [294 verses](pron sg neut nom) "What" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
οὐκ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou ( οὒ ) which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
οἴδατε [166 verses](2nd pl perf ind act) "Ye know" is eido which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know."
ἡμεῖς [10 verses](pron 1st pl masc nom) "We" is from hemeis, the first person plural pronoun, "we," "us."
προσκυνοῦμεν [7 verses] (1st pl pres ind act) ) "Worship" is proskyneo, which means "make obeisance," "fall down and worship," and specifically means to prostrate yourself before authority, as we would use the Chinese term, "kowtow." -
ὃ [294 verses](pron sg neut nom) "What" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings. -- The word translated as "who" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.
οἴδαμεν [166 verses] (1st pl perf ind act) "We know" is eido which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know." -- The verb translated as "knoweth" means "to see" but it is used like we use the word "see" to mean "to know" or "to perceive." In th KJV, it is almost translated as many times as "know" as it is "see,"
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
ἡ [821 verses](article sg masc dat) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
σωτηρία [2 verses](noun sg fem nom) "Salvation" is from soteria, which means "deliverance", "preservation", "a way or means of safety", "keeping safe", "security", "safety," and "salvation."
ἐκ [121 verses] (prep) "From" is ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of," "from," "by," "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond," "outside of," "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after," "from;" 4) [of rest] "on," "in," 5) [of time] "since," "from," "at," "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of," "made from;" 6) cause, instrument, or means "by."
τῶν [821 verses](article sg neut dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
Ἰουδαίων [3 verses](noun pl masc gen) "Jews" is from Ioudaios, which means "Jew."
ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.