I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the hard work, and now you have taken up their labor.”
Parallel translations
- WEB I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
- KJV I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
- NKJV I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
- NASB I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have come into their labor.”
- NLT I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The disciples reap where others, including the prophets and Jesus Himself, have labored. Their fruitfulness depends on prior groundwork.
Overview
Jesus tells the disciples they enter into labor begun by others, perhaps the prophets, John the Baptist, or Jesus' own ministry to the Samaritan woman. The saying instills humility, since the harvest is not theirs alone. All gospel fruit ultimately flows from God's prior and ongoing work.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- John 1:7He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
- Acts 10:42–43And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
- 2 Chr 36:15Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place.
- 1 Pet 1:11–12trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- Acts 8:14–17When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
- Acts 10:37–38You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:
- Matt 3:1–6In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
- Matt 11:8–13Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
- Acts 6:7So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith.
- Acts 8:4–8Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
- Acts 5:14Yet more and more believers were brought to the Lord—large numbers of both men and women.
- Acts 4:4But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
- Acts 4:32The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.
- Jer 44:4Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets again and again, saying: ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate.’
- Matt 4:23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
- Acts 2:41Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 4:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.