John 9:4

4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

John 9:4 in Other Translations

KJV
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
ESV
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
NLT
4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.
MSG
4 We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over.
CSB
4 We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.

John 9:4 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me
This shows, that the works of God, that were to be manifest, were to be done by Christ: many were the works which the Father gave him to do, and which he undertook to perform; and therefore there was a necessity of doing them, as principally the work of redemption, by fulfilling the law, and satisfying justice: and besides this, there were the preaching of the Gospel, and doing of miracles, and among these was this of giving sight to the blind, see ( Isaiah 35:5 ) , both in a natural and spiritual sense: and with a view to this he speaks of the works he mast do,

while it is day;
while the day of life lasts, for in the grave there is no work nor device:

the night cometh when no man can work;
meaning the night of death, and of the grave, and suggesting his own death hereby, that he had but a little time to be in this world, and therefore would make the best use of it, to do the will and work of his Father that sent him; and which should be a pattern to us. This life is but short, it is but as the length of a day; a great deal of business is to be done; and death is hastening on, which will put a period to all working.

John 9:4 In-Context

2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

Cross References 1

  • 1. John 11:9; John 12:35
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