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Thursday, July 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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THE MESSAGE

John 4:52

He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, "The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o'clock." The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, "Your son lives." That clinched it. Not only he but his entire household believed. This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Capernaum;   Children;   Faith;   Jesus, the Christ;   Miracles;   Nobleman;   Thompson Chain Reference - Diseases;   Fever;   Health-Disease;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles of Christ, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Cana;   Miracle;   Shechem;   Wells and Springs;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Disease;   Healing;   John, gospel of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Commentary;   Patience;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fever;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nobleman;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Diseases;   Fever;   Galilean;   Hour;   John, the Gospel of;   Sign;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - John, Gospel of;   Lazarus;   Mss;   Time;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Children;   Cures;   Disease;   Fever ;   Forgiveness;   Hour;   Joanna ;   John (the Apostle);   Lazarus;   Logia;   Miracles (2);   Numbers (2);   Time;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fever;   Hour;   Miracles;   Yesterday, Yesternight;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Samaria;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fever;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fever;   John, Gospel of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him,” they answered.
King James Version (1611)
Then inquired hee of them the houre when he began to amend: and they said vnto him, Yesterday at the seuenth houre the feuer left him.
King James Version
Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
English Standard Version
So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
New American Standard Bible
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
New Century Version
The man asked, "What time did my son begin to get well?" They answered, "Yesterday at one o'clock the fever left him."
Amplified Bible
So he asked them at what time he began to get better. They said, "Yesterday during the seventh hour (1 p.m.) the fever left him."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
Legacy Standard Bible
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
Berean Standard Bible
So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
Contemporary English Version
He asked them when the boy got better, and they answered, "The fever left him yesterday at one o'clock."
Complete Jewish Bible
So he asked them at what time he had gotten better; and they said, "The fever left him yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon."
Darby Translation
He inquired therefore from them the hour at which he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Easy-to-Read Version
The man asked, "What time did my son begin to get well?" They answered, "It was about one o'clock yesterday when the fever left him."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then enquired he of them the houre when he began to amend. And they said vnto him, Yesterday the seuenth houre the feuer left him.
George Lamsa Translation
And he asked them, At what time was he healed? They said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.
Good News Translation
He asked them what time it was when his son got better, and they answered, "It was one o'clock yesterday afternoon when the fever left him."
Lexham English Bible
So he inquired from them the hour at which he had gotten better. Then they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
Literal Translation
He then asked from them the hour in which he had gotten better. And they said to him, Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him.
American Standard Version
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Bible in Basic English
So he put a question to them as to the hour when he became better; and they said to him, The disease went from him yesterday at the seventh hour.
Hebrew Names Version
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him."
International Standard Version
So he asked them at what hour he had begun to recover, and they told him, "The fever left him yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon."the seventh hour">[fn]
Etheridge Translation
And he asked at what time he was healed. They say to him, Yesterday, at seven hours, the fever left him.
Murdock Translation
And he asked them, at what time he recovered. And they said to him: Yesterday, at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then enquired he of them the houre, when he began to amende. And they sayde vnto hym: Yesterday at the seuenth houre, the feuer left hym.
English Revised Version
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
World English Bible
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then he asked of them the hour when he amended. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Weymouth's New Testament
So he inquired of them at what hour he had shown improvement. "Yesterday, about seven o'clock," they replied, "the fever left him."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he axide of hem the our, in which he was amendid. And thei seiden to hym, For yistirdai in the seuenthe our the feuer lefte him.
Update Bible Version
So he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend. They said therefore to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then he inquired of them the hour when he began to amend: and they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
New English Translation
So he asked them the time when his condition began to improve, and they told him, "Yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon the fever left him."
New King James Version
Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
New Living Translation
He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, "Yesterday afternoon at one o'clock his fever suddenly disappeared!"
New Life Bible
He asked them what time his boy began to get well. They said to him, "Yesterday at one o'clock the sickness left."
New Revised Standard
So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he enquired the hour, from them, when he began, to amend. They said, therefore, unto him - Yesterday, at the seventh hour, the fever left him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.
Revised Standard Version
So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then enquyred he of the the houre when he begane to amende. And they sayde vnto him: Yester daye the sevethe houre the fever lefte him.
Young's Literal Translation
he inquired then of them the hour in which he became better, and they said to him -- `Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then enquyred he of them the houre, wherin he beganne to amende. And they sayde vnto him: Yesterdaye aboute the seueth houre the feuer left him.
Mace New Testament (1729)
then he enquired of them the hour when he began to mend: and they answered, yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
Simplified Cowboy Version
He asked him when he had recovered and he said that it had been the day before at about one in the afternoon.

Contextual Overview

43After the two days he left for Galilee. Now, Jesus knew well from experience that a prophet is not respected in the place where he grew up. So when he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, but only because they were impressed with what he had done in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, not that they really had a clue about who he was or what he was up to. 46Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king's court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: "Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe." 49 But the court official wouldn't be put off. "Come down! It's life or death for my son." 50Jesus simply replied, "Go home. Your son lives." The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, "Your son lives!" 52He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, "The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o'clock." The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, "Your son lives." That clinched it. Not only he but his entire household believed. This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee. 54The Woman at the Well Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that he and John performed (although his disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning him and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee. To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob's well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon. A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.) The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) Jesus answered, "If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water." The woman said, "Sir, you don't even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water'? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?" Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life." The woman said, "Sir, give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to this well again!" He said, "Go call your husband and then come back." "I have no husband," she said. "That's nicely put: ‘I have no husband.' You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough." "Oh, so you're a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?" "Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. "It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration." The woman said, "I don't know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we'll get the whole story." "I am he," said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look any further." Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn't believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it. The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, "Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?" And they went out to see for themselves. In the meantime, the disciples pressed him, "Rabbi, eat. Aren't you going to eat?" He told them, "I have food to eat you know nothing about." The disciples were puzzled. "Who could have brought him food?" Jesus said, "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time! "The Harvester isn't waiting. He's taking his pay, gathering in this grain that's ripe for eternal life. Now the Sower is arm in arm with the Harvester, triumphant. That's the truth of the saying, ‘This one sows, that one harvests.' I sent you to harvest a field you never worked. Without lifting a finger, you have walked in on a field worked long and hard by others." Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman's witness: "He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!" They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, "We're no longer taking this on your say-so. We've heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He's the Savior of the world!" After the two days he left for Galilee. Now, Jesus knew well from experience that a prophet is not respected in the place where he grew up. So when he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, but only because they were impressed with what he had done in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, not that they really had a clue about who he was or what he was up to. Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king's court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: "Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe." But the court official wouldn't be put off. "Come down! It's life or death for my son." Jesus simply replied, "Go home. Your son lives." The man believed the bare word Jesus spoke and headed home. On his way back, his servants intercepted him and announced, "Your son lives!" He asked them what time he began to get better. They said, "The fever broke yesterday afternoon at one o'clock." The father knew that that was the very moment Jesus had said, "Your son lives." That clinched it. Not only he but his entire household believed. This was now the second sign Jesus gave after having come from Judea into Galilee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Matthew 8:13 - And his Matthew 17:18 - from

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then inquired he of them the hour,.... He did not at all hesitate about the truth of it, or was in any surprise upon it; but that he might compare things together, he asked the exact time,

when he began to amend; or grow better; for he seemed to think, that his recovery might be gradual, and not all at once, as it was:

and they said unto him, yesterday at the seventh hour; which was one o'clock in the afternoon:

the fever left him; entirely at once, so that he was perfectly well immediately.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The seventh hour - About one o’clock in the afternoon.

The same hour - The very time when Jesus spoke.

The fever left him - It seems that it left him suddenly and entirely; so much so that his friends went to inform the father, and to comfort him, and also, doubtless, to apprise him that it was not necessary to ask aid from Jesus. From this miracle we may learn,

1. That Jesus has an intimate knowledge of all things. He knew the case of this son - the extent of his disease where he was and thus had power to heal him.

2. That Jesus has almighty power. Nothing else could have healed this child. Nor could it be pretended that he did it by any natural means. He was far away from him, and the child knew not the source of the power that healed him. It could not be pretended that there was any collusion or jugglery. The father came in deep anxiety. The servants saw the cure. Jesus was at a distance. Everything in the case bears the mark of being the simple energy of God - put forth with equal ease to heal, whether far or near. Thus, he can save the sinner.

3. We see the benevolence of Jesus. Ever ready to aid, to heal, or to save, he may be called on at all times, and will never be called on in vain.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 4:52. Then inquired he of them the hour — The servants, overjoyed to find their master's son so suddenly restored, set off to meet him, that they might impart to him tidings which they knew would be so very agreeable; and he, intent on having his faith settled, began immediately to inquire what time it was when the fever left him, to see whether his cure was the effect of some natural cause, or whether it was done by the power of Christ.

Yesterday at the seventh hour — At the time we would call one o'clock. Dr. Macknight thinks the Roman hour is intended; i.e. seven o'clock in the evening; and this he thinks is the reason why our Lord did not accompany the nobleman: for, as Cana was a day's journey from Capernaum, had our Lord gone at that hour he must have travelled in the night, from which it might have been inferred that he could not cure the child without being personally present. Harmony, vol. i. p. 52.


 
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