God is Spirit
The phrase "God is Spirit" is profound in its simplicity and depth. The Greek word for "Spirit" here is "pneuma," which signifies breath, wind, or spirit. This term emphasizes the immaterial and invisible nature of God, distinguishing Him from the physical and tangible idols worshiped by many cultures of the time. In the historical context of the ancient Near East, where gods were often represented by physical idols, this declaration by Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well was revolutionary. It underscores the transcendence and omnipresence of God, who is not confined to a particular location or form. This understanding calls believers to recognize that God is not limited by human constructs and is accessible to all, regardless of physical location or cultural background.

and His worshipers
The term "worshipers" in Greek is "proskunetes," which refers to those who show reverence and adoration. In the context of the New Testament, worship is not merely a ritualistic act but a heartfelt devotion and submission to God. Historically, worship in the Jewish tradition involved sacrifices and temple rituals. However, Jesus is indicating a shift from external rituals to an internal, spiritual worship. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative that emphasizes a personal relationship with God, as seen in the lives of figures like David, who worshiped God with a sincere heart.

must worship Him
The word "must" here is translated from the Greek "dei," which implies necessity or obligation. This suggests that worshiping God in spirit and truth is not optional for believers but a fundamental requirement. The historical context of this passage involves a conversation about the proper place of worship—whether on Mount Gerizim, as the Samaritans believed, or in Jerusalem, as the Jews held. Jesus transcends this debate by focusing on the nature of worship rather than its location. This teaching is consistent with the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament, where God desires mercy and knowledge of Him rather than mere sacrifices (Hosea 6:6).

in spirit
The phrase "in spirit" indicates the inner, non-material aspect of worship. The Greek word "pneuma" again highlights the necessity of engaging with God beyond physical actions or locations. This aligns with the biblical theme that true worship involves the heart and soul, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:5, which commands love for God with all one's heart, soul, and strength. Worship "in spirit" calls believers to a genuine, heartfelt connection with God, facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within them.

and in truth
The term "truth" in Greek is "aletheia," which signifies reality, sincerity, and faithfulness. Worshiping "in truth" means aligning one's worship with the reality of who God is, as revealed in Scripture and through Jesus Christ. This phrase challenges believers to ensure that their worship is not based on human traditions or misconceptions but on the truth of God's Word. Historically, this was a corrective to both Jewish and Samaritan practices that had deviated from the heart of true worship. In a broader biblical context, truth is personified in Jesus, who declared Himself to be "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Therefore, worshiping in truth involves a commitment to living according to the teachings and example of Christ.

(24) God is a Spirit.--Better, God is spirit. His will has been expressed in the seeking. But His very nature and essence is spirit, and it follows from this that all true worship must be spiritual. The appeal is here made to a doctrine of special prominence in the Samaritan theology. They had altered a number of passages in the Pentateuch, which seemed to them to speak of God in language properly applicable to man, and to ascribe to Him human form and feelings. But to believe in the spiritual essence of God contained its own answer both as to place and mode of worship.

The second "Him" ("they that worship Him") should be omitted, as the italics show.

Verse 24. - A still more explicit and comprehensive reason is given for the previous assertion, based on the essential nature of God himself in the fulness of his eternal Being. God is Spirit (Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεός; cf. John 1:1, Θεὸς η΅ν ὁ Λόγος, - the article indicates the subject, and the predicate is here generic, and not an indefinite; therefore we do not render it, "God is a Spirit"). The most comprehensive and far-reaching metaphor or method by which Jesus endeavoured to portray the fundamental essence of the Divine Being is "Spirit," not body, not ὕλη, not κόσμος, but that deep inner verity presented in self-conscious ego; the substantia of which mind may be predicated, and all its states and faculties. The Father is Spirit, the Son is Spirit, and Spirit is the unity of the Father and the Son. St. John has recorded elsewhere that "God is Light," and "God is Love." These three Divine utterances are the sublimest ever formed to express the metaphysical, intellectual, and moral essence of the Deity. They are unfathomably deep, and quite inexhaustible in their suggestions, and yet they are not too profound for even a little child or a poor Samaritaness to grasp for practical purposes. If God be Spirit, then they who worship him, the Spirit, must by the nature of the case, must by the force of a Divine arrangement, worship him, if they worship him at all, in spirit and in truth. The truth which our Lord uttered was not unknown in the Old Testament. From Genesis to Malachi, in the Psalms, in the historical books, in Judges, Samuel, and Kings, the Spirit and the spirituality of God are presupposed; but the Lord has generalized these teachings, cited them from darkness and neglect, combined them in one eternal oracle of Divine truth. The Galilaean Peasant has thus uttered the profoundest truth of ethic and religion - one which no sage in East or West had ever surpassed, and towards which the highest minds in all the ages of Christendom have been slowly making approach. Forms, postures, ceremonial, sacraments, liturgies, holy days, and places are not condemned, but they all are inefficacious if this prime condition be not present, and they can all be dispensed with if it be. Only the spirit of man can really touch or commune with the Spirit of spirits, and the history of the new dispensation is the history of a progress from forms to realities, from the sensuous to the spiritual, from the outward to the inward, from the earthly to the heavenly.

Parallel Commentaries ...


God [is]
Θεός (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

Spirit,
Πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[His]
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

worshipers
προσκυνοῦντας (proskynountas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4352: From pros and a probable derivative of kuon; to fawn or crouch to, i.e. prostrate oneself in homage.

must
δεῖ (dei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

worship
προσκυνεῖν (proskynein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 4352: From pros and a probable derivative of kuon; to fawn or crouch to, i.e. prostrate oneself in homage.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

spirit
πνεύματι (pneumati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

[in] truth.”
ἀληθείᾳ (alētheia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.


John 4:24 NIV
John 4:24 NLT
John 4:24 ESV
John 4:24 NASB
John 4:24 KJV

John 4:24 BibleApps.com
John 4:24 Biblia Paralela
John 4:24 Chinese Bible
John 4:24 French Bible
John 4:24 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: John 4:24 God is spirit and those who worship (Jhn Jo Jn)