Say not ye, There are yet four months, &c.— Whitby, Grotius, and many others, understand this as if our Lord had said, "It is a proverbial expression for the encouragement of husbandmen, that there are but four months between seed-time and harvest." The author of the translation of 1729 renders it, "You commonly say, The other four months, and the harvest will come." And indeed the passage itself is an iambic verse, and should be read thus:
u917?τι τετραμηνον, κ ο θερισμος ερχεται :
Which, joined to the reasons arising from the text, proves that the passage is proverbial. It is taken from the time which commonly intervenes between sowing and reaping, and signifies, that after having used the meansof procuring a thing, the effect must not be expected to follow all on a sudden, but must be waited for with patience. Our Lord told his disciples, that in the present case, they could not apply that proverb, because, if they would lift up their eyes, they would see the fields white already to harvest; that is, would see a multitude, coming in a fit disposition to believe (see John 4:39-42.), notwithstanding the seed had been sown but an hour or two before; so that he had what was his proper food to eat,—a convenient opportunity of doing the will of him that sent him, and of finishing his work. Probably, when our Saviour said, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, &c. he might stretch forth his hand, and point to the Samaritans, who were now coming from the city to him, on the report of the woman. This appears to be the true meaning of the passage, which is by no means to be taken in a literal sense.