What Does John 4:25 Mean?
The woman said to him, I know that the one called the Anointed One is coming. When he comes, he will tell us all things.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.THE KEY
The verse names the Anointed One by the work of disclosure: he comes to make all things known.
THE MEANING
You can carry unanswered questions without being outside the reach of truth. The one named as Anointed is known by this promise: he will make all things known.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that you must already have every answer before you can recognize the one who brings them.
THE ROOT
Χριστός
christos
GROWS FROM
χρί-
To anoint, apply oil.
“the one called the Anointed One” in this verse is christos. The title Χριστός (Christos, Anointed One) describes a nature, not a surname. The woman pairs it with Μεσσίας (Messias, Messiah), the Greek form of מָשִׁיחַ (mashiach, anointed one), so two language forms converge on the same nature.
ALSO GROWS
chriō: To anoint.
χρίω
This verb names the action from which the title Χριστός is formed.
chrisma: Anointing.
χρῖσμα
This branch makes visible the shared root between the anointing and the one called Anointed.
ἀναγγελεῖ
anangelei
GROWS FROM
ἀγγελ-
Announce, report, make known.
“tell” in this verse is anangelei. The word carries the sense of announcing what is to be made known. Its root appears in the verse’s expectation that the Anointed One will bring the whole matter into view.
ALSO GROWS
angellō: To announce, report.
ἀγγέλλω
This verb shares the announcing stem and brings out the active force behind “tell.”
angelia: Message, announcement.
ἀγγελία
This noun shows the announcement as something delivered and made available to others.
THE PATTERN
Recognition can come before complete understanding; disclosure brings the rest into view.
The hidden things belong to the LORD our God, but the uncovered things belong to us and to our children for the ages, that we may do all the words of this instruction.He uncovers the deep and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light rests with him.But when he comes, the breath of truth, he will lead you along the way into all truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will bring word back to you of the coming things.THE THREAD
But when he comes, the breath of truth, he will lead you along the way into all truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will bring word back to you of the coming things.John 4:25 uses ἀναγγελεῖ (anangelei, will announce); John 16:13 repeats the same Greek verb for showing what is to come. The shared root ties the promise of making all things known to a continuing movement of disclosure.
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