John 4:27

With the woman] RV 'with a woman.' In His high estimate of womanhood Jesus rose far above the ideas of His time, and taught lessons which are only now being learned (see on Matthew 1:18). The contemporary rabbis refused to teach religion to women, and would not even speak to a woman in a public place.

The ministry in Jerusalem and Judæa (John 2:13 to John 4:3) must accordingly have lasted eight months. Lift up] At this moment Jesus sees the Samaritans coming through the cornfields.

They are white already] The literal harvest is four months distant, but the spiritual harvest of the souls of these Samaritans is ripe, and will be reaped this very day.

36, 37. Christ had sowed alone in converting the Samaritan woman, but the Apostles would share in reaping the harvest of Samaritan converts (cp. Acts 8). And this was a type of the future conversion of the world. Christ would sow the seed, but the Apostles would reap the harvest. The wages are simply the unselfish joy of saving souls.