Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ John

[Main]

What does “For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country” mean

[jimwalton]

It looks like you're in John 4.44.

"A prophet is without honor in his own country" was a common proverb found in Jewish, Greek, and Roman writings. It's also a theme in the Bible (Jeremiah 1.19; 11.21-23). Jesus uses it to speak of his rejection and persecution by his own people (cf. Jn. 1.11).

The saying generally means that sometimes people get rejected where they are most familiar. Steven Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985, but then went on to create another successful company (NeXT). One might say he was a prophet without honor in his own country. Actress Katherine Hepburn is quoted as joking, "If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married."

In Jesus's life, his friends from his own town, and even his own family, had difficulty accepting the idea that He was God. We know that later, at least, some of His brothers (James and Jude in particular) became followers and disciples.