τετράμηνος (tetramēnos)
tetramēnos
four months
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective tetramēnos simply means "of four months" or lasting that duration. It is a straightforward compound word formed from the Greek for "four" and "month," offering no hidden metaphorical depth beyond its literal temporal measurement.
This term appears only once in the New Testament, in John 4:35. Jesus uses it to describe the agricultural cycle, pointing out that while farmers typically wait four months between planting and harvest, the spiritual readiness of the people around him is immediate. The word serves as a concrete benchmark for time, contrasting human expectations with divine opportunity.
Its rarity in Scripture highlights its specific function here as a temporal marker. By citing this familiar seasonal interval, Jesus grounds his teaching in everyday experience, urging his listeners to look at the fields not as distant projects but as urgent tasks already ripe for gathering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tetramēnos simply means "four months." It appears only once in the New Testament, in John 4:35. Jesus uses this familiar agricultural timeline to challenge His listeners' expectations about spiritual readiness.
By mentioning the usual wait between planting and harvest, He highlights a stark contrast. While farmers typically anticipate a long delay, Jesus points out that the fields are already white for harvest. This word serves as a concrete benchmark, urging us to see opportunities for faith and service in our present moment rather than waiting for some distant future.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- four months1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- τετράμηνός1×
Key Verses
-
John 4:35
Don’t you say, ‘There are yet four months until the harvest’? Behold, I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, that they are white for harvest already.
Jesus uses this specific four-month agricultural cycle to contrast human expectations of delay with the immediate spiritual readiness He observes in the people.