Parallels to this proverb are found in Matthew 13.57; Mark 6.4; and Luke 4.24, but John uses it with a distinct focus. In the Synoptic Gospels it is used in connection with the rejection of Jesus in Galilee; John uses it to explain the reception of Jesus by the Galileans after he was rejected in Jerusalem. This use of the proverb is in keeping with the Johannine theology, whereby it is necessary for Jesus to suffer and to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Commentators have a difficult time explaining the inclusion of this verse at this place. Some translators attempt to handle the difficulty by making it a parenthetical statement (for example, Moffatt, Phillips, New American Bible). John does not indicate to whom Jesus had said these words, and the text gives no clue. This statement of Jesus may be introduced here to explain why the people of Samaria had received him more warmly than the Jews did; or it may refer to the way people from his own country apparently received him enthusiastically in Jerusalem, while they would not have been so likely to do so in Galilee, that is, in Jesus’ own home territory. However, the reference is obscure, and it is best for the translator not to make a specific connection.

If it is necessary, as in some languages, to indicate to whom Jesus uttered this saying, one can say “for Jesus himself had said to his disciples” or “… to his followers.” The passive expression, A prophet is not respected in his own country, may be changed to an active form, for example, “The people of a prophet’s own country do not respect him” or “The people of a man’s own country do not accept him as a prophet.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .