John 16:21-33

16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress¹ because her time² has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being³ has been born into the world.⁴ 16:22 So also you have sorrow⁵ now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.⁶ 16:23 At that time⁷ you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth,⁸ whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.⁹ 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it,¹⁰ so that your joy may be complete.

16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;¹¹ a time¹² is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you¹³ plainly¹⁴ about the Father. 16:26 At that time¹⁵ you will ask in my name, and I do not say¹⁶ that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.¹⁷ 16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn,¹⁸ I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”¹⁹

16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly²⁰ and not in obscure figures of speech!²¹ 16:30 Now we know that you know everything²² and do not need anyone²³ to ask you anything.²⁴ Because of this²⁵ we believe that you have come from God.”

16:31 Jesus replied,²⁶ “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time²⁷ is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home,²⁸ and I will be left alone.²⁹ Yet³⁰ I am not alone, because my Father³¹ is with me. 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering,³² but take courage³³ – I have conquered the world.”³⁴

¹sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).

²tn Grk “her hour.”

³tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).

⁴sn Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus’ resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.

⁵tn Or “distress.”

⁶sn An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: “Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but he will be indignant toward his enemies.” The change from “you will see [me]” to I will see you places more emphasis on Jesus as the one who reinitiates the relationship with the disciples after his resurrection, but v. 16 (you will see me) is more like Isa 66:14. Further support for seeing this allusion as intentional is found in Isa 66:7, which uses the same imagery of the woman giving birth found in John 16:21. In the context of Isa 66 the passages refer to the institution of the messianic kingdom, and in fact the last clause of 66:14 along with the following verses (15-17) have yet to be fulfilled. This is part of the tension of present and future eschatological fulfillment that runs throughout the NT, by virtue of the fact that there are two advents. Some prophecies are fulfilled or partially fulfilled at the first advent, while other prophecies or parts of prophecies await fulfillment at the second.

⁷tn Grk “And in that day.”

⁸tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

⁹sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.

¹⁰tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

¹¹tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiai") precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.

¹²tn Grk “an hour.”

¹³tn Or “inform you.”

¹⁴tn Or “openly.”

¹⁵tn Grk “In that day.”

¹⁶tn Grk “I do not say to you.”

¹⁷tc A number of early mss (א¹ B C* D L pc co) read πατρός (patros, “Father”) here instead of θεοῦ (qeou, “God”; found in Ì⁵ א*^,2 A C³ W Θ Ψ 33 Ë^1,13 Ï). Although externally πατρός has relatively strong support, it is evidently an assimilation to “I came from the Father” at the beginning of v. 28, or more generally to the consistent mention of God as Father throughout this chapter (πατήρ [pathr, “Father”] occurs eleven times in this chapter, while θεός [qeos, “God”] occurs only two other times [16:2, 30]).

¹⁸tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.

¹⁹sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.

²⁰tn Or “openly.”

²¹tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”

²²tn Grk “all things.”

²³tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”

²⁴tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

²⁵tn Or “By this.”

²⁶tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

²⁷tn Grk “an hour.”

²⁸tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.

²⁹sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.

³⁰tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).

³¹tn Grk “the Father.”

³²tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (qliyis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.

³³tn Or “but be courageous.”

³⁴tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”