John 16:25-33

16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; ¹  a time ²  is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you ³  plainly ⁴  about the Father. 16:26 At that time ⁵  you will ask in my name, and I do not say ⁶  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. ⁷  16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, ⁸  I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” ⁹ 

16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly ¹⁰  and not in obscure figures of speech! ¹¹  16:30 Now we know that you know everything ¹²  and do not need anyone ¹³  to ask you anything. ¹⁴  Because of this ¹⁵  we believe that you have come from God.”

16:31 Jesus replied, ¹⁶  “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time ¹⁷  is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, ¹⁸  and I will be left alone. ¹⁹  Yet ²⁰  I am not alone, because my Father ²¹  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, ²²  but take courage ²³  – I have conquered the world.” ²⁴ 

[16:25]  ¹ tn 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.

[16:25]  ² tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:25]  ³ tn Or “inform you.”

[16:25]  ⁴ tn Or “openly.”

[16:26]  ⁵ tn Grk “In that day.”

[16:26]  ⁶ tn Grk “I do not say to you.”

[16:27]  ⁷ tc 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]).

[16:28]  ⁸ tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.

[16:28]  ⁹ sn 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.

[16:29]  ¹⁰ tn Or “openly.”

[16:29]  ¹¹ tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”

[16:30]  ¹² tn Grk “all things.”

[16:30]  ¹³ tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”

[16:30]  ¹⁴ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[16:30]  ¹⁵ tn Or “By this.”

[16:31]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[16:32]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:32]  ¹⁸ tn 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.

[16:32]  ¹⁹ sn 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.

[16:32]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).

[16:32]  ²¹ tn Grk “the Father.”

[16:33]  ²² tn 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.

[16:33]  ²³ tn Or “but be courageous.”

[16:33]  ²⁴ tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”