John 16:25-27

Context

16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;¹ a time² is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you³ plainly⁴ about the Father. 16:26 At that time⁵ you will ask in my name, and I do not say⁶ 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

[16:25] ¹tn 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] ²tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:25] ³tn Or “inform you.”

[16:25] ⁴tn Or “openly.”

[16:26] ⁵tn Grk “In that day.”

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

[16:27] ⁷tc 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]).