1
Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῆτε.
“These things I have spoken to you so that you may not be caused to stumble.
Caused to stumble renders σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō), from the stick of a trap. English cannot keep the noun and verb on one root — recorded as a loss.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
2
ἀποσυναγώγους ποιήσουσιν ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ’ ἔρχεται ὥρα ἵνα πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας ὑμᾶς δόξῃ λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ θεῷ.
They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, an hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.
Worship here renders λατρεία (latreia), the service given to God — the killing is thought of as that.
pronoun They = those who put them out
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun he = everyone who kills you
3
καὶ ταῦτα ποιήσουσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὸν πατέρα οὐδὲ ἐμέ.
And they will do these things because they have not known the Father nor me.
The ground of the doing is put at not knowing.
pronoun they = those who do these things
pronoun me = Jesus
4
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἡ ὥρα ⸀αὐτῶν μνημονεύητε ⸁αὐτῶν ὅτι ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ ὑμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐκ εἶπον, ὅτι μεθ’ ὑμῶν ἤμην.
But these things I have spoken to you so that when their hour comes you may remember them, that I told you. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
Their hour — the hour belongs to those who do these things, not to Jesus.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun their = those who do these things
pronoun them = these things
5
νῦν δὲ ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντά με καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐρωτᾷ με· Ποῦ ὑπάγεις;
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you questions me, ‘Where are you going?’
None of you questions me — though Peter asked exactly that at 13:36. The text is left as it stands.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun him = the one who sent me
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
6
ἀλλ’ ὅτι ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἡ λύπη πεπλήρωκεν ὑμῶν τὴν καρδίαν.
Rather, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
Heart is singular for them all.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples
7
ἀλλ’ ἐγὼ τὴν ἀλήθειαν λέγω ὑμῖν, συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω. ἐὰν ⸀γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος ⸂οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ⸃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐὰν δὲ πορευθῶ, πέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.
But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
To your advantage renders συμφέρω (sympherō), the verb Caiaphas used at 11:50.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples
pronoun him = the Paraclete
8
καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως·
And when he comes, he will expose the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgement:
Expose renders ἐλέγχω (elenchō), to bring to light and convict — it holds both.
pronoun he = the Paraclete
Why this rendering
John.16.8 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
ἐλέγχω occurs three times in John — 3:20, lest his works be exposed; 8:46, which of you convicts me of sin; and here. It holds both proving guilt in court and bringing hidden things to light. Its object is τὸν κόσμον, and περί repeats three times, hanging sin, righteousness and judgement in a row. Our columns split five ways — rebuke, convict, reprove, prove wrong, expose.
Rendering options · 2
he will reprove the world
Basis Renders it as rebuking.
Rejected Rebuke keeps only the scolding and drops the layer of bringing to light. At 3:20 the evildoer avoids the light lest his works be ἐλεγχθῇ, where rebuke does not work. Rendering all three places with one word requires the sense of exposure.
Adopted And when he comes, he will expose the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgement.
Basis Chooses the sense that can serve 3:20 and 8:46 as well. The Synodal's обличит and the Japanese 誤りを明らかにする move the same way.
Lost in translation
courtroom and exposure in one word Proving guilt and bringing hidden things to light are one word in Greek. English must choose, and the versions choose differently, so readers receive different impressions.
Survives in · this edition — 1 of the nine carry it (not this language)
9
περὶ ἁμαρτίας μέν, ὅτι οὐ πιστεύουσιν εἰς ἐμέ·
concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
The sin is named as the not believing.
pronoun they = the world
pronoun me = Jesus
10
περὶ δικαιοσύνης δέ, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν ⸀πατέρα ὑπάγω καὶ οὐκέτι θεωρεῖτέ με·
concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer see me;
Righteousness is grounded on the going, not on conduct.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
11
περὶ δὲ κρίσεως, ὅτι ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου κέκριται.
and concerning judgement, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Has been judged stands in the perfect — done, and standing done.
12
Ἔτι πολλὰ ἔχω ⸂ὑμῖν λέγειν⸃, ἀλλ’ οὐ δύνασθε βαστάζειν ἄρτι·
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
Bear renders βαστάζω (bastazō), to carry a weight.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun them = the many things
13
ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς ⸂ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πάσῃ⸃, οὐ γὰρ λαλήσει ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ’ ὅσα ⸀ἀκούσει λαλήσει, καὶ τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν.
But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you in all the truth; for he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will announce to you the things that are coming.
Guide renders ὁδηγέω (hodēgeō), built on the word for way (ὁδός, hodos) at 14:6. English breaks the join — recorded as a loss.
pronoun he = the Spirit of truth
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun himself = the Spirit of truth
14
ἐκεῖνος ἐμὲ δοξάσει, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήμψεται καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν.
He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and announce it to you.
Take and announce are both said of the Spirit, and the taking is from what is Christ's.
pronoun He = the Spirit of truth
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun he = the Spirit of truth
pronoun mine = Jesus
pronoun it = what is mine
pronoun you = the disciples
15
πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστιν· διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λαμβάνει καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν.
All that the Father has is mine; for this reason I said that he takes from what is mine and will announce it to you.
The line explains verse 14 — what is the Father's is the Son's, so the taking is not from elsewhere.
pronoun mine = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun he = the Spirit of truth
pronoun you = the disciples
16
Μικρὸν καὶ ⸀οὐκέτι θεωρεῖτέ με, καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ ⸀με.
A little while and you no longer see me; and again a little while and you will see me.”
A little while (μικρόν, mikron) stands seven times in verses 16 to 19.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
Why this rendering
John.16.16 Observation
Syntactic observation
μικρόν repeats across four verses, 16 to 19. At vv.17 and 18 the disciples take the word up and ask one another what this μικρόν is, and at v.19 Jesus answers with it again. One word becomes the axis of the exchange — the device of Nicodemus at 3:4, the Samaritan woman at 4:11 and the disciples at 11:11–13. And two verbs of seeing stand in this verse: θεωρεῖτε from θεωρέω and ὄψεσθε from ὁράω, the same kind of distinction met with βλέπω and ὁράω in chapter 9. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀οὐκέτι ⸀με.).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted A little while … and again a little while
Basis Repeats the same phrase.
In a short time … after a while
Basis Varies the phrase for readability.
Rejected At vv.17 and 18 the disciples ask what this μικρόν is, so the word must be the same for the question to work. Varying the phrase makes it unclear what they are asking about.
Lost in translation
the θεωρέω / ὁράω distinction Two verbs of seeing in one verse, both rendered see in English. The first leans toward watching and the second toward catching sight, and the difference goes. It is the loss of chapter 9.
Survives in · Delitzsch Hebrew NT (1877) / this edition — 3 of the nine carry it (not this language)
17
εἶπαν οὖν ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους· Τί ἐστιν τοῦτο ὃ λέγει ἡμῖν· Μικρὸν καὶ οὐ θεωρεῖτέ με, καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με; καί· ⸀Ὅτι ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα;
So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while and you do not see me, and again a little while and you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
The disciples repeat the saying back, word for word, in order to ask about it.
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun us = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun I = Jesus
18
ἔλεγον οὖν· ⸂Τί ἐστιν τοῦτο⸃ ὃ ⸀λέγει μικρόν; οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί λαλεῖ.
So they were saying, “What is this that he says, ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is speaking of.”
We do not know — the not-knowing is set down plainly.
pronoun they = the disciples
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun We = the disciples
19
⸀ἔγνω Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἤθελον αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾶν, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Περὶ τούτου ζητεῖτε μετ’ ἀλλήλων ὅτι εἶπον· Μικρὸν καὶ οὐ θεωρεῖτέ με, καὶ πάλιν μικρὸν καὶ ὄψεσθέ με;
Jesus knew that they wanted to question him, and he said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about this, that I said, ‘A little while and you do not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’?
He answers the question they did not put to him.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
pronoun they = the disciples
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the disciples
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun me = Jesus
20
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι κλαύσετε καὶ θρηνήσετε ὑμεῖς, ὁ δὲ κόσμος χαρήσεται· ⸀ὑμεῖς λυπηθήσεσθε, ἀλλ’ ἡ λύπη ὑμῶν εἰς χαρὰν γενήσεται.
Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
Wail (κλαίω, klaiō) and lament (θρηνέω, thrēneō) are two different verbs; this edition keeps them apart.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun your = the disciples
21
ἡ γυνὴ ὅταν τίκτῃ λύπην ἔχει, ὅτι ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς· ὅταν δὲ γεννήσῃ τὸ παιδίον, οὐκέτι μνημονεύει τῆς θλίψεως διὰ τὴν χαρὰν ὅτι ἐγεννήθη ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
When a woman is in labour she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the affliction, for the joy that a person has been born into the world.
Affliction (θλῖψις, thlipsis) is the word of verse 33, and it is the same word used for the world's pressure.
pronoun she = the woman in labour
pronoun her = the woman in labour
Why this rendering
John.16.21 Observation
Syntactic observation
The woman in labour is given ἡ ὥρα αὐτῆς — her hour. In John ὥρα has run as the hour of Jesus (2:4 to 7:30 to 8:20 to 12:23 to 13:1), and here for the first time it is someone else's. The construction matches too: ἦλθεν ἡ ὥρα uses the verb of Ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα at 12:23. γεννάω stands twice (γεννήσῃ, ἐγεννήθη), the verb of being born from above at 3:3–8. λύπη and χαρά face each other across vv.20–22.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted When a woman is in labour she has sorrow, because her hour has come
Basis Keeps ὥρα the same word as the hour of Jesus.
When a woman is in labour she has sorrow, because her time has come
Basis Renders it as the onset of labour or her time.
Rejected Changing the word removes that her hour and his hour are one word. The hour of Jesus continues in the next paragraph, and changing it here breaks the seam.
Lost in translation
that ὥρα attaches to her too A word that has been his throughout the Gospel becomes hers here. Rendering it as her time hides the transfer. NET and NIV do so.
Survives in · 개역한글† / King James 1769 / New American Standard (1995)† / English Standard Version† / Vulgata Clementina / Elberfelder 1871 / Синодальный перевод / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
the link of γεννάω to chapter 3 The verb of the child being born here is the verb of being born from above at 3:3–8. English does use one word in both, but no version marks the link on the page.
Survives in · this edition — 3 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
22
καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν ⸂νῦν μὲν λύπην⸃ ἔχετε· πάλιν δὲ ὄψομαι ὑμᾶς, καὶ χαρήσεται ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία, καὶ τὴν χαρὰν ὑμῶν οὐδεὶς ⸀αἴρει ἀφ’ ὑμῶν.
So you also have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy from you.
No one takes your joy — the manuscripts differ over whether the verb is present or future.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun your = the disciples
23
καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐμὲ οὐκ ἐρωτήσετε οὐδέν· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ⸂ἄν τι⸃ αἰτήσητε τὸν πατέρα ⸂δώσει ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου⸃.
And in that day you will question me about nothing. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father he will give you in my name.
Question and ask are two different verbs; only the second is used of asking the Father.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun he = the Father
pronoun my = Jesus
Why this rendering
John.16.23 Observation
Syntactic observation
Two verbs of asking stand in one verse — ἐρωτήσετε from ἐρωτάω and αἰτήσητε from αἰτέω. ἐρωτάω leans toward putting a question; αἰτέω toward making a request. The first is directed to Jesus, the second to the Father. In John ἐρωτάω occurs five times in this chapter alone (vv.5, 19, 23, 26, 30) and αἰτέω four times across three verses (v.23, twice in v.24, and v.26). Both stand together again at v.26: I do not say that I will ἐρωτήσω the Father. So what Jesus does toward the Father is also ἐρωτάω. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂ἄν τι⸃ ⸂δώσει μου⸃.).
Rendering options · 2
you will ask me nothing … whatever you ask the Father
Basis Renders both verbs as ask.
Rejected The verbs differ and so do their objects; one rendering makes the sentence read as “do not ask me but ask the Father.” But the first is questioning and the second petitioning. KJV, ESV, NET and NIV use one word.
Adopted And in that day you will question me about nothing. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father he will give you in my name.
Basis Renders ἐρωτάω as question and αἰτέω as ask. 개역한글 already has 묻지 and 구하는, the Vulgate rogabitis and petieritis, the Japanese 尋ねない and 願う.
Lost in translation
the two kinds of asking Questioning and petitioning are different verbs, and four English versions render both as ask. Then the ἐρωτάω Jesus does toward the Father at v.26 becomes the same word too, and who does what blurs.
Survives in · 개역한글† / Young's Literal 1898 / New American Standard (1995)† / Vulgata Clementina / Elberfelder 1871 / Синодальный перевод / 新共同訳聖書 (1987)† / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
24
ἕως ἄρτι οὐκ ᾐτήσατε οὐδὲν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου· αἰτεῖτε καὶ λήμψεσθε, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.
Until now you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.
Made full is the phrase of 15:11.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun your = the disciples
25
Ταῦτα ἐν παροιμίαις λελάληκα ὑμῖν· ⸀ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὐκέτι ἐν παροιμίαις λαλήσω ὑμῖν ἀλλὰ παρρησίᾳ περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ⸀ἀπαγγελῶ ὑμῖν.
These things I have spoken to you in figures; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but will announce to you openly about the Father.
Figures renders παροιμία (paroimia), the word of 10:6 — not the parable word used in the other three books.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
Why this rendering
John.16.25 Observation
Syntactic observation
παροιμία stands twice in this verse and once at v.29. With 10:6 that is four times in John, and as established earlier, παραβολή does not occur once in all twenty-one chapters. The verse sets παροιμία against παρρησία — speaking by indirection and speaking openly. παρρησία also occurs at 7:4, 13, 26; 10:24; 11:14 and 18:20. At v.29 the disciples take up the pair: now you speak παρρησίᾳ and say no παροιμίαν. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ἔρχεται ⸀ἀπαγγελῶ).
Rendering options · 2
These things I have spoken to you in figures
Basis Uses the settled parable.
Rejected This follows what was settled at 10:6: John does not use παραβολή, so parable puts back the category he avoided. And the pair here is παροιμία against παρρησία, which parable and openly do not read as a pair.
Adopted These things I have spoken to you in figures; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but will announce to you openly about the Father.
Basis Uses the rendering of 10:6 and sets it as a pair with παρρησία — by indirection against openly.
Lost in translation
the παροιμία / παρρησία pair Both words begin with π and chime as well as oppose. English has no such pair, so the chime cannot be carried, and rendering one as parable blurs the opposition too.
this edition — none of the nine carries it (measured)
26
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου αἰτήσεσθε, καὶ οὐ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα περὶ ὑμῶν·
In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will question the Father on your behalf;
I do not say that I will question the Father — the asking is not routed through him here.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun your = the disciples
27
αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ φιλεῖ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐμὲ πεφιλήκατε καὶ πεπιστεύκατε ὅτι ἐγὼ παρὰ τοῦ ⸀θεοῦ ἐξῆλθον.
for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.
Loves here is φιλέω (phileō), not the verb of 3:16 — the Father's love for them is put in the warmer word.
pronoun himself = the Father
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
28
ἐξῆλθον ⸀ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον· πάλιν ἀφίημι τὸν κόσμον καὶ πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα.
I came out from the Father and have come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father.”
Four verbs in a line trace the whole way — out, into, leave, go.
pronoun I = Jesus
29
⸀Λέγουσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· Ἴδε νῦν ⸀ἐν παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖς, καὶ παροιμίαν οὐδεμίαν λέγεις.
His disciples say, “See, now you are speaking openly and saying no figure at all.
The disciples say the hour of verse 25 has already come.
pronoun His = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
30
νῦν οἴδαμεν ὅτι οἶδας πάντα καὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις ἵνα τίς σε ἐρωτᾷ· ἐν τούτῳ πιστεύομεν ὅτι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθες.
Now we know that you know all things and have no need that anyone should question you; by this we believe that you came out from God.”
Their ground for believing is that he answered what they did not ask.
pronoun we = the disciples
pronoun you = Jesus
31
ἀπεκρίθη ⸀αὐτοῖς Ἰησοῦς· Ἄρτι πιστεύετε;
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
Do you now believe? may be read as a question or as a statement — Greek does not settle it.
pronoun them = the disciples
pronoun you = the disciples
32
ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται ὥρα ⸀καὶ ἐλήλυθεν ἵνα σκορπισθῆτε ἕκαστος εἰς τὰ ἴδια κἀμὲ μόνον ἀφῆτε· καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ μόνος, ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν.
See, an hour is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered each to his own and will leave me alone; and I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
Each to his own is the neuter phrase of 1:11 and 19:27.
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun his = each of the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
33
ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ εἰρήνην ἔχητε· ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἔχετε, ἀλλὰ θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον.
These things I have spoken to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have affliction; but take courage, I have conquered the world.”
Conquered (νικάω, nikaō) stands in the perfect, spoken before the arrest.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun me = Jesus