John 16:18
in John 16They kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
KJV
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
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This verse in John 16
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThey said therefore,.... One, and all of them; the inquiry became universal; what is this that he saith, a little while? it seems as if this phrase was the most intricate and perplexing to them; for whatever conceptions they might have of not seeing, and seeing him again, as expressive of his going from them, and returning to them, yet had no notion at all what he should mean by "a little while": and therefore add, we cannot tell what he saith: they knew his words, but not his meaning.
This site's exposition
In a little while
on John 16:16-19
In a little while covers two spans, the hours the grave hides Him and the day He stands among them again. The disciples turn the saying over with one another and cannot make it out. Jesus knows the question before they ask it.
This site's exposition
They kept asking, “Why is He saying
The disciples fix on one phrase and say openly that they do not understand it. They already knew He would die, and what puzzled them was the promise of seeing Him again so soon. They confess their ignorance plainly.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
(Tr. c. 1) The meaning of these words however was obscure, before their fulfilment; Then said some of His disciples among themselves, What is this that He saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me: and, Because I go to the Father. (Tr. ci. 1) For above, because He did not say, A little while, but simply, I go to the Father, He seemed to speak plainly. But what to them was obscure at the time, but by and by manifested, is manifest to us. For in a little while He suffered, and they did not see Him; and again, in a little while He rose again, and they saw Him. He says, And ye shall see Me no more; for the mortal Christ they saw no more. (Tr. ci) Which must be understood thus, viz. that the disciples sorrowed at their Lord's death, and then immediately rejoiced at His resurrection. The world (i. e. the enemies of Christ, who put Him to death) rejoiced just when the disciples sorrowed, i. e. at His death: Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (Tr. ci) This comparison does not seem difficult to understand. It was one which lay near at hand, and He Himself immediately shows its application. And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. The bringing forth is compared to sorrow, the birth to joy, which is especially true in the birth of a boy. And your joy no man taketh from you: their joy is Christ. This agrees with what the Apostle saith, Christ being risen from the dead dieth no more. (Rom. 6:9) (Tr. ci. 6) To this joy it is better to refer what was said above, A little while and ye shall not see Me, and again, a little while and ye shall see Me. For the whole space of time that this world continues is but a little while. […]
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of John, Book 11 · Written before 444.
proposed
The inspired disciples, not yet understanding what He had said, converse among themselves, and are in doubt as to what a little while, and again a little while, and ye shall not see Me, might mean.
"If," saith one of them, "we shall see Thee, whither goest Thou? And if Thou goest, how shall we see Thee?" Therefore they say, "We cannot tell what He saith." That He was about to depart, they knew; but they knew not that He would shortly come to them. On which account He rebuketh them, because they did not understand His saying.
The Medieval Church2 voices
They therefore said: What is this that he says to us: A little while? We do not know what he is speaking about. They did not know what he meant by this; the disciples still had little understanding; whence the Lord rebuked them in Matthew …
2124 This is why the disciples say, What does he mean by a little while and we will see him? We do not know what he means, they reply in an unassuming way. As Augustine remarks, when some do not understand the words of Scripture …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore one might well wonder how they did not understand His words. Most likely, the grief that had taken hold of their soul was erasing from their memory what was being said, or a lack of comprehension came upon them due to the obscurity of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The darkness of ignorance and the darkness of melancholy commonly increase and thicken one another; mistakes cause griefs, and then griefs confirm mistakes. (2.) The notion of Christ's secular kingdom was so deeply rooted in them that they could make no sense at all of those sayings of his which they knew not how to reconcile with that notion.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
What is this that he saith - They knew from what he had said that he was to die, but knew not what he meant by their seeing him again in a little time.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
At the same time the sorrow of the widowed Church in the absence of her Lord in the heavens, and her transport at His personal return, are certainly here expressed.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
Not all Christ's sayings were understood by His disciples. We are told this distinctly in the passage we have now read. "What is this that he says? We cannot tell what he says." None ever spoke so plainly as Jesus. None were so thoroughly accustomed to His style of teaching as the Apostles. Yet even the Apostles did not always take in their Master's meaning. Surely we have no right to be surprised if we cannot interpret Christ's words. There are many depths in those who we have no line to fathom.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
Not all Christ's sayings were understood by His disciples. We are told this distinctly in the passage we have now read. "What is this that he says? We cannot tell what he says." None ever spoke so plainly as Jesus. None were so thoroughly accustomed to His style of teaching as the Apostles. Yet even the Apostles did not always take in their Master's meaning. Surely we have no right to be surprised if we cannot interpret Christ's words. There are many depths in those who we have no line to fathom. But let us thank God that there are many sayings of our Lord recorded which no honest mind can fail to understand. Let us use diligently the light that we have, and not doubt that "to him that has, more shall be given." We learn, for one thing, in these verses, that Christ's absence from the earth will be a time of sorrow to believers, but of joy to the world. It is written, "You shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice." To confine these words to the single point of Christ's approaching death and burial, appears a narrow view of their meaning. Like many of our Lord's sayings on the last evening of His earthly ministry, they seem to extend over the whole period of time between His first and second advents. Christ's personal absence must needs be a sorrow to all true-hearted believers. "The children of the bride-chamber cannot but fast when the bridegroom is taken from them." Faith is not sight. Hope is not certainty. Reading and hearing are not the same as beholding. Praying is not the same as speaking face to face. There is something, even in the hearts of the most eminent saints, that will never be fully satisfied as long as they are on earth and Christ is in heaven.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἔλεγον | elegon | They were saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οὖν· | oun | therefore; | G3767 → | 497 times |
| τί | ti | what | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| τοῦτο | touto | This | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ὃ | ho | that | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| λέγει | legei | He says | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μικρόν; | mikron | a little [while]’? | G3398 → | 46 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | Not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| οἴδαμεν | oidamen | we do know | ||
| τί | ti | what | G5101 → | 563 times |
| λαλεῖ.¶ | lalei | He is saying. | G2980 → | 294 times |
ἔλεγονThey were saying
elegonG3004 →1325 times
οὖν·therefore;
ounG3767 →497 times
τίwhat
tiG5101 →563 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
τοῦτοThis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
ὃthat
hoG3739 →1405 times
λέγειHe says
legeiG3004 →1325 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
μικρόν;a little [while]’?
mikronG3398 →46 times
οὐκNot
oukG3756 →1664 times
οἴδαμενwe do know
oidamen
τίwhat
tiG5101 →563 times
λαλεῖ.¶He is saying.
laleiG2980 →294 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 5:12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!
it leads to
- Hebrews 6:1
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,
- 1 Corinthians 3:1–3
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
- 1 Peter 2:2
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- Hebrews 5:13
For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness.
- Isaiah 28:9–10
Whom is He trying to teach? To whom is He explaining His message? To infants just weaned from milk? To babies removed from the breast?
- Hebrews 6:1
Through
Luke 24:25Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
it leads to
- Mark 7:18
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,
- Mark 9:19
“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
- Mark 16:14
Later, as they were eating, Jesus appeared to the Eleven and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.
- Mark 7:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies12
About John
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 16; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 11; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, John; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 79; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.