John 16:19-21

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. John 16:19 tn Grk “knew.”sn Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples’ confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
2. John 16:19 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
3. John 16:19 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
4. John 16:19 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
5. John 16:19 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
6. John 16:19 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
7. John 16:20 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
8. John 16:20 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
9. John 16:20 tn Or “lament.”
10. John 16:20 tn Or “sorrowful.”
11. John 16:20 tn Grk “will become.”
12. John 16:21 sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
13. John 16:21 tn Grk “her hour.”
14. John 16:21 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
15. John 16:21 sn 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.