John 15:22

John 15:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
• New International Version (NIV)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Context of John 15:22

20Remember [and continue to remember] that I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these [hurtful] things to you for My name’s sake [because you bear My name and are identified with Me], for they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23The one who hates Me also hates My Father. 24If I had not done among them the works (attesting miracles) which no one else [ever] did, they would not have [the guilt of their] sin; but now [the fact is that] they have both seen [these works] and have hated Me [and continue to hate Me] and My Father as well.

John 15:22 word by word

Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἴχοσαν· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifεἰei · if: notG1487
• I hadἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• notμήmē · notG3361
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• spokenλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• they hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• notοὐou · noG3756
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
• clokeπρόφασιςprophasis · pretenseG4392
• forπερίperi · aboutG4012
• sinὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588

Cross-references for John 15:22

• John 3:18Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].
• John 9:41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind [to spiritual things], you would have no sin [and would not be blamed for your unbelief]; but since you claim to have [spiritual] sight, [you have no excuse so] your sin and guilt remain.
• John 12:48Whoever rejects Me and refuses to accept My teachings, has one who judges him; the very word that I spoke will judge and condemn him on the last day.
• John 19:11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me at all if it had not been given to you from above. For this reason the sin and guilt of the one who handed Me over to you is greater [than your own].”
• Ezekiel 2:5As for them, whether they listen or refuse [to listen]—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know and be fully aware of the fact that there has been a prophet among them.
• Ezekiel 33:31They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not practice them; for with their mouth they express loving devotion, but their heart goes after their (unlawful) gain.
• Luke 12:46the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
• Acts 17:30Therefore God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance; but now He commands all people everywhere to repent [that is, to change their old way of thinking, to regret their past sins, and to seek God’s purpose for their lives],
• 2 Corinthians 2:14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
• Hebrews 6:4For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
• James 4:17So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.
• Romans 1:20For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.
• Romans 2:1Therefore you have no excuse or justification, everyone of you who [hypocritically] judges and condemns others; for in passing judgment on another person, you condemn yourself, because you who judge [from a position of arrogance or self-righteousness] are habitually practicing the very same things [which you denounce].
• 1 Peter 2:16Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover or pretext for evil, but [use it and live] as bond-servants of God.

Commentaries on John 15:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22But now they have no cloke for their sin - (margin: Or, excuse) They are without excuse. See the note on John 9:41. Christ had done such works as demonstrated him to be the Messiah - yet they rejected him: here lay their sin; and this sin, and the punishment to which it exposed them, still remain; for they still continue to reject the Lord that bought them.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22And spoken unto them - Declared unto them the will of God, and made known his requirements. Jesus had not less certainly shown by his own arguments that he was the Messiah than by his miracles. By both these kinds of proof their guilt was to be measured. See John 15:26. No small part of the gospel of John consists of arguments used by the Saviour to convince the Jews that he came from God. He here says if he had not used these arguments, and proved to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause of its hatred to the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-24Now, however, they have no excuse: The ministry of Jesus provided both words and works as evidence that pointed to God (15:22; 15:24). Once people have heard and seen him, they are accountable.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2522-25. (See on Joh 9:39-41). If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin--comparatively none; all other sins being light compared with the rejection of the Son of God. now they have no cloak for their sin--rather, "pretext."Read the comment

Topics related to John 15:22

• Cloak
• Commandments
• Judgment
• Responsibility
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Cloke
• Coming of Christ
• Herein
• Atonement
• Cloak; Cloke
• Comforter
• Communion; (fellowship)
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on John 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings