John 16:20

John 16:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
• New International Version (NIV)Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Truly, truly, 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.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

Context of John 16:20

18So they were saying, “What does He mean when He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is talking about.” 19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask Him, so He said to them, “Are you wondering among yourselves about what I meant when I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, that you will weep and grieve [in great mourning], but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21A woman, when she is in labor, has pain because her time [to give birth] has come; but when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of her joy that a child has come into the world. 22So for now you are in grief; but I will see you again, and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away from you your [great] joy.

John 16:20 word by word

Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι κλαύσετε καὶ θρηνήσετε ὑμεῖς, ὁ δὲ κόσμος χαρήσεται· ὑμεῖς λυπηθήσεσθε, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ λύπη ὑμῶν εἰς χαρὰν γενήσεται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Verilyἀμήνamēn · amenG281
• I sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• Thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• shall weepκλαίωklaiō · to weepG2799
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• lamentθρηνέωthrēneō · to lamentG2354
• butδέde · thenG1161
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• shall rejoiceχαίρωchairō · to rejoiceG5463
• shall be sorrowfulλυπέωlupeō · to grieveG3076
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• sorrowλύπηlupē · griefG3077
• shall be turnedγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• joyχαράchara · joyG5479

Cross-references for John 16:20

• John 16:6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them].
• John 19:25So the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister [Salome], Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
• Mark 14:72Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And thinking of this, he began weeping [in anguish].
• Mark 16:10She went and reported it to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.
• Luke 22:45When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,
• Luke 23:47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.”
• Luke 24:17Then Jesus asked them, “What are you discussing with one another as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking brokenhearted.
• Job 20:5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless is only for a moment?
• Matthew 21:38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This [man] is the heir; come on, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
• Matthew 27:39Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, wagging their heads [in scorn and ridicule],
• Mark 15:29Those who were passing by were insulting Him with abusive and insolent language, wagging their heads [as a sign of contempt], and saying, “Ha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in [only] three days,
• Revelation 11:10And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.
• Revelation 18:7To the degree that she glorified herself and reveled and gloated in her sensuality [living deliciously and luxuriously], to that same degree impose on her torment and anguish, and mourning and grief; for in her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as a queen [on a throne] and I am not a widow, and will never, ever see mourning or experience grief.’
• Psalms 30:5For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
• Psalms 40:1I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
• Psalms 97:11Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path, And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection].

Commentaries on John 16:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Ye shall weep and lament - To see me crucified and laid in the grave. But the world shall rejoice - The chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, and persecuting Jews in general, will triumph, hoping that their bad cause is crowned with success. But your sorrow shall be turned into joy - When ye see me risen from the dead. It is very evident that our Lord uses the word world, in several parts of this discourse of his, to signify the unbelieving and rebellious…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Ye shall weep … - At my crucifixion, sufferings, and death. Compare Luke 23:27. The world - Wicked men. The term world is frequently used in this sense. See John 16:8. It refers particularly, here, to the Jews who sought his death, and who would rejoice that their object was obtained. Shall be turned into joy - You will not only rejoice at my resurrection, but even my death, now the object of so much grief to you, will be to you a source of unspeakable…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 It is good to consider how near our seasons of grace are to an end, that we may be quickened to improve them. But the sorrows of the disciples would soon be turned into joy; as those of a mother, at the sight of her infant. The Holy Spirit would be their Comforter, and neither men nor devils, neither sufferings in life nor in death, would ever deprive them of their joy. Believers have joy or sorrow, according to their sight of Christ, and the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20With the death of Jesus on the cross, the world thought it had won a victory over the light. The surprise of the cross would cause the disciples to weep and mourn, but their sorrow would change to joy when Jesus defeated the grave (20:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2216-22. A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father--The joy of the world at their not seeing Him seems to show that His removal from them by death was what He meant; and in that case, their joy at again seeing Him points to their transport at His reappearance amongst them on His Resurrection, when they could no longer doubt His identity. At the same time the sorrow of the widowed…Read the comment

Topics related to John 16:20

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joy

In the dictionaries

• Desirous
• Reprove
• Sure
• Tribulation
• Atonement
• Comforter
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of

Commentaries on John 16

• 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