John 16:8

John 16:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
• New International Version (NIV)When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
• English Standard Version (ESV)And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
• New King James Version (NKJV)And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Context of John 16:8

6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts [and taken complete possession of them]. 7But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]. And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment: 9about sin [and the true nature of it], because they do not believe in Me [and My message]; 10about righteousness [personal integrity and godly character], because I am going to My Father and you will no longer see Me;

John 16:8 word by word

καὶ ἐλθὼν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• whenἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• he will reproveἐλέγχωelegchō · to rebukeG1651
• the worldὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920

Cross-references for John 16:8

• Zechariah 12:10“I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace (unmerited favor) and supplication. And they will look at Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him as one who weeps bitterly over a firstborn.
• Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
• Acts 16:29Then the jailer called for torches and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
• John 8:9They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the center of the court.
• 1 Corinthians 14:24But if all prophesy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and an unbeliever or outsider comes in, he is convicted [of his sins] by all, and he is called to account by all [because he can understand what is being said];
• Jude 1:15to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly deeds they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh and cruel things ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Commentaries on John 16:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8He will reprove - , He will demonstrate these matters so clearly as to leave no doubt on the minds of those who are simple of heart; and so fully as to confound and shut the mouths of those who are gainsayers. See Acts 2:1, etc. The world - The Jewish nation first, and afterwards the Gentile world; for his influences shall not be confined to one people, place, or time.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8He will reprove - The word translated “reprove” means commonly to demonstrate by argument, to prove, to persuade anyone to do a thing by presenting reasons. It hence means also to convince of anything, and particularly to convince of crime. This is its meaning here. He will convince or convict the world of sin. That is, he will so apply the truths of God to men‘s own minds as to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-15Verses 7-15 Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the Spirit's work; he can do it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The Holy Spirit unveils to the world: the real nature of its sin, the truth about righteousness found only in God, and the coming judgment. In one sense, this judgment has already begun. When God’s light shines into the darkness, it exposes what is wrong and calls people to respond.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. And when he is come, he will, &c.--This is one of the passages most pregnant with thought in the profound discourses of Christ; with a few great strokes depicting all and every part of the ministry of the Holy Ghost in the world--His operation with reference to individuals as well as the mass, on believers and unbelievers alike [Olshausen]. he will reprove--This is too weak a word to express what is meant. Reproof is indeed implied in the term…Read the comment

Topics related to John 16:8

• Conviction
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Continued
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• Apostle
• Desirous
• Holy Ghost
• Reprove
• Sure
• Tribulation
• Atonement
• Comforter
• Convict; Conviction
• Evidence; Evident; Evidently

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