American Standard Version
John 16:7
7Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.
John 16:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
- New International Version (NIV)But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Context of John 16:7
5But now I go unto him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? 6But because I have spoken these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you. 8And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9of sin, because they believe not on me;
Read all of John 16John 16:7 word by word
ἀλλ᾽ ἐγὼ τὴν ἀλήθειαν λέγω ὑμῖν· συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος οὐκ ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐὰν δὲ πορευθῶ, πέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for John 16:7
- John 8:45But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.
- Luke 4:25But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
- Luke 9:27But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
- Acts 10:34And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
- John 11:50nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
- John 14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
- Romans 8:28And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
- John 7:39But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
- John 14:16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever,
- John 15:26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me:
- Psalms 68:18Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, Yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them.
- Luke 24:49And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high.
- Acts 1:4and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye heard from me:
- Acts 2:33Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.
- Ephesians 4:8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
Commentaries on John 16:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7It is expedient - that I go away - In other places he had showed them the absolute necessity of his death for the salvation of men: see Matthew 20:19; Matthew 26:2; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33, Luke 9:44; Luke 18:32. This he does not repeat here, but shows them that, by the order of God, the Holy Spirit cannot come to them, nor to the world, unless he first die; and consequently men cannot be saved but in this way.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7It is expedient for you - The reason why it was expedient for them that he should go away, he states to be, that in this way only would the Comforter be granted to them. Still, it may be asked why the presence of the Holy Spirit was more valuable to them than that of the Saviour himself? To this it may be answered: 1. That by his departure, his death, and ascension - by having these great facts before their eyes they would be led by the Holy Spirit to…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. 7the Advocate: This title refers to the Holy Spirit. The word can mean helper, comforter, or one who speaks on behalf of another. Jesus taught that the Spirit would come after his departure and glorification (his death, resurrection, and return to the Father; see 7:37–39; 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:12–14). The Spirit was a promised gift. After Jesus returned to the Father, the Spirit would guide, teach, and strengthen his followers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. But because I have said these things ... sorrow hath filled your heart--Sorrow had too much paralyzed them, and He would rouse their energies.Read the comment
Topics related to John 16:7
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries