Christian Standard Bible
John 16:20
20Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy.
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
18They said, “What is this he is saying, ‘In a little while’? We don’t know what he’s talking about.” 19Jesus knew they wanted to ask him, and so he said to them, “Are you asking one another about what I said, ‘In a little while, you will not see me; again in a little while, you will see me’? Truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. 21When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. 22So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.
Read all of John 16John 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 16:6Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
- John 19:25Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
- Mark 14:72Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
- Mark 16:10She went and reported to those who had been with him, as they were mourning and weeping.
- Luke 22:45When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.
- Luke 23:47When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify God, saying, “This man really was righteous!”
- Luke 24:17Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.
- Job 20:5the joy of the wicked has been brief and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?
- Matthew 21:38“But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’
- Matthew 27:39Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads
- Mark 15:29Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads, and saying, “Ha! The one who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
- Revelation 11:10Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
- Revelation 18:7As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.”
- Psalms 30:5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
- Psalms 40:1I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.
- Psalms 97:11Light dawns for the righteous, gladness for the upright in heart.
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
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
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