Christian Standard Bible
John 16:7
7Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to 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 am going away to him who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6Yet, because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9About sin, because they do not believe in 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Neverthelessἀλλάalla · butG235
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- tellλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- youσύsu · youG4771
- the truthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
- It is expedientσυμφέρωsumpherō · be profitableG4851
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- go awayἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- notμήmē · notG3361
- the Comforterπαράκλητοςparaklētos · counsellorG3875
- willἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- notοὐou · noG3756
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- butδέde · thenG1161
- I departπορεύωporeuomai · to travelG4198
- I will sendπέμπωpempō · to sendG3992
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for John 16:7
- John 8:45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
- Luke 4:25But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.
- Luke 9:27Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
- Acts 10:34Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,
- John 11:50You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”
- John 14:3If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
- Romans 8:28We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.
- John 7:39He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
- John 14:16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.
- John 15:26“When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — he will testify about me.
- Psalms 68:18You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that the Lord God might dwell there.
- Luke 24:49And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”
- Acts 1:4While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about;
- Acts 2:33Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.
- Ephesians 4:8For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people.
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
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