John 12:16

John 12:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
• New International Version (NIV)At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

Context of John 12:16

14Jesus obtained a donkey and sat on it, as Scripture says: 15“Don’t be afraid, people of Zion! Your king is coming. He is riding on a donkey’s colt.” At first Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what these prophecies meant. However, when Jesus was glorified, the disciples remembered that these prophecies had been written about him. The disciples remembered that they had taken part in fulfilling the prophecies. 17The people who had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus from the tomb and brought him back to life reported what they had seen. 18Because the crowd heard that Jesus had performed this miracle, they came to meet him.

John 12:16 word by word

ταῦτα οὐκ ἔγνωσαν αὐτοῦ οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸ πρῶτον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε ἐδοξάσθη Ἰησοῦς, τότε ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• These thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• understoodγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• notοὐou · noG3756
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• disciplesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• disciplesμαθητήςmathētēs · discipleG3101
• at the firstπρῶτοςprōtos · firstG4413
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• was glorifiedδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
• thenτότεtote · thenG5119
• remembered theyμιμνήσκωmimnēskō · to rememberG3403
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• writtenγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• ofἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• they had doneποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• ·δέde · thenG1161

Cross-references for John 12:16

• Luke 9:45They didn’t know what he meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they didn’t understand it. Besides, they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.
• Luke 18:34But they didn’t understand any of this. What he said was a mystery to them, and they didn’t know what he meant.
• Luke 24:25Then Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! You’re so slow to believe everything the prophets said!
• John 12:23Jesus replied to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
• John 7:39Jesus said this about the Spirit, whom his believers would receive. The Spirit was not yet evident, as it would be after Jesus had been glorified.
• John 13:31When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is now glorified, and because of him God is glorified.
• John 17:5Now, Father, give me glory in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world existed.
• Mark 16:19After talking with the apostles, the Lord was taken to heaven, where he received the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne.
• Acts 2:33God the Father used his power to give Jesus the honored position—the one next to him on the heavenly throne. Jesus has also received and has poured out the Holy Spirit as the Father had promised, and this is what you’re seeing and hearing.
• Acts 3:13The God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed Jesus over to Pilate. You rejected him in Pilate’s presence, even though Pilate had decided to let him go free.
• Hebrews 8:1The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne.
• Hebrews 12:2We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne.
• John 2:22After he came back to life, his disciples remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scripture and this statement that Jesus had made.
• John 14:26However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.
• John 16:4But I’ve told you this so that when it happens you’ll remember what I’ve told you. I didn’t tell you this at first, because I was with you.
• Luke 24:6He’s not here. He has been brought back to life! Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee.

Commentaries on John 12:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Then remembered they, etc. - After the ascension of Christ, the disciples saw the meaning of many prophecies which referred to Christ, and applied them to him, which they had not fully comprehended before. Indeed it is only in the light of the new covenant, that the old is to be fully understood.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12-19Verses 12-19 See this passage explained in the notes at Mark 11:1-11; John 12:16 Was glorified - Was raised from the dead, and had ascended to heaven. John 12:17 Bare record - Testified that he had raised him, and, as was natural, spread the report through the city. This excited much attention, and the people came out in multitudes to meet one who had power to work such miracles. John 12:19 Prevail nothing - All your efforts are ineffectual to stop the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-19Verses 12-19 Christ's riding in triumph to Jerusalem is recorded by all the evangelists. Many excellent things, both in the word and providence of God, disciples do not understand at their first acquaintance with the things of God. The right understanding of spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom, prevents our misapplying the Scriptures which speak of it.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The crowds did not fully understand who Jesus was. Even his disciples did not grasp the full meaning of what was happening. They saw the events, but they did not yet understand their true significance (their deeper meaning). After Jesus was glorified (raised up in death, resurrection, and return to the Father), things changed. When the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they began to understand more clearly (see 2:22).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, &c.--The Spirit, descending on them from the glorified Saviour at Pentecost, opened their eyes suddenly to the true sense of the Old Testament, brought vividly to their recollection this and other Messianic predictions, and to their unspeakable astonishment showed them that they, and all the actors in these scenes, had been unconsciously fulfilling those predictions.Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:16

• Apostles
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Christ, Offices of
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• King, Christ As

Commentaries on John 12

• 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