John 13:7

John 13:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

Context of John 13:7

5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

John 13:7 word by word

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ὃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, σὺ οὐκ οἶδας ἄρτι, γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Whatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• thouσύsu · youG4771
• knowestεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• notοὐou · noG3756
• nowἄρτιarti · nowG737
• butδέde · thenG1161
• thou shalt knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• hereafterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778

Cross-references for John 13:7

• John 13:10Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
• John 12:16At 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.
• John 14:26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
• Jeremiah 32:24“See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see.
• Daniel 12:8I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”
• Habakkuk 2:1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
• James 5:7Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

Commentaries on John 13:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7What I do thou knowest not now, etc. - As if our Lord had said, Permit me to do it now, and I will shortly explain to you the nature of this action, and my motives for doing it. Thou shalt know hereafter - , after this business is finished. And so we find he explained the whole to them, as soon as he had finished the washing: see John 13:12-17. I cannot think that this refers to any particular instruction received on this head after the day of pentecost…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Thou knowest not now - Though he saw the action of Jesus, yet he did not fully understand the design of it. It was a symbolical action, inculcating a lesson of humility, and intended to teach it to them in such a manner that it would be impossible for them ever to forget it. Had he simply commanded them to be humble, it would have been far less forcible and impressive than when they saw him actually performing the office of a servant. Shalt know hereafter…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-38The setting is the final Passover meal of Jesus on Thursday evening. During this meal, Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus. John does not describe the meal itself like the Synoptic Gospels do (Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–20; see also 1 Corinthians 11:23–26). John focuses on other activities at the event, such as: the foot washing (John 13:1–17), Judas’s betrayal (13:18–30), and the prediction of Peter’s denials (13:31–38).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-116-11. Peter saith ... Lord, dost thou wash my feet?--Our language cannot bring out the intensely vivid contrast between the "Thou" and the "my," which, by bringing them together, the original expresses, for it is not good English to say, "Lord, Thou my feet dost wash?" But every word of this question is emphatic. Thus far, and in the question itself, there was nothing but the most profound and beautiful astonishment at a condescension to him quite…Read the comment

Topics related to John 13:7

• Apostles
• Faith
• Feet
• Ignorance
• Jesus, the Christ
• Peter

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Aside
• Clean
• Commandment
• Example
• Foot
• Hereafter
• Humility
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on John 13

• 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
• 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