John 16:7

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

5“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.

John 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 8:45So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!
• Luke 4:25“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.
• Luke 9:27I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”
• Acts 10:34Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.
• John 11:50You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
• John 14:3When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
• Romans 8:28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
• 2 Corinthians 4:17For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
• John 7:39(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
• John 14:16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
• John 15:26“But I will send you the Advocate —the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
• Psalms 68:18When you ascended to the heights, you led a crowd of captives. You received gifts from the people, even from those who rebelled against you. Now the Lord God will live among us there.
• Luke 24:49“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
• Acts 1:4Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before.
• Acts 2:33Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.
• Ephesians 4:8That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his 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

• Conviction
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Trinity
• Trouble

In the dictionaries

• Advocate
• Apostle
• Comforter
• Desirous
• Holy Ghost
• Reprove
• Sure
• Tribulation
• Aenon
• Ascension

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