John 16:20

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 kept on saying, “What’s this He’s saying, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what He’s talking about!” 19Yeshua knew that they wanted to question Him, so He said to them, “Are you asking each other about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again in a little while, you will see Me’? Amen, amen I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will celebrate. You will be filled with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn to joy! 21“When a woman is in labor, she has pain because her hour has come. But when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22So also you have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!

John 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 16:6Because I have spoken these things to you, grief has filled your heart.
• John 19:25Standing near the execution stake of Yeshua were His mother, His mother’s sister, Miriam the wife of Clopas, and Miriam from Magdala.
• Mark 14:72Right then, a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter called to mind the word Yeshua had said to him: “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and began to weep.
• Mark 16:10She went and brought word to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.
• Luke 22:45When He rose up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them asleep, exhausted from grief.
• Luke 23:47Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began glorifying God, saying, “Truly this was a righteous Man.”
• Luke 24:17Then He said to them, “What are these things you are discussing with one another as you are walking along?” They stood still, looking gloomy.
• Job 20:5that the triumph of the wicked is short and the joy of the godless is but for a moment?
• Matthew 21:38“But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir! Come on, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’
• Matthew 27:39Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads
• Mark 15:29Those passing by were jeering at Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days,
• Revelation 11:10Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
• Revelation 18:7As she has exalted herself and indulged herself in luxury, so give her the same measure of torment and grief! For in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen— I am no widow; I shall never see grief.’
• Psalms 30:5Sing praise to Adonai, His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.
• Psalms 40:1For the music director, a psalm of David.
• Psalms 97:11Light is sown for the righteous and 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

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Joy

In the dictionaries

• Desirous
• Reprove
• Sure
• Tribulation
• Atonement
• Comforter
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus Christ
• Johannine Theology
• John, Gospel of

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