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John 16:18

16 In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me.”

17 Then some of His disciples asked one another, “Why is He telling us, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”

They kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”

19 Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, “Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?

20 Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

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Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
They kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”
KJV
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
WEB
They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little while’? We don’t know what he is saying.”
ASV
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
DARBY
They said therefore, What is this which he says [of] the little while? We do not know [of] what he speaks.
BLB
Therefore they were saying, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”
ÅB
De sa da: Hva er dette han sier: Om en liten stund? Vi forstår ikke hva han mener.
OTB
De fortsatte å spørre: "Hva mener han med 'en liten stund'? Vi forstår ikke hva han sier."
B1930
De sa da: Hvad er dette han sier: Om en liten stund? Vi forstår ikke hvad han mener.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Luke 24:25

    Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

    Read in context

  • Hebrews 5:12

    Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!

    Read in context

  • Matthew 16:9–11

    Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?

    Read in context