John 14:7

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

If {G1487} ye had known {G1097} me {G3165},{G302} ye should have known {G1097} my {G3450} Father {G3962} also {G2532}: and {G2532} from {G575} henceforth {G737} ye know {G1097} him {G846}, and {G2532} have seen {G3708} him {G846}.

Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him β€” in fact, you have seen him.”

If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Commentary

John 14:7 is a profound declaration by Jesus Christ, revealing the essential unity between Himself and God the Father. This verse comes amidst the intimate setting of the Upper Room Discourse, where Jesus is comforting His disciples, preparing them for His imminent departure, and responding to their questions about His destination and identity.

Context

This statement is part of a larger conversation where Jesus addresses the disciples' confusion and sorrow. Just moments before, Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). The disciples, though they had spent years with Jesus, still struggled to grasp the full implications of His divine nature and His relationship with the Father. This verse serves as a direct clarification, emphasizing that to truly know Jesus is to simultaneously know God Himself.

Key Themes

  • Inseparable Unity of Father and Son: The verse powerfully asserts that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of the Father. There is no separate path to knowing God apart from knowing His Son. Jesus's life, teachings, and character perfectly reflect the Father's nature, will, and love. This profound unity is a core tenet of Christian theology, reiterated elsewhere, such as when Jesus states, "I and my Father are one."
  • Experiential Knowledge of God: Jesus declares, "from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." This isn't merely intellectual acknowledgment but a deep, personal, and experiential knowledge. Through their time with Jesus, witnessing His miracles, hearing His words, and experiencing His love, the disciples had, in essence, encountered the Father.
  • Divine Revelation: Jesus acts as the perfect Mediator and Revealer of God. Humanity, unable to fully comprehend God in His infinite glory, is given a tangible, relatable manifestation of God through Jesus Christ.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "known" (ginōskō) used here signifies more than just factual acquaintance. It denotes an intimate, personal, and experiential knowledge gained through relationship and observation. It implies a progressive understanding that deepens over time. When Jesus says, "ye should have known," it suggests that their previous lack of full comprehension was due to not yet fully grasping His identity. But by the time of this conversation, He affirms that this deeper knowledge has now dawned: "from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

Significance and Application

John 14:7 holds immense significance for believers today. It underscores the truth that our understanding of God is directly linked to our understanding of Jesus Christ. If we desire to know God's character, His love, His justice, and His compassion, we must look to Jesus. Every action, word, and miracle of Christ serves as a window into the heart of God the Father. This verse provides comfort and assurance that through faith in Jesus, we gain access to an intimate relationship with God.

This verse also directly sets the stage for Jesus's further clarification to Philip in the very next verse, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," reinforcing the profound truth that Jesus embodies the Father's presence and character. For believers, seeking a deeper relationship with Christ is therefore the path to a fuller knowledge of God, allowing us to "see" Him more clearly through His Son.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated β€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Colossians 1:15

    Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

  • Colossians 1:17

    And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

  • John 8:19

    Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

  • Luke 10:22

    All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and [he] to whom the Son will reveal [him].

  • John 17:8

    For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

  • John 17:6

    ΒΆ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

  • John 17:21

    That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
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