John 16:17

KJV

Then said [some] of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

KJV (with Strong's)

Then {G3767} said {G2036} some of {G1537} his {G846} disciples {G3101} among {G4314} themselves {G240}, What {G5101} is {G2076} this {G5124} that {G3739} he saith {G3004} unto us {G2254}, A little while {G3397}, and {G2532} ye shall {G2334} not {G3756} see {G2334} me {G3165}: and {G2532} again {G3825}, a little while {G3397}, and {G2532} ye shall see {G3700} me {G3165}: and {G2532}, Because {G3754} I {G1473} go {G5217} to {G4314} the Father {G3962}?

Complete Jewish Bible

At this, some of the talmidim said to one another, “What is this that he’s telling us, ‘In a little while, you won’t see me; then, a little while later, you will see me’? and, ‘I am going to the Father’?”

Berean Standard Bible

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’?”

American Standard Version

Some of his disciples therefore said one to another, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
John 16:17 captures the profound confusion of Jesus' disciples as they grapple with His cryptic pronouncements about His imminent departure and return. During His intimate Farewell Discourse, Jesus speaks of a "little while" until they will not see Him, followed by another "little while" when they will see Him again, all explained by His going to the Father. This verse vividly portrays the disciples' struggle to comprehend the spiritual realities and divine timing of Jesus' passion, resurrection, and ascension, highlighting their earthly expectations versus the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is deeply embedded within Jesus' Farewell Discourse, spanning [John 13](/john/13 "John 13 - Jesus Washes Disciples' Feet") through [John 17](/john/17 "John 17 - Jesus' High Priestly Prayer"). Delivered in the Upper Room on the night of His betrayal, this discourse is Jesus' final, extended teaching to His disciples before His crucifixion. [John 16:17](/john/16-17 "John 16:17 - Disciples' Perplexity") directly follows Jesus' statement in [John 16:16](/john/16-16 "John 16:16 - Jesus' Cryptic Words"), where He first introduces the enigmatic "little while" phrases. The disciples' private questioning among themselves in [John 16:17](/john/16-17 "John 16:17 - Disciples' Perplexity") serves as a narrative device, underscoring their bewilderment and setting the stage for Jesus to offer further clarification and comfort in the subsequent verses ([John 16:18-24](/john/16-18-24 "John 16:18-24 - Jesus Explains His Words")). The entire discourse aims to prepare them for His physical absence, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the continuation of their mission.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is Jerusalem, during the Passover feast, a time imbued with deep historical and eschatological significance for the Jewish people. The disciples, like most Jews of their time, held strong messianic expectations of a conquering king who would liberate Israel from Roman rule and establish an earthly kingdom. Jesus' repeated allusions to suffering, death, and departure, particularly His "going to the Father," directly contradicted these deeply ingrained nationalistic and political hopes. Their cultural framework lacked a precedent for a Messiah who would die and then return spiritually or ascend to heaven. This fundamental disconnect between their earthly understanding of the Messiah and Jesus' divine mission explains their profound confusion and inability to grasp the spiritual implications of His words, even as He spoke plainly about His impending passion and glorification.

* **Key Themes:** The central theme in [John 16:17](/john/16-17 "John 16:17 - Disciples' Perplexity") is the **disciples' profound perplexity and limited understanding** of Jesus' divine plan. Despite three years of direct teaching, they struggle to reconcile His talk of departure with His promise of return, especially in light of His going "to the Father." This highlights the human tendency to interpret spiritual truths through a material lens. Another key theme is the **significance of the "little while"**, a phrase repeated twice. The first "little while" refers to the brief period leading to Jesus' crucifixion and burial, during which His physical presence would be absent from them ([John 19:30](/john/19-30 "John 19:30 - Jesus' Death on the Cross")). The second "little while" denotes the even shorter interval until His glorious resurrection appearances, when they would indeed see Him again ([John 20:19](/john/20-19 "John 20:19 - Jesus Appears to Disciples")). Finally, the phrase **"Because I go to the Father"** introduces the crucial theme of Jesus' ultimate glorification and ascension. His return to the Father is not an abandonment but the necessary culmination of His earthly mission and the prerequisite for the sending of the [Holy Spirit, the Helper](/john/16-7 "John 16:7 - The Promise of the Helper"), who would enable a new, deeper form of communion with believers.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Disciples (Greek, _mathētḗs'_):** From _manthanō_, meaning "to learn," a _mathētḗs_ is a learner or pupil. In this context, it emphasizes their role as students of Jesus, yet despite their proximity and instruction, they remain perplexed, highlighting the gap between intellectual hearing and spiritual comprehension of divine truth.
* **Said (Greek, _légō'_):** A primary verb meaning "to lay forth" or "relate in words," often implying systematic or set discourse. Here, it refers to the disciples' internal, private discussion, contrasting with Jesus' more formal teaching style. Their "saying among themselves" indicates their inability to directly ask Jesus, perhaps out of fear or embarrassment, and their attempt to collectively decipher His enigmatic words.
* **A little while (Greek, _mikrón'_):** A neuter singular noun meaning "a small space of time or degree." Its repetition underscores the brevity of the periods Jesus describes—both His impending physical absence (death) and His subsequent reappearance (resurrection). The disciples' inability to grasp this brevity, despite the direct statement, points to their focus on the immediate, tangible loss rather than the spiritual victory and new form of presence to come.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then said some of his disciples among themselves":** This opening clause immediately establishes the setting of private, internal dialogue among the disciples. It reveals their confusion and hesitation to directly question Jesus, perhaps due to the solemnity of the moment or their embarrassment at not understanding. Their discussion "among themselves" indicates a shared bewilderment.
* **"What is this that he saith unto us":** This rhetorical question expresses the core of their perplexity. They are not merely confused by a single word but by the entire concept Jesus is presenting. The phrase "this that he saith unto us" highlights their direct engagement with His words, even if their understanding is lacking.
* **"A little while, and ye shall not see me:":** This is the first part of Jesus' enigmatic statement that causes their confusion. It refers to the brief period between His imminent death and burial, during which His physical presence would be absent from them. The disciples interpreted "not see me" in a purely physical, permanent sense, failing to grasp the temporary nature of His absence.
* **"and again, a little while, and ye shall see me:":** This second part of Jesus' statement, seemingly contradictory to the first, deepens their bewilderment. It refers to the even shorter period until His post-resurrection appearances, when He would physically manifest Himself to them again. The juxtaposition of "not see" and "see" within two "little whiles" is the crux of their misunderstanding.
* **"and, Because I go to the Father?":** This final clause is Jesus' explanation for the preceding statements, yet it only adds to the disciples' confusion. His going "to the Father" implies His ascension and glorification, which they could not reconcile with their earthly understanding of the Messiah. They couldn't connect His departure to a higher purpose or a new form of presence.

#### Literary Devices
John 16:17 employs several literary devices to convey the disciples' state of mind and the unfolding drama. **Repetition** is prominent with the phrase "a little while," emphasizing the brevity of the periods Jesus describes, yet paradoxically, it contributes to the disciples' confusion because they cannot reconcile the two brief, seemingly contradictory "little whiles." The disciples' question, "What is this that he saith unto us," functions as a **Rhetorical Question**, not posed for an answer from Jesus, but as an expression of their collective bewilderment and internal struggle. There is also a subtle **Irony** at play: Jesus is speaking plainly about His death and resurrection, yet the disciples, despite their close relationship with Him, are completely unable to grasp the spiritual reality behind His words, demonstrating the profound gap between divine truth and human perception. This moment also serves as **Foreshadowing**, hinting at the impending sorrow and temporary separation the disciples would experience, which would then be transformed into joy upon Jesus' resurrection.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
John 16:17, though a moment of confusion, profoundly connects to the broader theological themes of divine timing, the nature of spiritual understanding, and the transition from physical presence to spiritual indwelling. The disciples' inability to grasp Jesus' words underscores the human limitation in comprehending God's redemptive plan, especially when it involves suffering and departure before glorification. This passage highlights that God's ways are often beyond our immediate understanding, requiring faith and patience. Jesus' "going to the Father" is not an end but a necessary step in His glorification, which paves the way for the sending of the Holy Spirit, transforming their relationship from physical proximity to spiritual intimacy. This shift is central to the New Covenant, where believers experience Christ's presence not through sight but through the Spirit's indwelling.

* [John 20:19](/john/20-19 "John 20:19 - Jesus Appears to the Disciples After Resurrection")
* [Acts 1:9](/acts/1-9 "Acts 1:9 - Jesus' Ascension to Heaven")
* [John 14:26](/john/14-26 "John 14:26 - The Holy Spirit as the Comforter")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The disciples' perplexity in John 16:17 offers a mirror for our own spiritual journeys. Like them, we often face seasons of confusion, doubt, or perceived absence of God's clear direction, especially when our expectations of how God should act clash with the unfolding reality. The "little while" reminds us that even the most challenging or seemingly contradictory periods in our lives are temporary in light of God's eternal purposes. It encourages us to cultivate trust in God's perfect timing and His overarching plan, even when we cannot fully comprehend its immediate details. This passage invites us to move beyond a purely physical or immediate understanding of God's presence and to embrace the deeper, spiritual communion offered through the Holy Spirit. Our ultimate hope is anchored not in what we can immediately see or understand, but in the certainty of Christ's promises and His eventual return, which will bring about a complete and eternal reunion.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "little whiles" in your life have felt confusing or contradictory, and how did you navigate them?**
* **How do you reconcile your expectations of God's presence with times when He feels distant or His plan seems unclear?**
* **In what ways does this passage encourage you to trust in God's timing, even when you don't fully understand it?**
* **How can you cultivate a deeper spiritual awareness of Christ's presence, beyond what is physically perceptible?**

### FAQ

**What did Jesus mean by the repeated phrase "a little while"?**

Answer: Jesus used "a little while" to refer to two distinct, brief periods. The first "little while" (when they would "not see" Him) referred to the very short time until His crucifixion, death, and burial, during which His physical presence would be absent from His disciples. This period culminated on the cross, as recorded in [John 19:30](/john/19-30 "John 19:30 - Jesus' Death on the Cross"). The second "little while" (when they would "see" Him again) referred to the even shorter interval until His glorious resurrection appearances, when He would physically manifest Himself to them again, as seen in passages like [John 20:19](/john/20-19 "John 20:19 - Jesus Appears to Disciples After Resurrection"). These were not long, drawn-out periods but brief, intense moments of transition.

**Why were the disciples so confused by Jesus' words in John 16:17?**

Answer: The disciples' confusion stemmed primarily from their deeply ingrained Jewish messianic expectations. They anticipated a conquering Messiah who would establish an earthly kingdom and liberate Israel, not one who would suffer, die, and depart. Jesus' talk of "not seeing" Him and "going to the Father" directly contradicted their understanding of a perpetually present, reigning king. They were thinking in purely physical and temporal terms, unable to grasp the spiritual and eschatological dimensions of Jesus' mission, including His death, resurrection, and ascension. Their earthly perspective prevented them from comprehending the divine plan that required His departure for His glorification and the subsequent sending of the Holy Spirit.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
John 16:17, a moment of profound confusion for the disciples, is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, marking a pivotal transition in God's redemptive history. Jesus' "little while" of not being seen refers to His sacrificial death on the cross, the ultimate act of atonement for humanity's sins, as prophesied throughout the Old Testament and completed at Calvary ([John 19:30](/john/19-30 "John 19:30 - Jesus' Last Words on the Cross")). The subsequent "little while" when they would "see" Him again points directly to His glorious resurrection from the dead, demonstrating His victory over sin and death and inaugurating the new creation ([John 20](/john/20 "John 20 - The Resurrection of Jesus")). His declaration, "Because I go to the Father," is the necessary prelude to His ascension and glorification ([Acts 1:9-11](/acts/1-9-11 "Acts 1:9-11 - Jesus' Ascension")), which in turn enables the sending of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter ([John 16:7](/john/16-7 "John 16:7 - The Promise of the Helper")). This spiritual indwelling of the Spirit means that believers now experience a deeper, more intimate communion with Christ than even the disciples did during His earthly ministry. Thus, the temporary physical absence leads to an eternal spiritual presence, fulfilling God's plan to draw humanity into fellowship with the Triune God through Christ's completed work.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

John 16:16

¶ 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.

John 16:5

But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

Mark 9:32

But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

John 16:19

Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

John 14:5

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

John 12:16

These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and [that] they had done these things unto him.

Mark 9:10

And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.