John 16:18

They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

They said {G3004} therefore {G3767}, What {G5101} is {G2076} this {G5124} that {G3739} he saith {G3004}, A little while {G3397}? we cannot {G3756}{G1492} tell {G1492} what {G5101} he saith {G2980}.

They went on saying, “What is this ‘little while’? We don’t understand what he’s talking about.”

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

They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.

Commentary

John 16:18 KJV captures the disciples' profound confusion regarding Jesus' cryptic statements about His imminent departure and return. This verse is part of Jesus' Farewell Discourse, where He prepares His followers for events that will shake their world.

Context of John 16:18

This verse immediately follows Jesus' declaration in 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." The disciples, still operating under a worldly understanding of the Messiah's kingdom, struggled to comprehend how their Lord could leave them, only to return quickly. Their bewilderment highlights their human limitations in grasping divine plans, especially those involving suffering and spiritual realities. They were grappling with the concept of His physical absence and subsequent spiritual presence, along with His ultimate return.

Key Themes

  • Disciples' Bewilderment: The core theme is the disciples' inability to understand Jesus' prophetic words. They openly admit, "we cannot tell what he saith," revealing their spiritual immaturity before the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. This confusion is a recurring motif in the Gospels, showing the human struggle to accept divine truth that contradicts expectations.
  • The "Little While" of Separation: Jesus' phrase, repeated for emphasis, refers to the very short period between His crucifixion (when they would "not see" Him) and His resurrection (when they would "see" Him again). It also points to the broader period until His ascension and the subsequent spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, His second coming.
  • Anticipation of Deeper Understanding: While confused at this moment, Jesus was laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding that would come through the Holy Spirit. He had promised the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, who would teach them all things and bring His words to their remembrance.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "a little while" translates from the Greek word mikron (μικρόν), meaning "a small space of time." Its repetition by Jesus in John 16:16 and the disciples' echoing of it here underscores its significance and their perplexity. Their statement, "we cannot tell what he saith," reflects their genuine intellectual and spiritual roadblock, using the Greek ouk oidamen ti lalei, expressing a complete lack of comprehension.

Practical Application and Reflection

The disciples' confusion in John 16:18 offers several timeless lessons for believers today:

  • Patience in Understanding God's Plan: Just as the disciples struggled, we too may face times when God's ways or words seem unclear. This verse encourages patience and trust, reminding us that full understanding often comes in due time, sometimes only after the event unfolds or through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
  • Trust Amidst Uncertainty: Despite their confusion, the disciples remained with Jesus. This teaches us to cling to Christ even when His path for us is obscure or His timing seems strange. Our faith is often tested in the "little while" of waiting and not knowing.
  • Reliance on the Holy Spirit: The disciples' eventual understanding came after the resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This underscores the Holy Spirit's crucial role in helping believers grasp spiritual truths and the deeper meaning of God's Word. We are reminded to seek the Spirit's guidance as we study Scripture, knowing He will guide us into all truth.
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 — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Luke 24:25

    Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

  • Hebrews 5:12

    For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

  • Matthew 16:9

    Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

  • Matthew 16:11

    How is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
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