John / Chapter 14

John 14

31 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 1 tradition available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

John 14 is part of Jesus's Farewell Discourse, delivered to his disciples on the night before his crucifixion. Jesus consoles the troubled disciples by promising that his Father's house has many rooms and that he goes to prepare a place for them. He declares himself 'the way, the truth, and the life' — the exclusive path to the Father. He promises that those who believe will do even greater works, that prayers in his name will be answered, and that the Father will send another Advocate (Parakletos), the Spirit of Truth, to be with them forever. The chapter closes with Jesus bequeathing his peace — distinct from the world's peace — and urging the disciples not to be troubled or afraid.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

This chapter contains some of the most theologically concentrated statements in the New Testament. The 'I am the way' declaration (14:6) is the sixth of John's seven great 'I am' sayings. The introduction of the Parakletos ('Advocate, Helper, Comforter') is unique to John's Gospel and becomes the foundation for later trinitarian theology. Jesus's language moves fluidly between departure and presence — he is leaving, yet he will come to them; they will not see him, yet they will see him. This paradox is resolved through the Spirit, who makes Jesus's continued presence real after his physical departure. The phrase 'my Father's house' (14:2) has been debated for centuries: does it refer to heaven as a destination, or to the temple as a community of God's dwelling?

Translation Friction

The Greek monai ('rooms, dwelling places') in verse 2 has traditionally been rendered 'mansions' (KJV), following the Latin Vulgate's mansiones. The Greek word simply means 'dwelling places' or 'rooms' and carries no connotation of luxury. The term Parakletos (14:16, 26) resists single-word translation: 'Comforter' (KJV), 'Advocate,' 'Helper,' and 'Counselor' each capture only part of its legal and relational semantic range. We render it 'Advocate' with notation. The relationship between 14:28 ('the Father is greater than I') and Johannine high Christology has generated extensive theological debate; we render the Greek as stated without harmonizing.

Connections

The Farewell Discourse (John 13-17) parallels Moses's farewell in Deuteronomy and David's in 1 Chronicles 28-29. The Parakletos promise anticipates the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2. 'I am the way' connects to Old Testament path/way imagery (Psalm 1, Isaiah 40:3). The 'many rooms' language echoes temple theology and Ezekiel's vision of the restored temple. Jesus's peace declaration (14:27) contrasts with the world's shalom and connects to Isaiah's 'Prince of Peace' (Isaiah 9:6). **Tradition comparisons:** The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Via, veritas, et vita (way, truth, and life) — the alliterative triple-v in Latin became one of the most memorable christological formulas. The phrase was inscribed in churches, illuminated in manuscr... See the [Vulgate John](/vulgate/john).

John 14:1

Μὴ ταρασσέσθω ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία· πιστεύετε εἰς τὸν θεόν, καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ πιστεύετε.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

KJV Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb tarassestho ('be troubled, be agitated') is the same word used of Jesus himself in 11:33 and 13:21. The imperative can be read as either indicative-then-imperative ('you believe in God; believe also in me') or as two imperatives ('believe in God, and believe in me'). The Greek is ambiguous; we follow the more traditional reading that takes the first clause as indicative.
John 14:2

ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πατρός μου μοναὶ πολλαί εἰσιν· εἰ δὲ μή, εἶπον ἂν ὑμῖν ὅτι πορεύομαι ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν;

In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

KJV In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

μοναί monai
"rooms" — dwelling places, rooms, abiding places, resting places

From meno ('to remain, abide'). The word occurs only here and in 14:23 in the entire New Testament. It denotes a place of settled residence, not a temporary stop.

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek monai ('dwelling places, rooms') has been famously rendered 'mansions' in the KJV, following the Latin Vulgate's mansiones. The Greek word carries no connotation of grandeur; it simply means 'abiding places' or 'rooms,' from the verb meno ('to remain, abide'), a key Johannine term. The punctuation of this verse is debated: some take 'I go to prepare a place for you' as a statement, others as part of the preceding question. We follow the reading that takes the final clause as part of the rhetorical question.
John 14:3

καὶ ἐὰν πορευθῶ καὶ ἑτοιμάσω τόπον ὑμῖν, πάλιν ἔρχομαι καὶ παραλήμψομαι ὑμᾶς πρὸς ἐμαυτόν, ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἦτε.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, you also may be.

KJV And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb paralempomai ('take to myself, receive') implies personal accompaniment, not merely granting access. The promise 'where I am, you also may be' is the heart of Johannine eschatology — the goal of salvation is being with Jesus. Whether this refers to his return at death, at the resurrection, or at the parousia has been debated since the earliest centuries.
John 14:4

καὶ ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω οἴδατε τὴν ὁδόν.

And you know the way to where I am going.

KJV And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Some manuscripts read 'you know where I am going, and you know the way,' which the KJV follows. The SBLGNT follows the shorter reading, which is more likely original and sets up Thomas's question in verse 5 more naturally.
John 14:5

λέγει αὐτῷ Θωμᾶς· κύριε, οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ὑπάγεις· πῶς δυνάμεθα τὴν ὁδὸν εἰδέναι;

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Thomas's honest confusion mirrors the recurring Johannine pattern of misunderstanding that leads to deeper revelation. His question provokes one of the Gospel's most important declarations. Thomas appears elsewhere in John as a figure of honest doubt (11:16, 20:24-29).
John 14:6

λέγει αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς· ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι' ἐμοῦ.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

KJV Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

ἐγώ εἰμι ego eimi
"I am" — I am, I exist, it is I

The Johannine 'I am' formula echoes the divine self-disclosure in Exodus 3:14 (Hebrew ehyeh, LXX ego eimi). Each 'I am' saying in John is a christological claim with Old Testament resonance.

ὁδός hodos
"way" — way, road, path, journey, manner of life

Connects to the Old Testament 'way of the LORD' (derek YHWH) and the early church's self-designation as 'the Way' (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23).

Translator Notes

  1. This is the sixth of John's seven great ego eimi ('I am') declarations. The three nouns — hodos ('way'), aletheia ('truth'), zoe ('life') — may be read as three coordinate claims or as a single claim with two appositional qualifiers: 'I am the way, that is, the truth and the life.' The definite articles before each noun are emphatic: not a way but the way. The exclusivity clause ('no one comes to the Father except through me') is absolute in the Greek and we render it without softening.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 384 CE)

"I am the way and the truth and the life"

Via, veritas, et vita (way, truth, and life) — the alliterative triple-v in Latin became one of the most memorable christological formulas. The phrase was inscribed in churches, illuminated in manuscripts, and became the basis for Christian exclusivism ('no one comes to the Father except through me').

John 14:7

εἰ ἐγνώκατέ με, καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου γνώσεσθε· καὶ ἀπ' ἄρτι γινώσκετε αὐτὸν καὶ ἑωράκατε αὐτόν.

If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The textual tradition is divided between a contrary-to-fact condition ('if you had known me, you would have known') and a fulfilled condition ('if you have known me, you will know'). The SBLGNT follows the latter reading, which is more encouraging than rebuking. The claim that they have 'seen' the Father through knowing Jesus anticipates Philip's question in verse 8.
John 14:8

λέγει αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· κύριε, δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν.

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."

KJV Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Philip's request echoes Moses's plea in Exodus 33:18 ('Show me your glory'). The verb deiknumi ('show, reveal') implies a visible manifestation. Philip has not yet grasped that seeing Jesus is seeing the Father — the central christological claim of the Fourth Gospel.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Exodus 33:18 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
John 14:9

λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκάς με, Φίλιππε; ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα· πῶς σὺ λέγεις· δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν πατέρα;

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

KJV Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The statement 'whoever has seen me has seen the Father' (ho heorakos eme heoraken ton patera) is one of the highest christological claims in the New Testament. The perfect tense heoraken implies a completed seeing with continuing results. Jesus is not merely a representative of God but the visible manifestation of the invisible Father (cf. Colossians 1:15).
John 14:10

οὐ πιστεύεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν; τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

KJV Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The mutual indwelling formula — 'I in the Father and the Father in me' — is a distinctive Johannine expression of the unity between Father and Son. The verb meno ('dwell, abide, remain') is one of John's most important theological terms. Jesus grounds his claim not in abstract theology but in observable evidence: his words and works are the Father's own activity.
John 14:11

πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· εἰ δὲ μή, διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετε.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

KJV Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus offers two grounds for faith: his word and his works. The appeal to works as evidence recalls 10:38 and anticipates the theme of signs throughout John. The concessive 'or else' (ei de me) acknowledges that direct trust in his word is the higher form of faith, while trust based on evidence is still valid.
John 14:12

ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ κἀκεῖνος ποιήσει, καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει, ὅτι ἐγὼ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα πορεύομαι.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

KJV Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The double amen ('truly, truly') is a distinctive Johannine formula that introduces solemn declarations. The promise of 'greater works' (meizona touton) is striking — greater than Jesus's own miracles. The 'because' clause (hoti) ties the greater works to Jesus's departure: his going to the Father enables the sending of the Spirit, which empowers the disciples' mission.
John 14:13

καὶ ὅ τι ἂν αἰτήσητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου τοῦτο ποιήσω, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ.

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

KJV And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Asking 'in my name' (en to onomati mou) is not a formula appended to prayers but denotes asking in accord with Jesus's character, mission, and authority. The purpose clause — 'so that the Father may be glorified in the Son' — defines the scope and aim of such prayer.
John 14:14

ἐάν τι αἰτήσητέ με ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐγὼ ποιήσω.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

KJV If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. This verse repeats and reinforces the promise of verse 13. Some manuscripts omit 'me' (me), making the request directed to the Father rather than to Jesus. The SBLGNT includes it, placing Jesus as both the mediator and the one who acts.
John 14:15

ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολὰς τὰς ἐμὰς τηρήσετε·

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

KJV If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The future indicative teresete ('you will keep') is preferable to reading this as an imperative ('keep'). Jesus states a fact about love's nature rather than issuing a command: genuine love for him will naturally express itself in obedience. This connection between love and obedience is a central theme of the Farewell Discourse.
John 14:16

κἀγὼ ἐρωτήσω τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἄλλον παράκλητον δώσει ὑμῖν, ἵνα μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ᾖ,

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever —

KJV And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

παράκλητος parakletos
"Advocate" — advocate, helper, comforter, counselor, intercessor, one called alongside

A legal term for one who speaks on another's behalf in court. In the Johannine context it encompasses comfort, teaching, conviction, and guidance. Jesus himself is called a parakletos in 1 John 2:1.

Translator Notes

  1. The word Parakletos appears only in John's writings in the New Testament (here, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, and 1 John 2:1). The KJV's 'Comforter' follows the Latin consolator but captures only one dimension. The Greek term has legal overtones ('advocate, one called alongside to help') and relational dimensions ('counselor, helper'). We render it 'Advocate' while acknowledging the broader range. The word allon ('another') implies one of the same kind — the Spirit is another Advocate like Jesus himself.
John 14:17

τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὃ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐ θεωρεῖ αὐτὸ οὐδὲ γινώσκει· ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε αὐτό, ὅτι παρ' ὑμῖν μένει καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσται.

Even the Spirit of truth. Whom the world cannot accept, because it sees him not, neither knows him — but you know him. Since he dwelleth with you, and will be in you.

KJV Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'Spirit of truth' (to pneuma tes aletheias) identifies the Advocate with truth itself — a key Johannine theme (cf. 'I am the truth,' 14:6). The contrast between the world's inability and the disciples' capacity to receive the Spirit is absolute. The shift from 'remains with you' (present tense, menei) to 'will be in you' (future, estai) marks a transition from the Spirit's presence alongside them during Jesus's ministry to the Spirit's indwelling after Pentecost.
John 14:18

Οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανούς, ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

I will not leave you as orphans. I am coming to you.

KJV I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek orphanous ('orphans') is more specific than the KJV's 'comfortless.' The metaphor casts the disciples as children who would be fatherless without Jesus's continued presence. The present tense erchomai ('I am coming') conveys certainty and immediacy rather than a distant future event.
John 14:19

ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ὁ κόσμος με οὐκέτι θεωρεῖ, ὑμεῖς δὲ θεωρεῖτέ με, ὅτι ἐγὼ ζῶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσετε.

In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

KJV Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The contrast between the world and the disciples regarding 'seeing' Jesus extends beyond physical sight to spiritual perception. The declaration 'because I live, you also will live' compresses the entire Christian hope into a single sentence — the disciples' life depends on and flows from Jesus's resurrection life.
John 14:20

ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε ὑμεῖς ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ κἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν.

On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

KJV At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The mutual indwelling now extends beyond the Father-Son relationship (v. 10) to include the disciples: Father in Son, Son in believers, believers in Son. This threefold chain of indwelling is the Johannine vision of salvation — not merely forgiveness but participatory union. 'That day' likely refers to the post-resurrection encounters and the coming of the Spirit.
John 14:21

ὁ ἔχων τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τηρῶν αὐτὰς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαπῶν με· ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν με ἀγαπηθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου, κἀγὼ ἀγαπήσω αὐτὸν καὶ ἐμφανίσω αὐτῷ ἐμαυτόν.

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

KJV He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chain of love is striking: the believer's love for Jesus expressed through obedience leads to the Father's love for the believer and Jesus's self-revelation. The verb emphaniso ('reveal, manifest, make visible') suggests a personal, experiential disclosure — not merely intellectual knowledge but encounter.
John 14:22

λέγει αὐτῷ Ἰούδας, οὐχ ὁ Ἰσκαριώτης· κύριε, τί γέγονεν ὅτι ἡμῖν μέλλεις ἐμφανίζειν σεαυτὸν καὶ οὐχὶ τῷ κόσμῳ;

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"

KJV Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The parenthetical 'not Iscariot' distinguishes this Judas from the betrayer, who has already departed (13:30). This is likely the same as 'Judas son of James' in Luke 6:16. His question reflects the common expectation that the Messiah would manifest himself publicly to the entire world, not privately to a small group.
John 14:23

ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ με τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσει, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ἀγαπήσει αὐτόν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα.

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

KJV Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The word monen ('home, dwelling place') is the singular of the monai ('rooms') in verse 2. There, Jesus goes to prepare rooms in the Father's house for the disciples; here, the Father and Son come to make a dwelling within the believer. The movement is reciprocal: believers dwell in God's house, and God dwells in believers. The first-person plural 'we will come' (eleusometha) unites Father and Son in a single action toward the believer.
John 14:24

ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με τοὺς λόγους μου οὐ τηρεῖ· καὶ ὁ λόγος ὃν ἀκούετε οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸς ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντός με πατρός.

Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

KJV He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The negative counterpart to verse 23: failure to keep Jesus's words reveals the absence of love. The second clause reinforces the unity of Father and Son — rejecting Jesus's words is rejecting the Father's words. The shift from 'words' (logous, plural) to 'word' (logos, singular) may suggest that Jesus's individual sayings constitute a unified message.
John 14:25

Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν παρ' ὑμῖν μένων·

These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you.

KJV These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The perfect tense lelaleka ('I have spoken') emphasizes the lasting significance of what has been said. The phrase 'while remaining with you' (par hymin menon) uses the key Johannine verb meno and marks the transition from Jesus's physical presence to the Spirit's coming ministry.
John 14:26

ὁ δὲ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα ἃ εἶπον ὑμῖν ἐγώ.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

KJV But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

παράκλητος parakletos
"Advocate" — advocate, helper, comforter, counselor, intercessor

Here explicitly identified with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's role as teacher and reminder connects to the Jewish concept of the Spirit of prophecy who inspired and illuminated Scripture.

Translator Notes

  1. Here the Parakletos is explicitly identified as the Holy Spirit (to pneuma to hagion). The Spirit's twofold ministry is teaching and reminding — not introducing new content unrelated to Jesus but illuminating and recalling what Jesus has already taught. The Father sends the Spirit 'in Jesus's name' (en to onomati mou), meaning in Jesus's authority and as his representative.
John 14:27

Εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν· οὐ καθὼς ὁ κόσμος δίδωσιν ἐγὼ δίδωμι ὑμῖν. μὴ ταρασσέσθω ὑμῶν ἡ καρδία μηδὲ δειλιάτω.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.

KJV Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

εἰρήνη eirene
"peace" — peace, wholeness, well-being, harmony, reconciliation

The Greek equivalent of Hebrew shalom. In the farewell context, this is Jesus's bequest — the gift he leaves behind as he departs. It is both a present possession and an eschatological promise.

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek eirene corresponds to the Hebrew shalom, which encompasses wholeness, well-being, and right relationship — far more than the absence of conflict. Jesus distinguishes his peace from the world's peace: the world offers temporary, conditional peace; Jesus offers a peace grounded in his relationship with the Father. The repetition of 'do not let your hearts be troubled' forms an inclusio with verse 1, framing the entire chapter. The verb deiliao ('be afraid, be cowardly') appears only here in the New Testament.
John 14:28

ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· ὑπάγω καὶ ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. εἰ ἠγαπᾶτέ με ἐχάρητε ἄν, ὅτι πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ μείζων μού ἐστιν.

You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

KJV Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The statement 'the Father is greater than I' (ho pater meizon mou estin) has been one of the most debated verses in christological history. In context, Jesus speaks of his incarnate, pre-glorification state — his return to the Father is a return to glory, which should cause the disciples to rejoice. The statement does not necessarily address the ontological relationship between Father and Son but rather the functional relationship during the incarnation.
John 14:29

καὶ νῦν εἴρηκα ὑμῖν πρὶν γενέσθαι, ἵνα ὅταν γένηται πιστεύσητε.

And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

KJV And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus's foreknowledge serves a pastoral purpose: when the events of the crucifixion unfold, the disciples will remember his predictions and find their faith strengthened rather than destroyed. This pattern of prediction-fulfillment runs throughout John (cf. 13:19, 16:4).
John 14:30

οὐκέτι πολλὰ λαλήσω μεθ' ὑμῶν, ἔρχεται γὰρ ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων· καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἔχει οὐδέν,

I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me,

KJV Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'ruler of this world' (ho tou kosmou archon) refers to Satan (cf. 12:31, 16:11). The declaration 'he has nothing in me' (en emoi ouk echei ouden) means Satan has no claim, no foothold, no authority over Jesus. Jesus goes to the cross not as Satan's victim but voluntarily, as the next verse makes clear.
John 14:31

ἀλλ' ἵνα γνῷ ὁ κόσμος ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ καθὼς ἐνετείλατό μοι ὁ πατήρ, οὕτως ποιῶ. ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν.

However, that the world may know that I love the Father. And as the Father offered me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

KJV But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus frames his approaching death as an act of obedient love toward the Father — the supreme demonstration that the world can see. The command 'Rise, let us go from here' (egeiresthe, agomen enteuthen) suggests a physical departure, yet the discourse continues through chapters 15-17. Some scholars propose that chapters 15-17 were originally spoken en route to Gethsemane; others see a literary rather than geographical transition.
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