ὀρφανούς. Desolate, or (with Wiclif) fatherless, as in James 1:27, the only other place in N.T. where it occurs. ‘Comfortless’ gives unfair support to ‘Comforter’: there is no connexion between ὀρφανός and παράκλητος. The connexion is rather with τεκνἱα in John 13:33 : He will not leave His ‘little children’ fatherless.

ἔρχ. πρός. I am coming unto you, in the Spirit, whom I will send. The context seems to shew clearly that Christ’s spiritual reunion with them through the Paraclete, and not His bodily reunion with them either through the Resurrection or through the final Return, is intended. Note the frequent and impressive asyndeton in John 14:17-20.

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Old Testament