John 16:16-24

ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE AMERICAN EDITOR.

Vv. 16-24.

1. The connection of the μικρόν with what precedes and the similarity in the expression to that in John 14:19 show that the two passages refer to the same thing. For the evidence that the reference is to the time of and after the coming of the Spirit, see Note 37, 3, above. It has been claimed that as θεωρεῖτε of John 16:16 is used of the bodily sight, so ὄψεσθε must have the same meaning. But the possibility of a change to a spiritual sense can hardly be denied, when we study the sayings of Jesus which are recorded in this Gospel; and whether such a change is made in this case is to be determined by the indications of the following context. These, as we have already seen, make the change evident.

2. The words ὄτι ὑπάγω κ. τ. λ., which are found in the T. R. at the end of the 16th verse, are omitted by Tischendorf, 8th ed., Westcott and Hort, Meyer, Alford, Weiss, and others. The external evidence is very strong against the genuineness of the words. The explanation of their use in the 17th verse is less difficult, if they are read in John 16:16; but it is, no doubt, possible to account for them in John 16:17 as derived from John 16:10. In the latter case Weiss is right, as against Meyer, in supposing that the words are introduced by the disciples as making the difficulty of understanding the meaning still greater, rather than with the feeling that the explanation of the latter words might serve for the clearing up of the former.

3. The answer which Jesus gives to their question and difficulty begins in John 16:20. But He reaches the explanation in an indirect way, by calling to their minds, first, the sorrow which they would feel, and the triumphant joy of the world, in consequence of His removal by death. This sorrow, however, would be only of brief duration, for, secondly, in consequence of His seeing them again, they would have a permanent joy. The coming joy, thirdly, would be connected with the fact that they would have intercourse with the Father through prayer in the name of Jesus, the answers to which would make their rejoicing complete. This third point in the answer shows the meaning of the ὄψεσθε and ὄψομαι : it is that seeing which belongs to the period of prayer (αἰτεῖν) addressed to the Father in the name of Jesus, and not of questions (ἐρωτᾷν) addressed to Jesus Himself that is to say, the period when Jesus was not physically, but spiritually present with the disciples.

4. Weiss claims that the emphatic ἐμέ shows that Jesus is speaking of a time when He is personally (physically) present with the disciples, because, when He was not thus present, there could be no thought of such questioning of Him. But the real force of this emphatic ἐμέ is this: that their permanent joy was to be connected with a new intercourse with the Divine Being, not that of questions presented to Him, but of prayers offered to God the Father in His name. The emphasis on ἐμέ is thus completely accounted for, while the general reference is to the time which was to follow the coming of the Spirit.

5. That ἐρωτᾷν must mean ask in the way of question, cannot be affirmed; in John 16:26 it probably means ask in the way of petition. But the contrast of the 23d verse renders it almost certain that such is the meaning of the verb ἐρωτήσετε in this case. It is hardly possible that, when Jesus was present with them so that they could speak with Him, they should not have asked Him questions.