John 15 · Verse 20

John 15:20

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
John 15:20, King James Version

John 15:20 in other translations

BSBRemember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.
WEBRemember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
ASVRemember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.
YLT‘Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord; if me they did persecute, you also they will persecute; if my word they did keep, yours also they will keep;
DARBYRemember the word which I said unto you, The bondman is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my word, they will keep also yours.
BBEKeep in mind the words I said to you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they were cruel to me, they will be cruel to you; if they kept my words, they will keep yours.
WebsterRemember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

What does John 15:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 15:17-21

17-21. The substance of these important verses has occurred more than once before. (See on Mt 10:34-36; Lu 12:49-53, &c.).

Read the full comment on John 15:17-21 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. Remember the word that I said, &c. At their first appointment to the apostolic office. See Mt 10:24, 25.

(w) "Remember" Mt 10:24, Lk 6:40, Jn 13:16 (x) "if they have kept" Eze 3:7

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 If they have kept my saying - Or, doctrine. Whosoever acknowledges me for the Christ will acknowledge you for my ministers. Some translate the passage thus: If they have Watched my sayings, i.e. with an intent to accuse me for something which I have said, they will Watch yours also: therefore be on your guard. Παρατηρειν has this sense, as we have had occasion to observe before; and perhaps τηρειν has the same sense here, as it is much more agreeable to the context.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 15:18-25

How little do many persons think, that in opposing the doctrine of Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, they prove themselves ignorant of the one living and true God, whom they profess to worship! The name into which Christ's disciples were baptized, is that which they will live and die by. It is a comfort to the greatest sufferers, if they suffer for Christ's name's sake. The world's ignorance is the true cause…

Read the full comment on John 15:18-25 →

John 15:20 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

μνημονεύετεmnēmoneuetedo rememberG3421
τοῦtoutheG3588
λόγουlogouwordG3056
οὗhouthatG3739
ἐγὼegōI myselfG1473
εἶπονeiponsaidG2036
ὑμῖν·huminto you:G4771
οὐκoukNotG3756
ἔστινestinisG1510
δοῦλοςdoulosa servantG1401
μείζωνmeizōngreaterG3173
τοῦtouthan theG3588
κυρίουkurioumasterG2962
αὐτοῦ.autouof him.G846
εἰeiIfG1487
ἐμὲemeMe myselfG1473
ἐδίωξανediōxanthey persecutedG1377
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
διώξουσιν·diōxousinthey will persecute;G1377
εἰeiifG1487
τὸνtontheG3588
λόγονlogonwordG3056
μουmouof MineG3165
ἐτήρησανetērēsanthey keptG5083
καὶkaialsoG2532
τὸνton<the>G3588
ὑμέτερονhumeteronyoursG4771
τηρήσουσιν.tērēsousinthey will keep.G5083

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 15:20

  • 2 Timothy 3:12

    Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

  • John 13:16

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

  • Matthew 10:24

    The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

  • Ezekiel 3:7

    But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:12

    And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

  • 2 Corinthians 4:9

    Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

  • Luke 6:40

    The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

  • Isaiah 53:1-3

    Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

  • John 8:51

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

  • Acts 4:27-30

    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

  • John 10:31

    Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:15

    Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
word.
5:16; 7:32; 8:59; 10:31; 11:57; 13:16; Mt 10:24; Lu 2:34; 6:40
Ac 4:27-30; 7:52-60; 1Th 2:15
if they have kept.
1Sa 8:7; Isa 53:1-3; Eze 3:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 15:19

    If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

  • John 15:20

    Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

  • John 15:21

    But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Read all of John 15

John 15:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Acordaos de la palabra que yo os he dicho: No es el siervo mayor que su señor. Si á mí me han perseguido, también á vosotros perseguirán: si han guardado mi palabra, también guardarán la vuestra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Souvenez-vous de la parole que moi je vous ai dite: L’esclave n’est pas plus grand que son maître. S’ils m’ont persécuté, ils vous persécuteront aussi; s’ils ont gardé ma parole, ils garderont aussi la vôtre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Gedenket des Wortes, das ich euch gesagt habe: Ein Knecht ist nicht größer als sein Herr. Wenn sie mich verfolgt haben, werden sie auch euch verfolgen; wenn sie mein Wort gehalten haben, werden sie auch das eure halten.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Mementote sermonis mei, quem ego dixi vobis: non est servus major domino suo. Si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur; si sermonem meum servaverunt, et vestrum servabunt.