John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
John 15:22 in other translations
| BSB | If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. |
|---|---|
| WEB | If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. |
| ASV | If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. |
| YLT | if I had not come and spoken to them, they were not having sin; but now pretext they have not for their sin. |
| DARBY | If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. |
| BBE | If I had not come and been their teacher they would have had no sin: but now they have no reason to give for their sin. |
| Webster | If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. |
What does John 15:22 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 15:22-25
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
Had not had sin. This is evidently to be understood of the particular sin of persecuting and rejecting him. Of this he was speaking; and though, if he had not come, they would have been guilty of many other sins, yet of this, their great crowning sin, they would not have been guilty. We may understand this, then, as teaching,
1st. That they would not have been guilty of this kind of sin. They would not have been chargeable with rejecting the signal grace of God if Jesus had not come and made an offer of mercy to them.
2nd. They would not have been guilty of the same degree of sin. The rejection of the Messiah was the crowning act of rebellion which brought down the vengeance of God, and led on their peculiar national calamities. By way of eminence, therefore, this might be called the sin--the peculiar sin of their age and nation. Comp. Mt 23:34-39, 27:25. And this shows us, what is so often taught in the Scriptures, that our guilt will be in proportion to the light that we possess and the mercies that we reject, Mt 11:20-24, Lk 12:47,48. If it was such a crime to reject the Saviour then, it is a crime now; and if the rejection of the Son of God brought such calamities on the Jewish nation, the same rejection will involve the sinner now in woe, and vengeance, and despair.
No cloak. No covering, no excuse. The proof has been so clear that they cannot plead ignorance; it has been so often presented that they cannot allege that they had no opportunity of knowing it. It is still so with all sinners.
(z) "If I had not come" Jn 9:41 (a) "but now " Jas 4:17 (2) "cloak" or, "excuse"
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
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…
John 15:22 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for John 15:22
- John 9:41
Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
- James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
- Acts 17:30
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
- Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
- John 12:48
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
- Ezekiel 33:31-33
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
- Hebrews 6:4-8
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: …
- John 3:18-21
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
- 1 Peter 2:16
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
- Ezekiel 2:5
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
- Luke 12:46
The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
- 2 Corinthians 2:14-16
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- 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.
- John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
- John 15:23
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:22 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Si no hubiera venido, ni les hubiera hablado, no tendrían pecado, mas ahora no tienen excusa de su pecado. |
|---|---|
| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Si je n’étais pas venu, et que je ne leur aie pas parlé, ils n’auraient pas eu de péché; mais maintenant ils n’ont pas de prétexte pour leur péché. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wenn ich nicht gekommen wäre und zu ihnen geredet hätte, so hätten sie keine Sünde; jetzt aber haben sie keinen Vorwand für ihre Sünde. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Si non venissem, et locutus fuissem eis, peccatum non haberent: nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo. |