John 16 · Verse 12

John 16:12

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
John 16:12, King James Version

John 16:12 in other translations

BSBI still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.
WEB“I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now.
ASVI have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
YLT‘I have yet many things to say to you, but ye are not able to bear them now;
DARBYI have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.
BBEI have still much to say to you, but you are not strong enough for it now.
WebsterI have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now.

What does John 16:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 16:12-15
12-15. when he, the Spirit of truth, is come ... he shall not speak of himself--that is, from Himself, but, like Christ Himself, "what He hears," what is given Him to communicate. he will show you things to come--referring specially to those revelations which, in the Epistles partially, but most fully in the Apocalypse, open up a vista into the Future of the Kingdom of God, whose horizon is the everlasting hills.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 12. I have yet many things to say, &c. There were many things pertaining to the work of the Spirit and the establishment of religion which might be said. Jesus had given them the outline; he had presented to them the great doctrines of the system, but he had not gone into details. These were things which they could not then bear. They were still full of Jewish prejudices, and were not prepared for a full development of his plans. Probably he refers here to the great changes which were to take place in the Jewish system--the abolition of sacrifices and the priest-hood, the change of the Sabbath, the rejection of the Jewish nation, &c. For these doctrines they were not prepared, but they would in due time be taught them by the Holy Spirit.

(i) "ye cannot bear them now" Heb 5:12

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Ye cannot bear them now - In illustration of these three points, Christ had many things to say; but he found that his disciples could only bear general truths; yet, in saying what he did, he sowed the seeds of the whole system of theological knowledge, and heavenly wisdom, which the Holy Spirit of this truth afterwards watered and ripened into a glorious harvest of light and salvation, by the ministry of the apostles. Dr. Lightfoot supposes that the things which the apostles could not bear now were such as these: 1. The institution of the Christian Sabbath, and the abolition of the Jewish. 2. The rejection of the whole Jewish nation, at the very time in which they expected to be set up and established for ever. 3. The entire change of the whole Mosaic dispensation, and the bringing the Gentiles into the Church of God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 16:7-15

Christ's departure was necessary to the Comforter's coming. Sending the Spirit was to be the fruit of Christ's death, which was his going away. His bodily presence could be only in one place at one time, but his Spirit is every where, in all places, at all times, wherever two or three are gathered together in his name. See here the office of the Spirit, first to reprove, or to convince. Convincing work is the…

Read the full comment on John 16:7-15 →

John 16:12 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.

ἜτιEtiYetG2089
πολλὰpollamany thingsG4183
ἔχωechōI haveG2192
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
λέγειν,legeinto sayG3004
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
οὐounotG3756
δύνασθεdunastheyou are ableG1410
βαστάζεινbastazeinto bear themG941
ἄρτι.artinow.G737

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

Cross references for John 16:12

  • Mark 4:33

    And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

  • John 15:15

    Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

  • 1 Corinthians 3:1-2

    And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

  • Acts 1:3

    To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

  • Hebrews 5:11-14

    Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

  • John 14:30

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

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
yet.
14:30; 15:15; Ac 1:3
ye.
Mr 4:33; 1Co 3:1,2; Heb 5:11-14

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

Context

  • John 16:11

    Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

  • John 16:12

    I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

  • John 16:13

    Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Read all of John 16

John 16:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Aun tengo muchas cosas que deciros, mas ahora no las podéis llevar.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		J’ai encore beaucoup de choses à vous dire; mais vous ne pouvez les supporter maintenant.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Noch vieles habe ich euch zu sagen, aber ihr könnt es jetzt nicht tragen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Adhuc multa habeo vobis dicere, sed non potestis portare modo.