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.
John 16:13 in other translations
| BSB | However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. |
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| WEB | However, when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. |
| ASV | Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. |
| YLT | and when He may come--the Spirit of truth--He will guide you to all the truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but as many things as He will hear He will speak, and the coming things He will tell you; |
| DARBY | But when he is come, the Spirit of truth, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but whatsoever he shall hear he shall speak; and he will announce to you what is coming. |
| BBE | However, when he, the Spirit of true knowledge, has come, he will be your guide into all true knowledge: for his words will not come from himself, but whatever has come to his hearing, that he will say: and he will make clear to you the things to come. |
| Webster | But, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all the truth: for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he shall hear, that will he speak: and he will show you things to come. |
What does John 16:13 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.
Barnes' Notes
Will guide you into all truth. That is, truth which pertained to the establishment of the Christian system, which they were not then prepared to hear. We may here remark that this is a full promise that they would be inspired and guided in founding the new church; and we may observe that the plan of the Saviour was replete with wisdom. Though they had been long with him, yet they were not prepared then to hear of the changes that were to occur; but his death would open their eyes, and the Holy Spirit, making use of the striking and impressive scenes of his death and ascension, would carry forward with vast rapidity their views of the nature of the Christian scheme. Perhaps in the few days that elapsed, of which we have a record in the first and second chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, they learned more of the true nature of the Christian plan than they would have done in months or years even under the teaching of Jesus himself. The more we study the plan of Christ, the more shall we admire the profound wisdom of the Christian scheme, and see that it was eminently fitted to the great design of its Founder --to introduce it in such a manner as to make on man the deepest impression of its wisdom and its truth.
Not speak of himself. Not as prompted by himself. He shall declare what is communicated to him. Jn 7:18.
Whatsoever he shall hear. What he shall receive of the Father and the Son; represented by hearing, because in this way instruction is commonly received. Jn 5:30.
Things to come. Probably this means the meaning of things which were to take place after the time when he was speaking to them --to wit, the design of his death, and the nature of the changes which were to take place in the Jewish nation. It is also true that the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit to predict future events which would take place in the church and the world. See Acts 11:28; Acts 20:29, 21:11, 1Timm 4:1-3; 2Ti 3:1, 2Pet 1:14; and the whole book of Revelation.
(k) "guide you into all truth" Jn 14:26 (l) "he will show you things to come" Rev 1:1,19
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
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…
John 16:13 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.
Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for John 16:13
- John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10-13
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
- John 14:17
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
- John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
- 1 John 2:27
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
- 1 John 2:20
But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
- Acts 2:17-18
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
- John 12:49
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
- John 7:16-18
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
- 1 John 4:6
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; …
- John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
14:17; 15:26; 1Jo 4:6
will guide.
14:26; 1Co 2:10-13; Eph 4:7-15; 1Jo 2:20,27
for.
3:32; 7:16-18; 8:38; 12:49
he will shew.
Joe 2:28; Ac 2:17,18; 11:28; 20:23; 21:9-11; 27:24; 2Th 2:3,12
1Ti 4:1-3; 2Ti 3:1-5; 2Pe 2:1-22; Re 1:1,19; 6:1-17; 22:1-21
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- 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.
- John 16:14
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:13 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Pero cuando viniere aquel Espíritu de verdad, él os guiará á toda verdad; porque no hablará de sí mismo, sino que hablará todo lo que oyere, y os hará saber las cosas que han de venir. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Mais quand celui-là, l’Esprit de vérité, sera venu, il vous conduira dans toute la vérité: car il ne parlera pas de par lui-même; mais il dira tout ce qu’il aura entendu, et il vous annoncera les choses qui vont arriver. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wenn aber jener, der Geist der Wahrheit, gekommen ist, wird er euch in die ganze Wahrheit leiten; denn er wird nicht aus sich selbst reden, sondern was irgend er hören wird, wird er reden, und das Kommende wird er euch verkündigen. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Cum autem venerit ille Spiritus veritatis, docebit vos omnem veritatem: non enim loquetur a semetipso, sed quæcumque audiet loquetur, et quæ ventura sunt annuntiabit vobis. |