John 16 · Verse 2

John 16:2

They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
John 16:2, King James Version

John 16:2 in other translations

BSBThey will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
WEBThey will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
ASVThey shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto God.
YLTout of the synagogues they will put you; but an hour doth come, that every one who hath killed you, may think to offer service unto God;
DARBYThey shall put you out of the synagogues; but the hour is coming that every one who kills you will think to render service to God;
BBEThey will put you out of the Synagogues: yes, the time is coming when whoever puts you to death will have the belief that he is doing God's pleasure.
WebsterThey shall put you out of the synagogues: yes, the time cometh, that whoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service.

What does John 16:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 16:1-5

Joh 16:1-33. Discourse at the Supper Table Concluded. 1-5. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended--both the warnings and the encouragements just given.

Read the full comment on John 16:1-5 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 2. Out of the synagogues. Jn 9:22. They would excommunicate them from their religious assemblies. This was often done. Comp. Acts 6:13, 14, 9:23, 24, 17:5, 21:27-31.

Whosoever killeth you. This refers principally to the Jews. It is also true of the Gentiles, that in their persecution of Christians they supposed they were rendering acceptable service to their gods.

God service. The Jews who persecuted the apostles regarded them as blasphemers, and as seeking to overthrow the temple service, and the system of religion which God had established. Thus they supposed they were rendering service to God in putting them to death, Acts 6:13, 14; Acts 21:28-31. Sinners, especially hypocrites, often cloak enormous crimes under the pretence of great zeal for religion. Men often suppose, or profess to suppose, that they are rendering God service when they persecute others; and, under the pretence of great zeal for truth and purity, evince all possible bigotry, pride, malice, and uncharitableness. The people of God have suffered most from those who have been conscientious persecutors and some of the most malignant foes which true Christians have ever had have been in the church, and have been professed ministers of the gospel, persecuting them under pretence of great zeal for the cause of purity and religion. It is no evidence of piety that a man is full of zeal against those whom he supposes to be heretics; and it is one of the best proofs that a man knows nothing of the religion of Jesus when he is eminent for self-conceit in his own views of orthodoxy, and firmly fixed in the opinion that all who differ from him and his sect must of course be wrong.

(a) "whosoever killeth you" Acts 26, 9-11.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues - They will excommunicate you, and consider you as execrable, and utterly unworthy to hold any commerce with God by religion; or with man by civil fellowship. See on Joh 9:22 (note). In these excommunications they were spoiled of all their substance, see Ezr 10:8, and see also Heb 10:34, and deprived of their character, their influence, and every necessary of life. Though the Jewish people had the most humane laws, yet they were a most vindictive and cruel people. That whosoever killeth you, etc. - This Paul found; for more than forty Jews bound themselves under a curse that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed him, Act 23:12, Act 23:13; and agreeably to this, it is said, in that Tract of the Talmud which is entitled Bammidbar, R. xxi. ad. Num 25:13 : "He who sheds the blood of the ungodly, is equal to him who brings an offering to God." What the Zealots did is notorious in history. They butchered any person, in cold blood, who, they pretended to believe, was an enemy to God, to the law, or to Moses; and thought they were fulfilling the will of God by these human sacrifices. We had the same kind of sacrifices here in the time of our Popish Queen Mary. May God ever save our state from the Stuarts!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 16:1-6

Our Lord Jesus, by giving his disciples notice of trouble, designed that the terror might not be a surprise to them. It is possible for those who are real enemies to God's service, to pretend zeal for it. This does not lessen the sin of the persecutors; villanies will never be changed by putting the name of God to them. As Jesus in his sufferings, so his followers in theirs, should look to the fulfilling of…

Read the full comment on John 16:1-6 →

John 16:2 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.

ἀποσυναγώγουςaposunagōgousOut of the synagoguesG656
ποιήσουσινpoiēsousinthey will putG4160
ὑμᾶς·humasyou;G4771
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἔρχεταιerchetaiis comingG2064
ὥραhōraan hourG5610
ἵναinathatG2443
πᾶςpaseveryoneG3956
ὁhowhoG3588
ἀποκτείναςapokteinashaving killedG615
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
δόξῃdoxēmay thinkG1380
λατρείανlatreian[it is] a serviceG2999
προσφέρεινprosphereinto offerG4374
τῷtō<the>G3588
θεῷ.theōto God.G2316

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

Cross references for John 16:2

  • John 9:22

    These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

  • Acts 26:9-11

    I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

  • Romans 10:2-3

    For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

  • Acts 22:3-4

    I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

  • Matthew 10:28

    And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

  • John 12:42

    Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

  • Revelation 6:9

    And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

  • Isaiah 66:5

    Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.

  • Luke 6:22

    Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

  • Acts 22:19-23

    And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. …

  • 1 Corinthians 4:13

    Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

  • Acts 7:56-8:3

    And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
shall.
9:22,34; 12:42; Lu 6:22; 1Co 4:13
the time.
Isa 65:5; Mt 10:28; 24:9; Ac 5:33; 6:13,14; 7:56-60; 8:1-3; 9:1,2
Ac 22:3,4,19-23; 26:9-11; Ro 10:2,3; Ga 1:13,14; Php 3:6

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

Context

  • John 16:1

    These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

  • John 16:2

    They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

  • John 16:3

    And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Read all of John 16

John 16:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Os echarán de las sinagogas; y aun viene la hora, cuando cualquiera que os matare, pensará que hace servicio á Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils vous excluront des synagogues; même l’heure vient que quiconque vous tuera pensera rendre service à Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie werden euch aus der Synagoge ausschließen; es kommt aber die Stunde, daß jeder, der euch tötet, meinen wird, Gott einen Dienst darzubringen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Absque synagogis facient vos: sed venit hora, ut omnis qui interficit vos arbitretur obsequium se præstare Deo.