John 16 · Verse 23

John 16:23

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

John 16:23, King James Version

John 16:23 in other translations

BSB	In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.
WEB	“In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
ASV	And in that day ye shall ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name.
YLT	and in that day ye will question me nothing; verily, verily, I say to you, as many things as ye may ask of the Father in my name, He will give you;
DARBY	And in that day ye shall demand nothing of me: verily, verily, I say to you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give you.
BBE	And on that day you will put no questions to me. Truly I say to you, Whatever request you make to the Father, he will give it to you in my name.
Webster	And in that day ye will ask me nothing: Verily, verily, I say to you, Whatever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

What does John 16:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 16:23-28

23-28. In that day--of the dispensation of the Spirit (as in Joh 14:20). ye shall ask--inquire of me nothing--by reason of the fulness of the Spirit's teaching (Joh 14:26; 16:13; and compare 1Jo 2:27).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 23. In that day. After my resurrection and ascension.

Ye shall ask me nothing. The word rendered ask here may have two significations, one to ask by way of inquiry, the other to ask for assistance. Perhaps there is reference here to both these senses. While he was with them they had been accustomed to depend on him for the supply of their wants, and in a great degree to propose their trials to him, expecting his aid. See Mt 8:25, Jn 11:3. They were also dependent on his personal instructions to explain to them the mysteries of his religion, and to remove their perplexities on the subject of his doctrines. They had not sought to God through him as the Mediator, but they had directly applied to the Saviour himself. He now tells them that henceforward their requests were to be made to God in his name, and that he, by the influences of his Spirit, would make known to them what Jesus would himself do if bodily present. The emphasis in this verse is to be placed on the word "me." Their requests were not to be made to him, but to the Father.

Whatsoever ye shall ask, &c. See Jn 14:13.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 23 Ye shall ask me nothing - Ye shall then be led, by that Spirit which guides into all truth, to consider me in the character of Mediator in the kingdom of God, and to address your prayers to the Father in my name - in the name of Jesus the Savior, because I have died to redeem you - in the name of Christ the Anointer, because I have ascended to send down the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 16:23-27

Asking of the Father shows a sense of spiritual wants, and a desire of spiritual blessings, with conviction that they are to be had from God only. Asking in Christ's name, is acknowledging our unworthiness to receive any favours from God, and shows full dependence upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness. Our Lord had hitherto spoken in short and weighty sentences, or in parables, the import of which the disciples did not fully understand, but after his resurrection he intended plainly to teach them such things as related to the Father and the way to him, through his intercession. And the frequency with which our Lord enforces offering up petitions in his name, shows that the great end of the mediation of Christ is to impress us with a deep sense of our sinfulness, and of the merit and power of his death, whereby we have access to God. And let us ever remember, that to address the Father in the name of Christ, or to address the Son as God dwelling in human nature, and reconciling the world to himself, are the same, as the Father and Son are one.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 16:23 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532

ἐνeninG1722

ἐκείνῃekeinēthat [very]G1565

τῇtēa<the>G3588

ἡμέρᾳhēmeradayG2250

ἐμὲemeof Me myselfG1473

οὐκouknotG3756

ἐρωτήσετεerōtēseteyou will askG2065

οὐδέν.¶oudenno [thing].G3762

ἈμὴνAmēnAmenG281

ἀμὴνamēnAmenG281

λέγωlegōI sayG3004

ὑμῖν·huminto you;G4771

ἄνanmaybeG302

τιtiwhateverG5100

αἰτήσητεaitēsēteyou may askG154

τὸνtontheG3588

πατέραpateraFatherG3962

ἐνeninG1722

τῷtōtheG3588

ὀνόματίonomatinameG3686

μουmouof MeG3165

δώσειdōseiHe will giveG1325

ὑμῖν.huminto you.G4771

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

Cross references for John 16:23

John 15:7
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 14:13-14
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Isaiah 65:24
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
1 John 5:14-16
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
John 16:26
At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
John 14:20
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Ephesians 2:18
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
John 15:15-16
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. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Hebrews 10:19-23
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. …
1 John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

ask.
19; 13:36,37; 14:5,22; 15:15; 21:20,21
Whatsoever.
14:13,14; 15:7,16; Isa 65:24; Mt 7:7; 21:22; Eph 2:18; 3:14-20
1Ti 2:5,6; Heb 4:14-16; 7:25,26; 10:19-23; 1Jo 2:1; 5:14-16

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

Context

John 16:22
And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
John 16:23
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Read all of John 16

John 16:23 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y aquel día no me preguntaréis nada. De cierto, de cierto os digo, que todo cuanto pidiereis al Padre en mi nombre, os lo dará.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et en ce jour-là vous ne me ferez pas de demandes. En vérité, en vérité, je vous dis, que toutes les choses que vous demanderez au Père en mon nom, il vous les donnera.
German Elberfelder 1871	Und an jenem Tage werdet ihr mich nichts fragen. Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Was irgend ihr den Vater bitten werdet in meinem Namen, wird er euch geben.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Et in illo die me non rogabitis quidquam. Amen, amen dico vobis: si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.