John 16 · Verse 8

John 16:8

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:8, King James Version

John 16:8 in other translations

BSBAnd when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
WEBWhen he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;
ASVAnd he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
YLTand having come, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment;
DARBYAnd having come, he will bring demonstration to the world, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
BBEAnd he, when he comes, will make the world conscious of sin, and of righteousness, and of being judged:
WebsterAnd when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

What does John 16:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. And when he is come, he will, &c.--This is one of the passages most pregnant with thought in the profound discourses of Christ; with a few great strokes depicting all and every part of the ministry of the Holy Ghost in the world--His operation with reference to individuals as well as the mass, on believers and unbelievers alike [Olshausen]. he will reprove--This is too weak a word to express what is meant. Reproof is indeed implied in the term employed, and doubtless the word begins with it. But convict or convince is the thing intended; and as the one expresses the work of the Spirit on the unbelieving portion of mankind, and the other on the believing, it is better not to restrict it to either.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 8. He will reprove. The word translated reprove means commonly to demonstrate by argument, to prove, to persuade anyone to do a thing by presenting reasons, It hence means also to convince of anything, and particularly to convince of crime. This is its meaning here. He will convince or convict the world of sin. That is, he will so apply the truths of God to men's own minds as to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners, and cause them to feel this. This is the nature of conviction always.

The world. Sinners. The men of the world. All men are by nature sinners, and the term the world may be applied to them all, Jn 1:10, 12:31, 1Jn 5:19.

(1) "reprove" or, "convince" Acts 2:37

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 He will reprove - Ελεγξει, He will demonstrate these matters so clearly as to leave no doubt on the minds of those who are simple of heart; and so fully as to confound and shut the mouths of those who are gainsayers. See Act 2:1, etc. The world - The Jewish nation first, and afterwards the Gentile world; for his influences shall not be confined to one people, place, or time.

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 16:8 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
ἐλθὼνelthōnhaving comeG2064
ἐκεῖνοςekeinosHeG1565
ἐλέγξειelegxeiwill convictG1651
τὸνtontheG3588
κόσμονkosmonworldG2889
περὶpericoncerningG4012
ἁμαρτίαςhamartiassinG266
καὶkaiandG2532
περὶpericoncerningG4012
δικαιοσύνηςdikaiosunēsrighteousnessG1343
καὶkaiandG2532
περὶpericoncerningG4012
κρίσεως.kriseōsjudgment.G2920

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

Cross references for John 16:8

  • Jude 1:15

    To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

  • Acts 2:37

    Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

  • Zechariah 12:10

    And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

  • Acts 16:29-30

    Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

  • John 8:9

    And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

  • 1 Corinthians 14:24

    But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:

  • John 8:46

    Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he will.
Zec 12:10; Ac 2:37; 16:29,30
reprove. or, convince.
8:9,46; 1Co 14:24; Jude 1:15

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

Context

  • John 16:7

    Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

  • John 16:8

    And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

  • John 16:9

    Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Read all of John 16

John 16:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y cuando él viniere redargüirá al mundo de pecado, y de justicia, y de juicio:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et quand celui-là sera venu, il convaincra le monde de péché, et de justice, et de jugement:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wenn er gekommen ist, wird er die Welt überführen von Sünde und von Gerechtigkeit und von Gericht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et cum venerit ille, arguet mundum de peccato, et de justitia, et de judicio.