John 14:17
New International Version
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

New Living Translation
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

English Standard Version
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Berean Standard Bible
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

Berean Literal Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see Him nor know. But you know Him, for He abides with you and He will be in you.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

New American Standard Bible
the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

NASB 1995
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

NASB 1977
that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.

Legacy Standard Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Amplified Bible
the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

Christian Standard Bible
He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.

American Standard Version
even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you.

Contemporary English Version
The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.

English Revised Version
even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn't see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.

Good News Translation
He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you.

International Standard Version
He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, because he lives with you and will be in you.

Majority Standard Bible
the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.

NET Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.

New Heart English Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive; because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 will be in you.

Weymouth New Testament
That Spirit the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him, because He remains by your side and is in you.

World English Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive, for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see nor know [this] One, and you know [this] One, because [this] One remains with you, and will be in you.

Berean Literal Bible
the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see Him nor know. But you know Him, for He abides with you and He will be in you.

Young's Literal Translation
the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it doth not behold him, nor know him, and ye know him, because he doth remain with you, and shall be in you.

Smith's Literal Translation
The Spirit of truth; which the world cannot receive, for it sees it not, neither knows: and ye know it; for it shall remain with you, and shall be in you.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him: but you shall know him; because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you.

Catholic Public Domain Version
the Spirit of Truth, whom the world is not able to accept, because it neither perceives him nor knows him. But you shall know him. For he will remain with you, and he will be in you.

New American Bible
the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.

New Revised Standard Version
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Even the Spirit of the truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it has not seen him, and does not know him; but you know him because he abides with you, and is in you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“He is The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it has neither seen him nor known him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and he is in you.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
the Spirit of the truth, whom the world can not receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, because he dwells with you, and shall be in you.

Godbey New Testament
the Spirit of truth: which the world is not able to receive, because it does not see Him, nor know Him: you know Him: because He abideth with you, and shall be in you.

Haweis New Testament
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; because he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Mace New Testament
even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees nor knows him: but ye shall know him, for he shall dwell with you, and shall be in you.

Weymouth New Testament
That Spirit the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him, because He remains by your side and is in you.

Worrell New Testament
the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it beholds Him not, neither knows Him: ye know Him, because He abideth with you, and will be in you.

Worsley New Testament
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, because He abideth with you, and shall be in you.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.…

Cross References
John 16:13
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.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Romans 8:9
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

John 15:26
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.

1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.

1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

John 7:39
He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

1 John 3:24
Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. / He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Romans 8:11
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

Isaiah 63:10-11
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. / Then His people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses. Where is He who brought them through the sea with the shepherds of His flock? Where is the One who set His Holy Spirit among them,


Treasury of Scripture

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.

the Spirit.

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:

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.

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.

whom.

Proverbs 14:10
The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Revelation 2:17
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

but.

John 14:16,23
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; …

Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 59:21
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

shall.

Matthew 10:20
For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Romans 8:10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 14:15
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

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John 14
1. Jesus comforts his disciples with the hope of heaven;
5. professes himself the way, the truth, and the life, and one with the Father;
13. assures their prayers to be effectual;
15. requires obedience;
16. promises the Comforter;
27. and leaves his peace with them.














the Spirit of truth
This phrase refers to the Holy Spirit, who is characterized by truth. In Greek, the word for "truth" is "aletheia," which signifies not just factual accuracy but also reliability and faithfulness. The Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of truth, guides believers into all truth, revealing the reality of God and His Word. Historically, the Spirit's role as a guide into truth has been crucial for the early church, ensuring the preservation and correct interpretation of the teachings of Jesus.

The world cannot receive Him
"The world" in this context refers to the system of human society that is in opposition to God. The Greek word "kosmos" is used here, often denoting the secular world that is blind to spiritual realities. The inability of the world to receive the Spirit highlights a spiritual blindness and a lack of receptivity to divine truth. This reflects the broader biblical theme of the separation between those who are of the world and those who are of God.

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him
The world’s inability to "see" or "know" the Spirit underscores a lack of spiritual perception and relationship. The Greek word for "see" is "theoreo," which implies a deeper understanding or discernment beyond physical sight. "Knows" comes from "ginosko," indicating an experiential knowledge. This suggests that spiritual truths require a relationship with God to be truly understood, a relationship that the world, in its fallen state, does not possess.

But you do know Him
Jesus assures His disciples that they "know" the Spirit, using the same Greek word "ginosko," which implies an intimate, personal knowledge. This knowledge is not merely intellectual but relational, stemming from their relationship with Jesus. The disciples' familiarity with the Spirit is a result of their time with Christ, who embodies the truth and reveals the Father.

for He abides with you
The word "abides" is translated from the Greek "meno," meaning to remain or dwell. This indicates a continual presence and fellowship. The Spirit's abiding presence with the disciples signifies a constant companionship and support, reminiscent of God's promise to dwell with His people throughout the Old Testament.

and will be in you
This future promise points to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which would be fully realized at Pentecost. The preposition "in" (Greek "en") signifies an internal, transformative presence. This indwelling marks a new era in God's relationship with His people, where the Spirit empowers, guides, and sanctifies believers from within, fulfilling the promise of a new covenant where God's law is written on the hearts of His people.

(17) Even the Spirit of truth.--Comp. John 15:26; John 16:13, and 1John 5:6. He is called the Spirit of Truth, because part of His special office is to bring truth home to the hearts of men, to carry it from the material to the moral sphere, to make it something more than a collection of signs seen or heard--a living power in living men.

Whom the world cannot receive.--The Holy Spirit can be received only by those who have the spiritual faculty. It cannot be otherwise. The unbelieving world, caring only for things of the senses, has lost its spiritual perception. It has no eye to see and no heart to know spiritual things, for they are spiritually discerned. (Comp. Note on 1Corinthians 2:14.)

But ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.--The better text is,. . . . and is in you. The verbs are in the present tense, describing the receptivity of the disciples as opposed to the moral blindness of the world. They had, during our Lord's work and teaching in their midst, exercised and strengthened their spiritual faculties. They had in part received the Spirit, and by that reception were prepared for the fuller gift. They knew Him. He was in their midst. He was then, and therefore should be in the future, a living power, dwelling in their inmost life.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Spirit
Πνεῦμα (Pneuma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

of truth.
ἀληθείας (alētheias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 225: From alethes; truth.

The
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

world
κόσμος (kosmos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889: Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).

cannot
δύναται (dynatai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

receive
λαβεῖν (labein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

[Him],
(ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

because
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

it neither sees
θεωρεῖ (theōrei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2334: From a derivative of theaomai; to be a spectator of, i.e. Discern, (experience) or intensively (acknowledge).

Him
αὐτὸ (auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

nor
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

knows [Him].
γινώσκει (ginōskei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

But you
ὑμεῖς (hymeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

do know
γινώσκετε (ginōskete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

Him,
αὐτό (auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

for
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

He abides
μένει (menei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

with
παρ’ (par’)
Preposition
Strong's 3844: Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

will be
ἔσται (estai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

you.
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


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