John 16:4
New International Version
I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,

New Living Translation
Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.

English Standard Version
But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Berean Standard Bible
But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

Berean Literal Bible
But I have said these things to you, so that when their hour might have come, you may remember that I said them to you. Now I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

King James Bible
But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

New King James Version
But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

New American Standard Bible
But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. However, I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

NASB 1995
“But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

NASB 1977
“But these things I have spoken to you, that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Legacy Standard Bible
But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Amplified Bible
I have told you these things [now], so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not say these things to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Christian Standard Bible
But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you may remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

American Standard Version
But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Contemporary English Version
I am saying this to you now, so that when the time comes, you will remember what I have said. I was with you at the first, and so I didn't tell you these things.

English Revised Version
But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But I've told you this so that when it happens you'll remember what I've told you. I didn't tell you this at first, because I was with you.

Good News Translation
But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for them to do these things, you will remember what I told you. "I did not tell you these things at the beginning, for I was with you.

International Standard Version
But I've told you this, so that when the time comes you'll remember that I told you about them. I didn't tell you this in the beginning, because I was still with you."

Majority Standard Bible
But I have told you these things so that when the hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

NET Bible
But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. "I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.

New Heart English Bible
But I have told you these things, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

Webster's Bible Translation
But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Weymouth New Testament
But I have spoken these things to you in order that when the time for their accomplishment comes you may remember them, and may recollect that I told you. I did not, however, tell you all this at first, because I was still with you.

World English Bible
But I have told you these things so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
But these things I have spoken to you, that when the hour may come, you may remember them, that I said [them] to you, and I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you;

Berean Literal Bible
But I have said these things to you, so that when their hour might have come, you may remember that I said them to you. Now I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Young's Literal Translation
But these things I have spoken to you, that when the hour may come, ye may remember them, that I said them to you, and these things to you from the beginning I did not say, because I was with you;

Smith's Literal Translation
But these have I spoken to you, that when the hour should come, ye should remember them, for I said to you. And these I said not to you from the beginning, for I was with you.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But these things I have told you, that when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But these things I have spoken to you, so that, when the hour for these things will have arrived, you may remember that I told you.

New American Bible
I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you. “I did not tell you this from the beginning, because I was with you.

New Revised Standard Version
But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I have spoken these things to you, that when their time does come, you may remember them, and that I told you. And these things I did not tell you before, because I was with you.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I have spoken these things with you that when their time comes, you will remember them; I did not tell you these things before, because I was with you.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But these things I have told you, that, when the time has come, you may remember that I told you of them. But these things I did not tell you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Godbey New Testament
But I have spoken these things to you, that when the hour may come, you may remember them, that I did say them to you. But I said not these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Haweis New Testament
But these things have I spoken to you, that when the hour is come, ye may remember the same for I had told you. But these things I told you not at the beginning, because I was with you.

Mace New Testament
but these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember what I now tell you. I did not tell you so much at the beginning, because, I was then to be with you.

Weymouth New Testament
But I have spoken these things to you in order that when the time for their accomplishment comes you may remember them, and may recollect that I told you. I did not, however, tell you all this at first, because I was still with you.

Worrell New Testament
But these things I have spoken to you, that, when their hour shall come, ye may remember them, that I told you. And these things I said not to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Worsley New Testament
But I have told you these things, that when the time cometh, ye may remember that I told you of them. Though I did not tell you of them at the beginning, because I was with you.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Persecution Foretold
3They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. 4But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. 5Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’…

Cross References
John 13:19
I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass, you will believe that I am He.

John 14:29
And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

John 16:1
“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away.

John 13:7
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Matthew 24:25
See, I have told you in advance.

Luke 24:6-8
He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee: / ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’” / Then they remembered His words.

Mark 13:23
So be on your guard; I have told you everything in advance.

John 12:16
At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

John 2:22
After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 15:21
But they will treat you like this because of My name, since they do not know the One who sent Me.

John 8:28
So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.

John 18:32
This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.

John 17:12
While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.


Treasury of Scripture

But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

that when.

John 13:19
Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

John 14:29
And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

Isaiah 41:22,23
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come…

because.

John 17:12,13
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled…

Matthew 9:15
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

Mark 2:19
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

Jump to Previous
Accomplishment Beginning First Hour However Mind Order Recollect Remember Time Warned
Jump to Next
Accomplishment Beginning First Hour However Mind Order Recollect Remember Time Warned
John 16
1. Jesus comforts his disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and his ascension;
23. assures their prayers made in his name to be acceptable.
33. Peace in Jesus, and in the world affliction.














But I have told you these things
This phrase indicates a continuation of Jesus' discourse, emphasizing His role as a teacher and prophet. The Greek word for "told" is "λέγω" (legō), which implies a deliberate and authoritative communication. Jesus is preparing His disciples for future events, underscoring His omniscience and the divine plan. This preparation is an act of love, ensuring that His followers are not caught off guard by the trials they will face.

so that when their hour comes
The "hour" refers to a specific time of trial or persecution. In the Greek, "ὥρα" (hōra) can mean a fixed time or season. This is a prophetic reference to the coming challenges the disciples will encounter after Jesus' departure. Historically, this aligns with the persecution of early Christians, as recorded in Acts and other historical texts. Jesus is assuring them that these events are part of God's sovereign timeline.

you will remember that I told you about them
The act of remembering is crucial in the life of a believer. The Greek word "μνημονεύω" (mnēmoneuō) means to recall or keep in mind. Jesus is emphasizing the importance of His words as a source of comfort and guidance. This remembrance serves to strengthen faith and provide assurance that God is in control, even amidst adversity.

I did not tell you these things from the beginning
Here, Jesus acknowledges a progression in His revelation to the disciples. The phrase "from the beginning" suggests a strategic unfolding of truth. The Greek "ἀρχή" (archē) means the start or origin. Jesus, in His wisdom, chose the right moment to reveal these truths, demonstrating His understanding of the disciples' capacity to comprehend and bear the weight of such knowledge.

because I was with you
This phrase highlights the intimate presence of Jesus with His disciples. The Greek "μεθ' ὑμῶν" (meth' hymōn) signifies a close, personal companionship. While Jesus was physically present, the disciples had direct access to His guidance and protection. This underscores the transition they are about to experience, moving from reliance on His physical presence to dependence on the Holy Spirit, as Jesus prepares them for His departure.

(4) But these things have I told you . . .--He recurs to the thought of John 16:1. (Comp. also John 13:19; John 14:29.) He strengthens them by forewarning them. When the persecution comes they will remember His word, and find in it support for their faith and evidence of His presence with them.

These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.--While with them, He would spare them, and it was against Himself that the hatred of His foes was directed. When He shall have left them they will represent Him, and must stand in the foreground of the battle.

These words seem to be opposed to Matthew 10 and parallel passages, where our Lord did tell the Apostles at the time of their call of the persecutions which awaited them. (See especially John 16:17; John 16:21; John 16:28.) The passages are not, however, really inconsistent, for "these things" in this verse (comp. John 16:3; John 16:1, and John 15:21) refers to the full account He has given them of the world's hatred and the principles lying at the foot of it, and the manner in which it was to be met by the Spirit's witness and their witness of Him. These things which the infant Church would have to meet, and meet without His bodily presence, He told them not at the beginning. . . .

Verse 4. - But - the ἀλλὰ suggests a kind of pause, as if he had said, "I will go into no further details" (Meyer) - these things - these prophecies of approaching persecution - I have spoken to you, that (here ἵνα has its proper relic force) when [their] hour is come, ye may remember [them] how that I told you. This awkward form is that due to the perplexities of the position of αὐτῶν in the text. Frequently our Lord thus prepared his disciples for the future, called upon them to remember his predictions as pledges of his Divine mission, but still more as consolations and supply of strength when they would most of all need it. These things I told you not from the beginning; not "at the beginning," ἐν ἀρχῆ, nor ἀπ ἀρχῆς, but ἐξ ἀρχῆς (cf. Isaiah 40:21; Isaiah 41:26; Isaiah 43:9), from the beginning of my ministry (as Mark 1:1), and continuously throughout it. If "these things" are restricted to the prediction of cruel persecution, they are certainly contradicted by the language of Matthew 10:17, 21, 28; Luke 6:22; Matthew 5:10, etc.; Matthew 21:36; 24:9; Luke 12:4, etc. The numerous explanations of the commentators, that Christ had now given a more detailed, particular, and tragic outlook, cannot be sustained. Nor does the supposition that John is here the corrector of the synoptic narrative satisfy (Meyer); nor that of Godet, that Matthew, in his tenth chapter, was gathering together all that Christ had said of this nature, antedating instructions that the Lord had given, at all explain the corresponding passages in Luke's Gospel. The language of the last clause, because I was with you, throws more light upon it. This does not surely mean "because I was bearing for you the brunt of the opposition," - it would be unnecessary altogether to say that. All along they must have bitterly felt the antagonism which their Lord encountered. The difficulty is removed by including in the ταῦτα of Ver. 4 what certainly is involved in the ταῦτα of Ver. 1; and the reference is to the whole of his instructions touching his departure and the coming of the other Paraclete, and the principle from which the hatred of the world would spring; the explanation of the anticipated hostility which he had now offered, and the way in which they might overcome it. So long as he was with them they could not be made to understand the Divine riches of the consolation which was now so near. From the beginning he had not given all this class of instruction, because he was with them. While at their side, it was premature to speak of the special help they would require in their bereaved condition.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

I have told
λελάληκα (lelalēka)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

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

these things
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

so that
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

when
ὅταν (hotan)
Conjunction
Strong's 3752: When, whenever. From hote and an; whenever; also causatively inasmuch as.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Plural
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.

hour
ὥρα (hōra)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5610: Apparently a primary word; an 'hour'.

comes,
ἔλθῃ (elthē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

you will remember
μνημονεύητε (mnēmoneuēte)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3421: From a derivative of mneme; to exercise memory, i.e. Recollect; by implication, to punish; also to rehearse.

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

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

told
εἶπον (eipon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

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

[about] them.
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Neuter 3rd Person Plural
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.

I did not tell
εἶπον (eipon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

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

these things
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

from
ἐξ (ex)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

[the] beginning,
ἀρχῆς (archēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 746: From archomai; a commencement, or chief.

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

I was
ἤμην (ēmēn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle - 1st 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.

with
μεθ’ (meth’)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

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


Links
John 16:4 NIV
John 16:4 NLT
John 16:4 ESV
John 16:4 NASB
John 16:4 KJV

John 16:4 BibleApps.com
John 16:4 Biblia Paralela
John 16:4 Chinese Bible
John 16:4 French Bible
John 16:4 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: John 16:4 But I have told you these things (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 16:3
Top of Page
Top of Page