Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 16:18
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
18. we cannot tell what he saith ] More literally, we know not what He speaketh.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 18. What is this that he saith] They knew from what he had said that he was to die, but knew not what he meant by their seeing him again in a little time.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Still they do not understand what he meant. Who shall hereafter arrogate to mans reason or understanding a power to comprehend spiritual mysteries? Had not the disciples reasonable souls? Will any say they had no mind to understand them? Certainly none can say so. Some lay the fault of the disciples not understanding these things upon the obscurity of our Saviours phrase, and his parabolical expression of them, others, in their ignorance of our Saviours resurrection from the dead; others, in their not understanding the circumstance of time: but certainly it is best imputed to the disciples inability to conceive of these things, and the prejudices of their national error concerning the temporal kingdom of the Messias. Let it lie where it will, the weakness of the disciples may be reasonably conceived not to be greater than is incident to the best of men; and if they were so dull of hearing and understanding, we may reasonably conceive that we are not free from the like impotency and infirmity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
They said therefore,…. One, and all of them; the inquiry became universal;
what is this that he saith, a little while? it seems as if this phrase was the most intricate and perplexing to them; for whatever conceptions they might have of not seeing, and seeing him again, as expressive of his going from them, and returning to them, yet had no notion at all what he should mean by “a little while”: and therefore add,
we cannot tell what he saith: they knew his words, but not his meaning.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
We know not what he saith ( ). The questions to Jesus cease and the disciples frankly confess to each other their own ignorance.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
He saith [] . Emphasizing the purport of the saying.
A little while [ ] . In vv. 16, 17, without the article. Here the article the or this little while defines the special point of their difficulty; this “little while” of which He speaks.
We cannot tell [ ] . Rev., more simply and literally, we know not.
He saith [] . Emphasizing the form of the saying.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “They said therefore,” (elegon oun) “Then they said,” they chattered one with another, as recounted concerning the Emmaus road disciples, Luk 24:13-17.
2) “What is this that he saith,” (touto ti estin ho legei) “Just what is this which, the essence or real meaning of what he says,”
3) “A little while?” (to mikron) “A little while?” (ouk oidamen ti lalei) “We do not perceive, understand, or comprehend what he says.” The first “little while” was less than a day, when He was crucified and buried, and the second ”little while” was when He had risen again; It was and is a little while in comparison with eternity, a little while since He went back to the glory of the Father, to intercede for our sins, and to prepare an heavenly estate for us, Heb 7:25; Joh 14:1-3; A little while for us to do His work, to labor on, a little while till the old ship of Zion shall behold the lights in the harbor of glory and life’s stormy sea will have been crossed, a little while until the landing. Until then let us sail on, and serve on, and on, 1Co 15:58; Gal 6:9; Heb 10:36-37.
A LITTLE WHILE
“A little while, and ye again shall see me.”
Surely Thou tarriest long,
Bridegroom beloved! When shall this night of weeping
Be turned to song?
With heaven so far beyond us.
And earth so near to lure us and beguile,
How long! Oh! Thou didst promise but to tarry
“A little while.”
“A little while,” the whole creation waits Thee
In hope and fear;
Surely the sound of that swift-driven chariot
At length I hear.
0 earth! earth! earth! arouse thee!
Wake from thy tears, put on thy glory-smile!
Surely He cometh: and He will but tarry
“A little while.”
Every Christian should lay down at night with the solemn hope, perhaps tomorrow we will see the lights of home, land on the shore of the Father’s estate. It may be that only our limited vision keeps us from seeing the opening of the gates of glory just before us, and only our dull hearing prevents us from hearing the bells of joy and the bugle call that now welcomes us to that heavenly land. That death is so near to us, as believers, is too good to be believed, for death is a friend that conducts victoriously into the presence of the Lord, 1Co 15:54-57; 2Co 5:6-8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
18. What is this that he saith We suppose that, at the close of the last verse, a slight pause of the Saviour’s discourse enabled him to hear a murmur of perplexity and inquiry among his disciples, which induces him to pause still further, until their perplexity is fully expressed in a low and rapid consultation among themselves. Seven times does this phrase a little while occur in these chapters, and at this point their query is specially fixed upon that clause, but not that clause alone. They take his last expressions by piecemeal, and toss them from one to the other. They would be glad to know, but dare not interrogate the Lord.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?
18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
Ver. 18. We cannot tell what he saith ] We know here but in part; the greatest part of our knowledge is the least part of our ignorance, saith one. Man’s heart, saith another, may be compared to a vessel, the means to a pipe; the Spirit of God to the wheel that beats the water into the pipe; the minister is the servant that opens the cock. (August.) And then the reason why we know but in part is, either the cock always runs not, or not always in the same measure; and sometimes our vessels are filled with other things (as the apostles here were with worldly grief and the conceit of an earthly kingdom), and so they run over; and usually our vessels run over, and lose what we received by the means.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
cannot tell = do not (Greek. ou. App-105.) know. App-132.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 16:18. , they were saying) Severally and individually. Inasmuch as they were perplexed when speaking among themselves, Joh 16:17, they were doubtful when thinking on it separately and apart.-, this) The pronoun in this passage is strongly demonstrative, as if they were to say, this in particular: there is nothing that we have less understood this long time, than this. We truly after the event readily understand: but not so they at that time.- , we know not) They lay aside all hope and the attempt to interpret His words.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 16:18
Joh 16:18
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.-They say among themselves that they cannot understand the meaning and desired to ask him to explain it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
we: Mat 16:9-11, Luk 24:25, Heb 5:12
Reciprocal: Psa 73:16 – too painful for me Luk 9:45 – General Joh 7:36 – manner Joh 14:22 – how
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Verse 18
We cannot tell; we cannot understand.
John 16:25. In proverbs; obscurely.