John 16:16 (DBY)

Passage

A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me, [because I go away to the Father].

Nearby Context

John 16:14 He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall announce [it] to you.

John 16:15 All things that the Father has are mine; on account of this I have said that he receives of mine and shall announce [it] to you.

John 16:16 A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me, [because I go away to the Father].

John 16:17 [Some] of his disciples therefore said to one another, What is this he says to us, A little while and ye do not behold me; and again a little while and ye shall see me, and, Because I go away to the Father?

John 16:18 They said therefore, What is this which he says [of] the little while? We do not know [of] what he speaks.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "behold", "again", "shall", "away", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "behold", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "All things that the Father has are..." into verse 17's "Some of his disciples therefore said to...", so "little" and "behold" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "little" and "behold" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.