John 14:5 (DRB)

Passage

Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest. And how can we know the way?

Nearby Context

John 14:3 And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself: that where I am, you also may be.

John 14:4 And whither I go you know: and the way you know.

John 14:5 Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest. And how can we know the way?

John 14:6 Jesus saith to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.

John 14:7 If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him. And you have seen him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thomas", "saith", "lord", "whither", "thou", and "goest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thomas" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And whither I go you know and..." into verse 6's "Jesus saith to him I am the...", so "thomas" and "saith" 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 "thomas" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.