John 16:21 (DRB)

Passage

A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

Nearby Context

John 16:19 And Jesus knew that they had a mind to ask him. And he said to them: Of this do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: A little while, and you shall not see me; and again a little while, and you shall see me?

John 16:20 Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

John 16:21 A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

John 16:22 So also you now indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy no man shall take from you.

John 16:23 And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "woman", "labour", "hath", "sorrow", "hour", "come", and "brought". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "woman", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Amen amen I say to you that..." into verse 22's "So also you now indeed have sorrow...", so "world" and "woman" 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 "world" and "woman" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.