John 14:4 (KJV)

Passage

And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Nearby Context

John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

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

John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whither". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whither" and "the identity of Jesus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "And if I go and prepare a..." into verse 5's "Thomas saith unto him Lord we know...", so "whither" and "the identity of Jesus" 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 "whither" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.