John 14:5 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and 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 ye know and..." into verse 6's "Jesus saith unto 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.