John 16:17 (KJV)

Passage

Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

Nearby Context

John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

John 16:16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

John 16:17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

John 16:18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.

John 16:19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "some", "disciples", "themselves", "saith", "little", "shall", and "again". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "some", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "A little while and ye shall not..." into verse 18's "They said therefore What is this that...", so "said" and "some" 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 "said" and "some" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.