John 16:16 (YLT)

Passage

a little while, and ye do not behold me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go away unto the Father.'

Nearby Context

John 16:14 He will glorify me, because of mine He will take, and will tell to you.

John 16:15 `All things, as many as the Father hath, are mine; because of this I said, That of mine He will take, and will tell to you;

John 16:16 a little while, and ye do not behold me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go away unto the Father.'

John 16:17 Therefore said <FI>some<Fi> of his disciples one to another, `What is this that he saith to us, A little while, and ye do not behold me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me, and, Because I go away unto the Father?'

John 16:18 they said then, `What is this he saith--the little while? we have not known what he saith.'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "little", "behold", "again", "shall", "away", and "father". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "little" and "behold", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "All things as many as the Father..." into verse 17's "Therefore said FI some Fi of his...", so "little" and "behold" 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 "little" and "behold" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.