Bible Strands
John 16:18
They kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’? We do not understand what He is saying.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The disciples speak to one another after Jesus announces His departure and return, capturing their moment of confusion before He directly addresses their questioning.
The words — ἔλεγον (elegon) carries an imperfect sense of "they were saying," indicating persistent repetition, while τὶ (ti) literally means "what," marking the precise object of their confusion.
The thread — The motif of lingering spiritual confusion appears in Luke 24:25, Matthew 16:9, and Hebrews 5:12, where repeated inquiry meets a demand for clearer comprehension.
Why it lands — It demands the reader confront their own moments of not grasping Jesus' words and move past questioning toward active understanding.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
Cross-references
- Luke 24:25 Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
- Matthew 16:9 Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?
- Hebrews 5:12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food!