John 16:20

Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus, in the Upper Room discourse the night before his crucifixion, addresses the disciples who are troubled by his words about departing and returning (v. 19).

The words — κλαύσετε (klausete, "you will weep") and θρηνήσετε (thrēnēsete, "you will lament") are two distinct verbs: the first is the physical act of weeping, the second is public, vocal mourning.

The thread — The grief-then-joy arc recurs in Psalms 126:5 (sowing in tears, reaping with joy), Matthew 5:4 (mourning comforted), and James 1:2 (trials counted as joy).

Why it lands — The verse does not minimize the grief or rush past it; it names the pain fully before promising its reversal, asking the reader to endure the present sorrow without treating it as the final word.

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

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Cross-references

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Psalms 126:5 Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.
Revelation 7:14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Mark 16:10 She went and told those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.
Jeremiah 31:25 for I will refresh the weary soul and replenish all who are weak.”
2 Corinthians 6:10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
Psalms 30:11 You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Psalms 30:5 For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.