John 17:20

I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus addresses this prayer to the Father during His final hours before the cross, shifting His intercession from the present apostles to future believers.

The words — The Greek phrase οὐ περὶ τούτων μόνον (ou peri toutōn monon) literally means "not for these only," combining οὐ (ou) for negation with μόνον (monon) to mark a strict limitation.

The thread — The verse’s scope extends to John 17:6, where Jesus identifies the Father’s given people, and anticipates the later responses recorded in Acts 2:41 and Acts 4:4 where crowds embrace the apostolic message.

Why it lands — The text states that Jesus’ prayer explicitly covers every future believer who will come to faith through the apostles’ proclamation. A reader must recognize that their own faith is encompassed by this recorded petition and depends on the same transmitted message.

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

οὐouNot περὶperifor τούτωνtoutōnthese δὲdehowever ἐρωτῶerōtōdo I ask μόνονmonononly ἀλλὰallabut καὶkaialso περὶperifor τῶνtōnthose πιστευόντωνpisteuontōnare believing διὰdiathrough τοῦtouthe λόγουlogouword αὐτῶνautōnof them εἰςeisin ἐμέ·emeMe myself;

King James Version

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Cross-references

John 17:6 I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
Acts 2:41 Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
Acts 4:4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
Romans 15:18 I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
Ephesians 4:11 And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Romans 16:26 but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
2 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.