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JOHN 16:19 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
John 16:18John 16:20
“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?”
Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, 'Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant by saying, "A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me"?' — Jesus' knowledge (ginōskō—to know, perceive) that the disciples wished to ask demonstrates his omniscience; he knows the hidden longings and questions of their hearts. Rather than waiting for them to ask, he anticipates their confusion and begins to interpret his own saying.

Church Fathers on John 16:19

Our Lord after having relieved the spirits of the disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit, again depresses them: A little while, and you shall not see Me. He does this to accustom them to the mention of His departure, in order that they may bear it well, when it does come. For nothing so quiets the troubled mind, as the continued recurrence to the subject of its grief.

Chrysostom · 4th century

He said, A little while, and you shall not see Me alluding to His going to be taken that night by the Jews, His crucifixion the next morning, and burial in the evening, which withdrew Him from all human sight.

Bede · 8th century

The meaning of these words however was obscure, before their fulfillment; Then said some of His disciples among themselves, What is this that He said to us, A little while, and you shall not see Me; and again, a little while, and you shall see Me; and, Because I go to the Father?

Augustine · 4th century
Read all 19 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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