The Meaning of John 16:29 Explained

John 16:29

KJV: His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

YLT: His disciples say to him, 'Lo, now freely thou dost speak, and no similitude speakest thou;

Darby: His disciples say to him, Lo, now thou speakest openly and utterest no allegory.

ASV: His disciples say, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no dark saying.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His  disciples  said  unto him,  Lo,  now  speakest thou  plainly,  and  speakest  no  proverb. 

What does John 16:29 Mean?

Context Summary

John 16:25-33 - Good Cheer For Hours Of Trial
God still speaks to us in proverbs. We could not understand or receive the perfect discovery of Himself. These are but part of His ways, Job 26:14. But in a little while, when the entire mystery of His will has been fulfilled, we shall see Him face to face, and He will speak to us plainly about the things that we do not now understand.
There is a close connection between prayer and joy. In the midst of a battle, when the soldiers are weary, galled with fire and grimed with smoke, if the general rides into their midst, to cheer them with hearty words and to assure them that the key to the position is already taken, they fight with the inspiration of victory. So down the line our Leader and Commander sends this encouragement. Let us carry His peace in our hearts, and be of good courage, 1 John 5:4-5. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 16

1  Jesus comforts his disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and his ascension;
23  assures their prayers made in his name to be acceptable
33  Peace in Jesus, and in the world affliction

Greek Commentary for John 16:29

No proverb [παροιμιαν ουδεμιαν]
No wayside saying, no dark saying. See John 10:6; John 16:25. [source]
Speakest - speakest [λαλεῖς - λέγεις]
The first, of the form; the second, of the purport. See on John 16:18. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 16:29

Matthew 13:3 Many things in parables [πολλα εν παραβολαις]
It was not the first time that Jesus had used parables, but the first time that he had spoken so many and some of such length. He will use a great many in the future as in Luke 12 to 18 and Matt. 24 and 25. The parables already mentioned in Matthew include the salt and the light (Matthew 5:13-16), the birds and the lilies (Matthew 6:26-30), the splinter and the beam in the eye (Matthew 7:3-5), the two gates (Matthew 7:13.), the wolves in sheep‘s clothing (Matthew 7:15), the good and bad trees (Matthew 7:17-19), the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27), the garment and the wineskins (Matthew 9:16.), the children in the market places (Matthew 11:16.). It is not certain how many he spoke on this occasion. Matthew mentions eight in this chapter (the Sower, the Tares, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Hid Treasure, the Pearl of Great Price, the Net, the Householder). Mark adds the Parable of the Lamp (Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16), the Parable of the Seed Growing of Itself (Mark 4:26-29), making ten of which we know. But both Mark (Mark 4:33) and Matthew (Matthew 13:34) imply that there were many others. “Without a parable spake he nothing unto them” (Matthew 13:34), on this occasion, we may suppose. The word parable There are parables in the Old Testament, in the Talmud, in sermons in all ages. But no one has spoken such parables as these of Jesus. They hold the mirror up to nature and, as all illustrations should do, throw light on the truth presented. The fable puts things as they are not in nature, Aesop‘s Fables, for instance. The parable may not be actual fact, but it could be so. It is harmony with the nature of the case. The allegory John does not use the word parable, but only παροιμια — paroimia a saying by the way (John 10:6; John 16:25, John 16:29). As a rule the parables of Jesus illustrate one main point and the details are more or less incidental, though sometimes Jesus himself explains these. When he does not do so, we should be slow to interpret the minor details. Much heresy has come from fantastic interpretations of the parables. In the case of the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-8) we have also the careful exposition of the story by Jesus (Matthew 13:18-23) as well as the reason for the use of parables on this occasion by Jesus (Matthew 13:9-17). [source]
John 10:6 This parable [ταυτην την παροιμιαν]
Old word for proverb from παρα — para (beside) and οιμος — oimos way, a wayside saying or saying by the way. As a proverb in N.T. in 2 Peter 2:22 (quotation from Proverbs 26:11), as a symbolic or figurative saying in John 16:25, John 16:29, as an allegory in John 10:6. Nowhere else in the N.T. Curiously enough in the N.T. παραβολη — parabolē occurs only in the Synoptics outside of Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 11:19. Both are in the lxx. Παραβολη — Parabolē is used as a proverb (Luke 4:23) just as παροιμια — paroimia is in 2 Peter 2:22. Here clearly παροιμια — paroimia means an allegory which is one form of the parable. So there you are. Jesus spoke this παροιμια — paroimia to the Pharisees, “but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them” Second aorist active indicative of γινωσκω — ginōskō and note ην — ēn in indirect question as in John 2:25 and both the interrogative τινα — tina and the relative α — ha “Spake” (imperfect ελαλει — elalei) should be “Was speaking or had been speaking.” [source]
John 11:14 Plainly [παρρησιαι]
Adverb (see note on John 7:4), without metaphor as in John 16:29. Is dead First aorist active indicative, “died.” [source]
John 18:20 Openly [παρρησιαι]
As already shown (John 7:4; John 8:26; John 10:24, John 10:39; John 16:25, John 16:29. See John 7:4 for same contrast between εν παρρησιαι — en parrēsiāi and εν κρυπτωι — en kruptōi I ever taught Constative aorist active indicative. For the temple teaching see John 2:19; John 7:14, John 7:28; John 8:20, John 19:23; Mark 14:49 and John 6:59 for the synagogue teaching (often in the Synoptics). Examples of private teaching are Nicodemus (John 3) and the woman of Samaria (John 4). Jesus ignores the sneer at his disciples, but challenges the inquiry about his teaching as needless. [source]
John 7:4 In secret [εν κρυπτωι]
See Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6 for this phrase. Openly “In public” See Matthew 8:32. Common in John (John 7:13, John 7:26; John 10:24; John 16:25, John 16:29; John 18:20; here again contrasted with en kruptōi). It is wise advice in the abstract that a public teacher must allow inspection of his deeds, but the motive is evil. They might get Jesus into trouble. εν κρυπτωι — If thou doest these things This condition of the first class assumes the reality of the deeds of Jesus, but the use of the condition at all throws doubt on it all as in Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:6. Manifest thyself First aorist active imperative of πανερωσον σεαυτον — phaneroō To the world Not just to “thy disciples,” but to the public at large as at the feast of tabernacles. See John 8:26; John 14:22 for this use of τωι κοσμωι — kosmos f0). [source]
1 Corinthians 15:34 Have not the knowledge [ἀγνωσίαν ἔχουσιν]
Lit., have an ignorance. Stronger than ἀγνοεῖν tobe ignorant. They have and hold it. For the form of expression, see on have sorrow, John 16:29. The word for ignorance is found only here and 1 Peter 2:15(see note). [source]
1 Thessalonians 2:2 We waxed bold [ἐπαρρησιασάμεθα]
Only once elsewhere in Paul, Ephesians 6:20. Frequent in Acts. Always in N.T. in connection with speaking. Derived from πᾶν everyand ῥῆσις speakingHence παρρησία boldnessbold speaking out of every word. The noun is very often used adverbially, as παρρησίᾳ boldlyor openly, Mark 8:32; see also John 18:20. In Acts always μετὰ παρρησίας withboldness, comp. Hebrews 4:16. Ἑν παρρησίᾳ inboldness, John 7:4; John 16:29; Ephesians 6:19; Philemon 1:20. Both the verb and the noun are found in lxx. See Leviticus 26:13; Proverbs 10:10; Wisd. 5:1; Sirach 6:11. [source]

What do the individual words in John 16:29 mean?

Say the disciples of Him Behold now in openness You speak and allegory not speak
Λέγουσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ Ἴδε νῦν ἐν παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖς καὶ παροιμίαν οὐδεμίαν λέγεις

Λέγουσιν  Say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
μαθηταὶ  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἴδε  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
νῦν  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.
παρρησίᾳ  openness 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: παρρησία  
Sense: freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech.
λαλεῖς  You  speak 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
παροιμίαν  allegory 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: παροιμία  
Sense: a saying out of the usual course or deviating from the usual manner of speaking.
λέγεις  speak 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.

What are the major concepts related to John 16:29?

Loading Information...