The Meaning of John 16:32 Explained

John 16:32

KJV: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

YLT: and now it hath come, that ye may be scattered, each to his own things, and me ye may leave alone, and I am not alone, because the Father is with me;

Darby: Behold, the hour is coming, and has come, that ye shall be scattered, each to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me.

ASV: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Behold,  the hour  cometh,  yea,  is  now  come,  that  ye shall be scattered,  every man  to  his own,  and  shall leave  me  alone:  and yet  I am  not  alone,  because  the Father  is  with  me. 

What does John 16:32 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 16:32

Cometh [ερχεται]
Futuristic present middle indicative of ερχομαι — erchomai Yea, is come Explanatory use of και — kai and the perfect active indicative as in John 12:23. The long-looked-for hour See John 16:2 for this same use of ινα — hina (not οτε — hote) with ερχομαι ωρα — erchomai hōra Ye shall be scattered First aorist passive subjunctive of σκορπιζω — skorpizō used in John 10:12 of sheep scampering from the wolf. Cf. Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:33. To his own “To his own home” as in John 1:11; John 19:27. So Appian VI. 23. Shall leave Second aorist subjunctive of απιημι — aphiēmi with ινα — hina And yet Clear case of και — kai in adversative sense, not just “and.” [source]
That [ἵνα]
See on John 16:2, and see on John 15:12. In the divine counsel the hour cometh that ye may be scattered, and may leave, etc. [source]
To his own [εἰς τὰ ἴδια]
To his own home. See on John 1:11. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 16:32

Luke 18:7 Though he bear long with them []
A very difficult passage, and interpretations vary greatly.(1.) The verb μακροθυμέω means to be long-suffering, or to endure patiently. Such is its usual rendering in the New Testament.(2.) Them ( αὐτοῖς ) refers not to the persecutors of God's elect, but to the elect themselves. The Rev. cuts the knot by the most literal of renderings: “and he is long-suffering over ( ἐπι ) them.”(3.) The secondary meaning of restraining or delaying may fairly be deduced from the verb, and explained either (a) of delaying punishment, or (b) of delaying sympathy or help. The Am. Rev. adopts the former, and throws the sentence into the form of a question: “And is he slow to punish on their behalf” ( ἐπ ' αὐτοῖς )? I venture to suggest the following: Καὶ not infrequently has the sense of yet, or and yet. So Euripides' “Thou art Jove-born, and yet ( καὶ ) thy utterance is unjust “(“Helena,” 1147). Aristophanes: “O crown, depart, and joy go with thee: yet ( καὶ ) I part from thee unwillingly” (“Knights,” 1249). So John 9:30: “Ye know not from whence he is, and yet ( καὶ ) he hath opened my eyes.” John 16:32: “Ye shall leave me alone, and yet ( καὶ ) I am not alone,” etc. Render, then, “Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry unto him day and night; yet he delayeth help on their behalf,” even as the unjust judge delayed to avenge the widow? Surely he will, and that ere long. This rendering, instead of contrasting God with the judge, carries out the parallel. The judge delays through indifference. God delays also, or seems to delay, in order to try his children's faith, or because his purpose is not ripe; but he, too, will do justice to the suppliant. Tynd., Yea, though he defer them.“He hides himself so wondrously,As though there were no God;He is least seen when all the powersOf ill are most abroad.O there is less to try our faith,In our mysterious creed,Than in the godless look of earthIn these our hours of need.It is not so, but so it looks;And we lose courage then;And doubts will come if God hath keptHis promises to men.”Faber. [source]
Luke 18:7 And he is longsuffering [μακροτυμει]
This present active indicative comes in awkwardly after the aorist subjunctive ποιησηι — poiēsēi after ου μη — ou mē but this part of the question is positive. Probably και — kai here means “and yet” as so often (John 9:30; John 16:32, etc.). God delays taking vengeance on behalf of his people, not through indifference, but through patient forbearance. [source]
John 1:11 Unto His own [εἰς τὰ ἴδια]
Literally, his own things: see on Acts 1:7. The Rev. follows the A.V. Wyc., into his own things. Render his own home, and compare John 16:32; John 19:27; Acts 21:6. The reference is to the land of Israel, which is recognized as God's own in a peculiar sense. See Jeremiah 2:7; Hosea 9:3; Zechariah 2:12; Deuteronomy 7:6. Not a repetition of John 1:10. There is a progress in the narrative. He was in the world at large: then he came unto His own home. [source]
John 1:11 Unto his own [εις τα ιδια]
Neuter plural, “unto his own things,” the very idiom used in John 19:27 when the Beloved Disciple took the mother of Jesus “to his own home.” The world was “the own home” of the Logos who had made it. See also John 16:32; Acts 21:6. They that were his own In the narrower sense, “his intimates,” “his own family,” “his own friends” as in John 13:1. Jesus later said that a prophet is not without honour save in his own country (Mark 6:4; John 4:44), and the town of Nazareth where he lived rejected him (Luke 4:28.; Matthew 13:58). Probably here οι ιδιοι — hoi idioi means the Jewish people, the chosen people to whom Christ was sent first (Matthew 15:24), but in a wider sense the whole world is included in οι ιδιοι — hoi idioi Conder‘s The Hebrew Tragedy emphasizes the pathos of the situation that the house of Israel refused to welcome the Messiah when he did come, like a larger and sadder Enoch Arden experience. Received him not Second aorist active indicative of παραλαμβανω — paralambanō old verb to take to one‘s side, common verb to welcome, the very verb used by Jesus in John 14:3 of the welcome to his Father‘s house. Cf. κατελαβεν — katelaben in John 1:5. Israel slew the Heir (Hebrews 1:2) when he came, like the wicked husbandmen (Luke 20:14). [source]
John 19:27 Unto his own home [εις τα ιδια]
See this same idiom and sense in John 1:11; John 16:32; Acts 21:6. John had a lodging in Jerusalem, whether a house or not, and the mother of Jesus lived with him there. [source]
John 4:21 Believe me [πιστευε μοι]
Correct text. Present active imperative. Unique phrase in place of the common αμην αμην — amēn amēn (verily, verily). The hour cometh “There is coming an hour.” The same idiom occurs also in John 4:34; John 5:25, John 5:28; John 16:2, John 16:25, John 16:32. Neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem The worship of God will be emancipated from bondage to place. Both Jews and Samaritans are wrong as to the “necessity” “These ancient rivalries will disappear when the spirituality of true religion is fully realized.” Jesus told this sinful woman one of his greatest truths. [source]
John 8:16 Yea and if I judge [και εαν κρινω δε εγω]
“And even if I pass judgment.” Condition of third class again. True (ale4thine4). See John 1:9 for αλητινος — alēthinos genuine, soundly based (cf. δικαια — dikaia in John 5:30), “satisfying our perfect conception” (Westcott), not merely true For I am not alone Jesus now takes up the technical criticism in John 8:13 after justifying his right to speak concerning himself. But I and the Father that sent me See John 16:32 for a like statement about the Father being with Christ. It is not certain that πατηρ — patēr is genuine here (omitted by Aleph D, but in B L W), but the Father is clearly meant as in John 7:18, John 7:33. Jesus gives the Father as the second witness. [source]
John 4:23 And now is [και νυν εστιν]
See this same phrase in John 5:25. This item could not be added in John 4:21 for local worship was not abolished, but spiritual independence of place was called for at once. So contrast John 5:25, John 5:28; John 16:25, John 16:32. The true worshippers See John 1:9 for αλητινος — alēthinos (genuine). Προσκυνητης — Proskunētēs is a late word from προσκυνεω — proskuneō to bow the knee, to worship, occurs here only in N.T., but is found in one pre-Christian inscription (Deissmann, Light, etc., p. 101) and in one of the 3rd century a.d. (Moulton & Milligan, Vocabulary). In spirit and truth This is what matters, not where, but how (in reality, in the spirit of man, the highest part of man, and so in truth). All this is according to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5) who is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). Here Jesus has said the final word on worship, one needed today. Seeketh The Father has revealed himself in the Son who is the truth (John 14:6, John 14:9). It does matter whether we have a true conception of God whom we worship. To be his worshippers Rather, “seeks such as those who worship him” (predicate accusative articular participle in apposition with τοιουτους — toioutous (such). John pictures the Father as seeking worshippers, a doctrine running all through the Gospel (John 3:16; John 6:44; John 15:16; 1 John 4:10). [source]
1 John 2:18 The last hour [ἐσχάτη ὥρα]
The phrase only here in the New Testament. On John's use of ὥρα houras marking a critical season, see John 2:4; John 4:21, John 4:23; John 5:25, John 5:28; John 7:30; John 8:20; John 11:23, John 11:27; John 16:2, John 16:4, John 16:25, John 16:32. The dominant sense of the expression last days, in the New Testament, is that of a period of suffering and struggle preceding a divine victory. See Acts 2:17; James 5:3; 1 Peter 1:20. Hence the phrase here does not refer to the end of the world, but to the period preceding a crisis in the advance of Christ's kingdom, a changeful and troublous period, marked by the appearance of “many antichrists.” [source]

What do the individual words in John 16:32 mean?

Behold is coming an hour and has come when you will be scattered each to the own and I alone you shall leave yet not I am alone for the Father with Me is
ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ ἐλήλυθεν ἵνα σκορπισθῆτε ἕκαστος εἰς τὰ ἴδια κἀμὲ μόνον ἀφῆτε καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ μόνος ὅτι Πατὴρ μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν

ἰδοὺ  Behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
ἔρχεται  is  coming 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ὥρα  an  hour 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ὥρα  
Sense: a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year.
ἐλήλυθεν  has  come 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
σκορπισθῆτε  you  will  be  scattered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: σκορπίζω  
Sense: to scatter.
ἕκαστος  each 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἕκαστος  
Sense: each, every.
ἴδια  own 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἴδιος  
Sense: pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self.
κἀμὲ  and  I 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: κἀγώ  
Sense: and I.
μόνον  alone 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: μόνος  
Sense: alone (without a companion), forsaken, destitute of help, alone, only, merely.
ἀφῆτε  you  shall  leave 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀφίημι 
Sense: to send away.
καὶ  yet 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
εἰμὶ  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
μόνος  alone 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: μόνος  
Sense: alone (without a companion), forsaken, destitute of help, alone, only, merely.
Πατὴρ  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
ἐμοῦ  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.