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Read the Bible

Revised Standard Version

John 16:18

They said, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he means."

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Comforter;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   God;   Holy Spirit;   John, Theology of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - John, Gospel of (Ii. Contents);   Manuscripts;   Obscurity;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 20 To Ask, Request;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;   Pentecost;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - World;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said, “What is this he is saying, ‘A little while’
King James Version (1611)
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A litle while? we cannot tell what he saith.
King James Version
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
English Standard Version
So they were saying, "What does he mean by ‘a little while' ? We do not know what he is talking about."
New American Standard Bible
So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."
New Century Version
They also asked, "What does he mean by ‘a little while' ? We don't understand what he is saying."
Amplified Bible
So they were saying, "What does He mean when He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So they were saying, "What is this that He says, 'A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."
Legacy Standard Bible
So they were saying, "What is this that He says, ‘A little while'? We do not know what He is talking about."
Berean Standard Bible
They kept asking, "Why is He saying, 'a little while'? We do not understand what He is saying."
Contemporary English Version
What is this ‘little while' that he is talking about? We don't know what he means."
Complete Jewish Bible
They went on saying, "What is this ‘little while'? We don't understand what he's talking about."
Darby Translation
They said therefore, What is this which he says [of] the little while? We do not know [of] what he speaks.
Easy-to-Read Version
They also asked, "What does he mean by ‘a short time'? We don't understand what he is saying."
Geneva Bible (1587)
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A litle while? we know not what he sayeth.
George Lamsa Translation
And they said, What is this that he said, A little while? We cannot understand what he talks about.
Good News Translation
What does this ‘a little while' mean? We don't know what he is talking about!"
Lexham English Bible
So they kept on saying, "What is this that he is saying, ‘A little while'? We do not understand what he is speaking about!"
Literal Translation
Then they said, What is this that He says, The little? We do not know what He says.
American Standard Version
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
Bible in Basic English
So they said again and again, What is this he is saying, A little time? His words are not clear to us.
Hebrew Names Version
They said therefore, "What is this that he says, 'A little while?' We don't know what he is saying."
International Standard Version
They kept saying, "What is this 'in a little while' that he keeps talking about? We don't know what he means."
Etheridge Translation
And they said, What is this little (time of) which he hath spoken?
Murdock Translation
And they said: What is this little while, of which he speaketh? We know not what he saith.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
They sayde therefore: What is this that he saith, after a whyle? we can not tell what he saith.
English Revised Version
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he saith.
World English Bible
They said therefore, "What is this that he says, 'A little while?' We don't know what he is saying."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They said therefore, What is this little while that he speaketh of? We understand not what he saith.
Weymouth's New Testament
So they asked one another repeatedly, "What can that `little while' mean which He speaks of? We do not understand His words."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor thei seiden, What is this that he seith to vs, A litil? we witen not what he spekith.
Update Bible Version
They said therefore, What is this that he says, A little while? We don't know what he says.
Webster's Bible Translation
They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.
New English Translation
So they kept on repeating, "What is the meaning of what he says, ‘In a little while'? We do not understand what he is talking about."
New King James Version
They said therefore, "What is this that He says, "A little while'? We do not know what He is saying."
New Living Translation
And what does he mean by ‘a little while'? We don't understand."
New Life Bible
So they said, "What is He trying to tell us by saying, ‘A little while' ? We do not know what He is talking about."
New Revised Standard
They said, "What does he mean by this ‘a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They were saying, therefore - What is this which he saith: - A little while? We know not what he is saying.
Douay-Rheims Bible
They said therefore: What is this that he saith, A little while? We know not what he speaketh.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
They sayd therfore: what is this that he sayth after a whyle? we canot tell what he sayth.
Young's Literal Translation
they said then, `What is this he saith -- the little while? we have not known what he saith.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde they: What is this, that he sayeth: After a litle whyle? We can not tell what he sayeth.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for, said they, we cannot comprehend the meaning of that expression, "within a little while?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
And what is 'a little while'? We don't understand any of this."

Contextual Overview

16 "A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me." 17 Some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and, 'because I go to the Father'?" 18 They said, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not know what he means." 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him; so he said to them, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we: Matthew 16:9-11, Luke 24:25, Hebrews 5:12

Reciprocal: Psalms 73:16 - too painful for me Luke 9:45 - General John 7:36 - manner John 14:22 - how

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They said therefore,.... One, and all of them; the inquiry became universal;

what is this that he saith, a little while? it seems as if this phrase was the most intricate and perplexing to them; for whatever conceptions they might have of not seeing, and seeing him again, as expressive of his going from them, and returning to them, yet had no notion at all what he should mean by "a little while": and therefore add,

we cannot tell what he saith: they knew his words, but not his meaning.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 16:18. What is this that he saith — They knew from what he had said that he was to die, but knew not what he meant by their seeing him again in a little time.


 
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