Translation commentary on John 16:15

All that my Father has is mine is related closely to the thought of 3.35 and 5.20 (see there). This same claim is repeated at 17.10. The specific reference here is to the truth which Christ communicates, and this fact is made clear in the second half of the verse.

The clause introduced by that is why I said that qualifies the content of what is referred to by all that the Father has is mine. The Spirit will take the full truth that Christ gives him and tell it to the disciples.

The Spirit will take what I give him is literally “… he receives from what is mine.” Good News Translation makes the pronominal reference “he” explicit as a reference to the Spirit; it also takes the Greek present tense (“receives”) as the equivalent of the future in the previous verse, since the change of tense apparently carries no significance. Finally, it restructures the words “he receives from what is mine” to read will take what I give him. What is taken and received is, of course, the revelation. Accordingly, one may translate in some languages “the Spirit will listen to what I tell him and then he will tell it to you.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 16:15

16:15a

Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine: This sentence indicates that there is no division between Jesus and his Father. What one knows and says, the other knows and says. The Son possesses all the wisdom and knowledge of the Father. For example:

Everything the Father says is also what I say. (God’s Word)

16:15b

That is why I said that: This expression means that 16:15a is the reason why Jesus said what he did in 16:14b. He said that the Holy Spirit would take what was Jesus’ to tell the disciples because all that the Father has is Jesus’. It is the same as taking God the Father’s message. The wisdom and knowledge of the truth that the Father has, the Son has also. Because of this, Jesus could say that the Spirit would take and declare his message. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

For this reason I said that… (New Revised Standard Version)

the Spirit will take from what is Mine: The Holy Spirit will take, that is, accept or receive, Jesus’ message. See how you translated this clause in 16:14. For example:

the Spirit will take what I give him (Good News Translation)
-or-
the Spirit takes my message (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
what the Spirit tells you comes from me

16:15c

and disclose it to you: The word disclose means “tell.” The word “will” from “will take” in 16:15b also connects with disclose to make the verb future. The Holy Spirit will tell the disciples the message that he will receive from Jesus. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

and tell it to you (Good News Translation)
-or-
and make it known to you (Revised English Bible)

General Comment on 16:15b–c

In some languages it may be natural to use a direct quotation when Jesus refers to his own words. For example:

That is why I said, ‘He will take what I say and tell it to you.’ (God’s Word)

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