John 16:5 · Bible study
John 16:5 Commentary: The Question the Disciples Didn’t Ask
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jesus claim the disciples do not ask where He is going, despite Peter and Thomas asking earlier? The answer lies in their sorrow-stopped hearts.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus rebukes his disciples for being so absorbed in grief that they fail to ask the very question that would lead to comfort, where he is going and why.
- Key words: νῦν (nun, “now”, marks a critical moment); ὑπάγω (hupagō, “I go away”, present tense, imminent departure); πέμψαντά με (pempsanta me, “the One having sent Me”, aorist participle highlighting the Father’s commissioning mission).
- Main debate: Does Jesus contradict the earlier questions of Peter (13:36) and Thomas (14:5)? Commentators resolve this by noting the difference between past curiosity and present sorrow.
- Theological theme: Christ’s departure is not abandonment but a necessary step to send the Holy Spirit and prepare a place for his people.
- Best use: Pastoral teaching on how grief can block our vision of God’s larger purposes, leading us to miss the hope Christ offers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
WEB World English Bible 2000
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
KJV King James Version 1769
But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But now I go unto him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and now I go away to Him who sent me, and none of you doth ask me, Whither dost thou go?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But now I go to him that has sent me, and none of you demands of me, Where goest thou?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But I told you not these things from the beginning, because I was with you. And now I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas ahora voy al|strong="G4314, G3588" que me envió; y ninguno de vosotros me pregunta: ¿ Adónde vas?
E agora vou para aquele que me enviou; e nenhum de vós me pergunta: Para onde vais?
Maintenant je m’ en vais vers celui qui m’ a envoyé, et aucun de vous ne me demande: Où vas-tu?
Nun aber gehe ich hin zu dem, der mich gesandt hat; und niemand unter euch fragt mich: Wo gehst du hin?
En nu ga Ik heen tot Dengene, die Mij gezonden heeft, en niemand van u vraagt Mij: Waar gaat Gij henen?
Ma ora me ne vo a Colui che mi ha mandato; e niun di voi mi domanda: Dove vai?
Lecz teraz idę do onego, który mię posłał, a żaden z was nie pyta mię: Dokąd idziesz?
А теперь иду к Пославшему Меня, и никто из вас не спрашивает Меня: куда идешь?
現今 我往 差 我 來的父那裡去，你們 中間 並 沒有人 問 我：『你往哪裡 去？』
But now I am going to him who sent me; and not one of you says to me, Where are you going?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · John 16:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jesus’ statement in John 16:5 is not a factual error but a pastoral observation. Peter had asked in 13:36 and Thomas in 14:5. Yet now, as Jesus speaks these words, none of them ask. Their grief has stopped their tongues. Adam Clarke notes that their hearts were filled with sorrow (v.6) and so they did not ask. Barnes agrees: they gave themselves up to grief rather than inquiring why Jesus was about to leave. Calvin sharpens the point: the disciples were too attached to Christ’s visible presence and, when that presence seemed threatened, they panicked instead of lifting their eyes to His destination. The consensus is clear: the “none asks Me” is not a claim about the past but about the present moment. The disciples are so overwhelmed by the prospect of loss that they fail to ask the question that might bring comfort, where is Jesus going, and why does it matter?
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Temporal view: The disciples asked earlier (13:36; 14:5) but not now because sorrow overwhelmed them (Clarke, Barnes, Wesley).
- Qualitative view: The disciples did not ask the right kind of question — they asked about geography, not about the Father and the Spirit (Cambridge Bible, JFB).
- Rebuke view: Jesus accuses them of failing to lift their eyes to his heavenly destination; they are too attached to his visible presence (Calvin, Lange, Gill).
What is clear: Jesus is going to the Father, and the disciples at this moment are so filled with sorrow that they fail to inquire about the purpose and destination of his journey.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why the disciples do not ask now | All commentators agree that the disciples were so overcome with sorrow (v.6) that they did not ask the question at this moment, even though they had asked it earlier. | Some (Clarke, Barnes) see it as a natural human reaction to grief; others (Calvin, Gill) treat it as a fault, a failure to lift their eyes to heaven and trust God’s plan. |
| The nature of the disciples' earlier questions | Peter (13:36) and Thomas (14:5) had indeed asked where Jesus was going, so Jesus is not claiming they never asked. | Was the earlier questioning sincere but incomplete, or was it misguided? Gill says Peter asked only about a physical location; Calvin says they did not raise their minds to confidence in Christ’s larger purpose. |
| The function of Jesus' statement | Jesus is gently reproving the disciples to turn their attention from grief to hope. | Calvin and Lange emphasize the reproach and call the disciples to ‘lift their eyes’; Barnes focuses more on pastoral comfort: Jesus was ready to answer if they had asked. The tone ranges from mild admonition to invitation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
John 16:5 sits in the Farewell Discourse (John 13, 17), spoken on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. Throughout the discourse, Jesus prepares his disciples for his imminent departure, a departure they cannot yet grasp. In the opening verses of chapter 16, Jesus warns of coming persecution: expulsion from synagogues, even martyrdom by those who think they serve God. These warnings are new and troubling. The disciples had expected a Messianic kingdom, perhaps an earthly restoration of Israel. They had not anticipated that their Master would be taken in shame, leaving them to face the world’s hatred alone.
The phrase “I am going to him who sent me” echoes earlier statements in the gospel: John 6:62 (ascension to where he was before), 7:33 (going to the One who sent him), and 13:3 (coming from God and going to God). The verb hupagō (“I go away”) carries a sense of withdrawal, as the Cambridge Bible notes. Jesus is not simply departing; he is returning to the Father, a journey that culminates in his ascension and glorification. But the disciples do not ask about that destination. They are fixated on the loss, not on the purpose.
Cultural background helps explain their silence. In a society where honor and shame governed relationships, a teacher’s departure was often seen as abandonment or defeat. The disciples may have felt that Jesus was losing the battle. Their sorrow was not just personal grief but also confusion about the meaning of his mission. They had not yet understood that going to the Father was victory, not defeat.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for John 16:5. The Douay-Rheims version includes a longer opening (“But I told you not these things from the beginning, because I was with you. And now I go…”) which is a conflation from verse 4 in some manuscripts, but modern critical editions (NA28, UBS5) follow the shorter reading as original. No commentator in the supplied excerpts discusses this as affecting the interpretation of verse 5.
Reception History
John 16:5 has been read primarily as part of the unfolding Farewell Discourse, where Christ’s departure is the pivot on which everything turns. Early church fathers such as Chrysostom saw in this verse a pastoral diagnosis: grief can cloud spiritual vision. In the Reformation, Calvin used the verse to warn against excessive attachment to Christ’s physical presence, urging believers to look to his heavenly reign. Later pietist tradition found in it a lesson about the dangers of self-absorbed sorrow. The verse is not often cited alone but is treasured in the flow of John 16, where the disciples’ silence sets up the promise of the Comforter who follows.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Jesus announces his departure. “But now I am going to him who sent me”, a statement of purpose and mission, not defeat.
- The disciples fail to ask the right question. “None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’”, they dwell on loss, not destination.
- Sorrow stops the conversation. Verse 6 explains why: “sorrow has filled your heart.” Grief can blind us to hope.
Five-point outline
- Christ’s return to the Father, the goal of the entire gospel.
- The disciples’ self-focused grief, they see only their own abandonment.
- The wrong question asked before (Peter and Thomas), they did ask, but with the wrong spirit.
- The missing perspective, they should have asked “Where are you going?” to hear the answer: “to prepare a place for you” (14:2-3).
- The comfort that follows, verse 7 reveals why departure is necessary: the coming of the Paraclete.
Illustration hooks
- Child’s grief. A six-year-old watches their parent pack for a work trip. They don’t ask “Where are you going?” or “Why?”, they just cry. Jesus sees the same reaction in his disciples.
- Sports team losing a coach. The players are so disappointed by the coach’s departure that they stop listening to his final instructions. They miss that the new coach might bring a better season.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God let me feel abandoned even when he has a plan?
- How can I turn my grief into a question that leads to hope?
- Is it wrong to feel sorrow when a loved one dies or moves away, even if I trust God?
Leading a Discussion
This small group guide explores why Jesus gently rebukes his disciples for not asking where he is going. The disciples had asked before, but now sorrow silenced them. How often does our own grief keep us from hearing the hope God offers?
Discussion questions
- Read John 13:36 and John 14:5. What did Peter and Thomas ask Jesus? How does that compare to what Jesus says in John 16:5?
- Why does Jesus say “none of you asks me” if they did ask earlier? What has changed in their hearts?
- What does verse 6 reveal about the disciples’ emotional state? How does “sorrow has filled your heart” explain their silence?
- Calvin wrote that the disciples were too attached to Christ’s visible presence. In what ways are we attached to visible signs of God’s work and miss the deeper purpose?
- Why is it important that Jesus says he is going “to him who sent me”? What does that tell us about the meaning of his departure?
- How does verse 7 change the picture? If the disciples had asked, what answer would they have received?
- Think of a time when grief made you stop asking God “Why?” or “What are you doing?”. How might those questions have helped you trust God more?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| John 6:62 | Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? |
| John 7:33 | Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer, then I go to him who sent me. |
| John 13:3 | Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came from God and was going to God, |
| John 13:36 | Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you can’t follow now, but you will follow afterwards.” |
| John 14:4 | You know where I go, and you know the way.” |
| John 14:6 | Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. |
| John 14:28 | You heard how I told you, ‘I am going away, and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I. |
| John 16:10 | about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Peter and Thomas had earlier asked Jesus where He was going, but now none of them ask. Their hearts are so filled with sorrow over His departure that they become silent, unable to pose the question they once asked.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the disciples gave in to grief instead of asking Jesus why he was leaving, when he was ready to answer and comfort them. He applies this as a lesson: when afflicted, we should not yield to excessive grief but inquire why God tries us, confident that he will give consolation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Christ's departure not as a loss but as the path to heavenly glory and authority, where He will protect believers. He reproaches the apostles for clinging to Christ's visible presence and for grieving without considering the purpose of His going. Their failure is not asking where He goes with confident faith.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Peter and Thomas had previously asked Jesus about his departure, but now the disciples are so absorbed in their own impending loss that they no longer inquire where he is going. Their focus has shifted entirely to how his leaving affects them, rather than his own gain or the purpose behind it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note points out that the disciples were so consumed with their own grief at Jesus' departure that they failed to ask the most natural question: where He was going. Their silence reveals a self-focused sorrow rather than a genuine concern for His destination and purpose.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that when Peter asked where Jesus was going, he meant a physical hiding place, not the Father's house or heaven. The disciples never truly inquired about Jesus's heavenly destination, the way there, or the glory He would receive, showing they did not grasp His real departure.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that while Jesus was present, the world's hatred fell chiefly on Him, but His departure would redirect that hostility onto the disciples as His representatives. He also notes that although the disciples had previously asked where He was going, they now remained silent, and He desired a more intelligent and eager inquiry from them.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the organic union between Christ and believers as a living, vital connection where the Vine supplies everything and the branches can do nothing apart from Him. He grounds this in the vineyard imagery of pruning and burning, stressing that fruitfulness requires the Father's painful but necessary discipline.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Christ prepared his disciples for persecution not to frighten them but to prevent the offence of the cross from surprising them. Surprise, he argues, disarms faith more than suffering itself, so Jesus' honest warning was itself an act of faithful love that arms his followers.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Jesus' remark about no one asking Him comes at the very moment when asking would be most fitting. The disciples had asked before, as Peter did in an earlier passage, but now they remain silent when inquiry is most seasonable.