John 14 5

John 14:5 kjv

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

John 14:5 nkjv

Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"

John 14:5 niv

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

John 14:5 esv

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

John 14:5 nlt

"No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

John 14 verses

John 14 5 Meaning

John 14:5 captures the honest, yet humanly limited, perspective of the apostle Thomas. Faced with Jesus' words about departing and the disciples knowing the way to where He was going, Thomas expresses his bewilderment directly. He admits their collective ignorance regarding Jesus' destination and, consequently, how they could possibly know the path there. This question highlights the disciples' persistent tendency to interpret Jesus' spiritual teachings in literal, earthly terms, setting the stage for Jesus' profound revelation of Himself as the unique "way, truth, and life" in the subsequent verse. It represents a common human struggle to grasp divine truth without sufficient revelation.

John 14 5 Context

This verse occurs within Jesus' Upper Room Discourse (John chapters 13-17), a time of intimate teaching and farewell to His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. In the preceding verses (John 14:1-4), Jesus has begun to comfort His disciples, whose hearts are troubled by His impending departure and the mention of betrayal. He reassures them about His Father's house having many rooms, His going to prepare a place for them, and His eventual return to take them there. He concludes by saying, "You know the way to the place where I am going" (John 14:4). Thomas's question in John 14:5 is a direct, practical response to this specific assertion. The historical context for the disciples involves their deeply ingrained expectation of an earthly, political Messiah who would restore the Kingdom of Israel. They consistently struggled to comprehend Jesus' references to spiritual truths, His departure, and the nature of His spiritual kingdom, often interpreting His words through a physical or worldly lens.

John 14 5 Word analysis

• Thomas (Θωμᾶς, Thōmas): Derived from Aramaic T'oma, meaning "twin." Known as Didymus in Greek (also meaning twin). Thomas is consistently portrayed in John's Gospel as loyal, though prone to skepticism and a desire for concrete proof (Jn 11:16, Jn 20:24-29). His question here is characteristic: a straightforward, almost blunt, inquiry born of genuine confusion, highlighting a need for explicit detail before spiritual truths can be grasped.
• said (λέγει, legei): Simple verb of speaking, indicating a direct statement.
• to him (αὐτῷ, autō): To Jesus.
• Lord (Κύριε, Kyrie): A title of respect and address, often translated as "Sir" or "Master." While it acknowledges Jesus' authority, in Thomas's mouth here, it doesn't necessarily convey a full theological understanding of His divine Lordship, but rather indicates his addressing Jesus as a teacher or superior.
• we (ἡμεῖς, hēmeis): Thomas speaks collectively, implying that his confusion is shared by the other disciples, which is probable given their prior questions and overall lack of full understanding of Jesus' spiritual meaning (e.g., Peter's question in John 13:36).
• do not know (οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ouk oidamen): A strong negation ("not") of knowledge ("we know"). The verb oida often refers to a deep, experiential, or intuitive knowing. Here, Thomas emphasizes their complete lack of such understanding regarding Jesus' destination. This confession of ignorance is pivotal, inviting Jesus' clarifying revelation.
• where (ποῦ, pou): An adverb of place, pointing to Thomas's literal interpretation. He is thinking of a geographical location.
• you are going (ὑπάγεις, hupageis): Refers to Jesus' physical departure from them, possibly even implying death and return to the Father, which the disciples still couldn't fully comprehend in spiritual terms.
• How (πῶς, pōs): An adverb expressing means or manner, signifying difficulty or impossibility in their current state. Thomas isn't just asking "what is the way?", but "how is it even possible for us to know it?" given that they don't even know the destination.
• can we know (δυνάμεθα γνῶναι, dynametha gnōnai): "Are we able to know." Dynamai ("to be able") expresses capacity or ability, while ginōskō ("to know") refers to knowledge gained through experience or inquiry. This emphasizes their perceived inability to acquire this knowledge without more information.
• the way (τὴν ὁδόν, tēn hodon): This is a key phrase. In Greek, hodos can mean a physical path, road, or journey, but also a manner, a course of conduct, or even a system of belief (as in "the Way" used for early Christianity in Acts). Thomas, however, understands it literally as the physical route. He seeks a map or directions, whereas Jesus will soon reveal He Himself is the spiritual "way." This word serves as a setup for the profound revelation in John 14:6.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going.'": This phrase succinctly captures the immediate situation. Thomas speaks on behalf of the group, highlighting their intellectual ignorance regarding Jesus' physical departure point or destination. This confession of unknowing directly contradicts Jesus' previous statement in John 14:4 that "You know the way," underscoring the gap between Jesus' spiritual teaching and the disciples' earthly comprehension. It mirrors a universal human desire for clear answers about destiny and the afterlife.
• "How can we know the way?": This is the core question and an appeal for guidance. Thomas emphasizes not only their lack of knowledge of the destination but, consequently, their perceived impossibility of discerning the path without it. It implies a plea for a specific, clear instruction or route map. This question effectively functions as a direct query that perfectly frames Jesus' self-declaration as "the Way" in the subsequent verse, moving from the earthly dilemma to the divine solution.

John 14 5 Bonus section

• Thomas's character, though often seen as skeptical ("Doubting Thomas"), serves a crucial role in the Gospel of John. His candid questions often pave the way for some of Jesus' most profound teachings (e.g., John 11:16, John 14:5, John 20:24-29). His directness allows for explicit declarations that benefit not only the original disciples but also all future readers.
• The exchange between Jesus and Thomas exemplifies a pattern throughout Jesus' ministry: His disciples frequently misunderstood His parables, prophecies, and spiritual teachings until after His resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit (Jn 12:16, Lk 24:45). This gradual understanding underscores the need for divine enablement to comprehend spiritual truths.
• The phrase "the way" later became a significant self-designation for early Christianity (e.g., Acts 9:2, Acts 19:23). This usage echoes Jesus' identification of Himself as the unique path to God, signifying that following Christ is the way of life and faith.
• This verse highlights the human condition's reliance on empirical data or visible paths, which contrasts sharply with the nature of faith, which often requires trust in an unseen destination or an unseen Guide (Heb 11:1). Thomas, here, represents this innate human desire for certainty.

John 14 5 Commentary

Thomas's question in John 14:5 is not a challenge to Jesus, but an honest articulation of the disciples' fundamental bewilderment. They, like many believers through history, struggled to transcend a purely literal or earthly understanding of divine truth. Jesus had just told them, "You know the way" (Jn 14:4), a spiritual statement referring to their knowledge of Him, but Thomas perceived it through a worldly lens, demanding practical travel information. This shows the contrast between human limitation and divine perspective. Thomas’s directness is commendable, for it forces clarity. His inquiry, borne of loyalty and genuine confusion, creates the perfect opportunity for Jesus to reveal the ultimate truth: that the "way" is not a map or a method, but a Person—Himself. It illustrates that spiritual understanding often comes not from intellectual deciphering of a roadmap, but through personal relationship and revelation of the Living Lord.