John 7:36 kjv
What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
John 7:36 nkjv
What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"
John 7:36 niv
What did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and 'Where I am, you cannot come'?"
John 7:36 esv
What does he mean by saying, 'You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, 'Where I am you cannot come'?"
John 7:36 nlt
What does he mean when he says, 'You will search for me but not find me,' and 'You cannot go where I am going'?"
John 7 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 7:33 | "Then Jesus said, “I will be with you only a little longer, and then I will go to the one who sent me." | Jesus' immediate departure and ascension (John 14:28) |
| John 8:21 | "He said to them again, “I am going away, and you will search for me, and in your sin you will die. Where I am going, you cannot come.”" | Warning of future separation due to their unbelief |
| John 13:33 | "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ so now I also say to you." | Reiterates the limited time and inaccessible destination |
| John 16:5 | "But now I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’" | Jesus laments their lack of inquiry about His true destination |
| John 16:10 | "concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;" | Righteousness confirmed by His return to the Father |
| John 16:16 | "“In a little while you will see me no longer; but in a little while you will see me.”" | The disciples will see Him again after His resurrection and ascension |
| John 16:28 | "I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”" | Explicit statement of His divine origin and return |
| Acts 1:9 | "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." | The visible ascension of Jesus |
| Romans 8:34 | "who is there to condemn? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us." | Jesus' current position at the Father's right hand |
| Ephesians 1:20 | "which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms," | His exalted position in heaven |
| Hebrews 1:3 | "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." | Jesus' divine nature and heavenly authority |
| 1 Peter 3:22 | "who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—angels and authorities and powers in submission to him." | Jesus' supreme authority in heaven |
| Isaiah 53:8 | "By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished." | Prophecy of His suffering and being cut off |
| Daniel 7:13-14 | "“I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." | Prophecy of His ascension and divine kingdom |
| Psalm 110:1 | "The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”" | Messianic prophecy of His exalted position |
| Matthew 26:64 | "“You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”" | Jesus applies Psalm 110 and Daniel 7 to Himself |
| Mark 16:19 | "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." | Affirmation of His ascension and seating |
| John 3:13 | "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man." | Jesus' unique heavenly origin and descent |
| Genesis 1:1 | "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." | Contrast with the earthly discussions; points to divine creation |
| Deuteronomy 18:15 | "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers. You shall listen to him." | Fulfillment of prophecy, a prophet sent by God |
John 7 verses
John 7 36 Meaning
Jesus' opponents questioned His departure, misunderstanding His divine origin. They interpreted His statement literally, failing to grasp His spiritual revelation about His heavenly origin and impending return to the Father. Their earthly perspective blinded them to His true identity and purpose.
John 7 36 Context
This verse occurs in John chapter 7, a period during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Jesus is teaching in the temple, and the Jewish authorities are divided about Him. Some believe He is the Messiah, while others are skeptical, seeking to arrest Him. Jesus is aware of their intentions and speaks about His impending departure to the Father. The religious leaders are confused by His statement, interpreting it as a physical departure to the Hellenistic diaspora or some distant land, rather than a divine ascension to heaven.
John 7 36 Word Analysis
- "Then" (ἔπειτα - epeita): Indicates sequence, a progression in the dialogue following Jesus' previous statements or actions.
- "Jesus" (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The name of the Son of God.
- "said" (εἶπεν - eipen): Spoke.
- "again" (πάλιν - palin): A repetition or continuation of a previous theme or statement.
- "Whither" (ποῦ - pou): Where. In this context, it conveys a spatial question, but Jesus reframes it with a divine perspective.
- "go" (ὑπάγεις - upageis): To depart, go away. The Jewish leaders use this word literally.
- "We" (ἡμεῖς - hēmeis): Emphasizes their collective question or perplexity.
- "shall" (ζητοῦμεν - zētoumen): Futurity expressed in their question.
- "not" (οὐ - ou): Negation.
- "know" (εἰδέναι - eidenai): To understand, to perceive. They lack the spiritual insight to comprehend His destination.
- "And" (καί - kai): Conjunction.
- "what" (τί - ti): Interrogative pronoun.
- "thing" (πρᾶγμα - pragma): Matter, affair. They are asking about the nature of His destination.
Word Group Analysis:
- "Whither go we shall not know": This phrase captures the leaders' fundamental misunderstanding. They are asking a geographical "where" and implying that if they understood "where" He was going, they could follow or understand Him. However, Jesus' destination is not a place accessible by human travel but a spiritual realm. Their question reveals their spiritual ignorance and earthly mindset. They are concerned with His physical absence rather than His ultimate glory and purpose.
John 7 36 Bonus Section
The phrase "whither shall we go" also echoes the confusion and doubt that often characterizes humanity's search for purpose and ultimate destination. In a sense, everyone is on a journey, and the question of "where are we going" is fundamental. Jesus' answer points to Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and His ultimate destination to the Father is the guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in Him. Their failure to understand where Jesus was going demonstrated a broader failure to understand who Jesus was – the divine Son who had come from the Father and was returning to Him.
John 7 36 Commentary
The question from the Jewish leaders highlights their inability to grasp Jesus' divine nature and mission. They are preoccupied with His physical presence and earthly interactions. Jesus' statement is a preview of His ascension and return to the Father, a reality that transcends their limited understanding. Their focus remains on the earthly, while Jesus' focus is on the heavenly. Their lack of understanding of His destination signifies their rejection of His identity as the One sent by the Father, who also holds divine authority and origin. Their pursuit of His physical location stems from a spiritual inability to comprehend His heavenly home.