Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

King James Version

John 14:5

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostles;   Thomas;   Thompson Chain Reference - Future, the;   Heaven;   Heavenly;   Home;   Thomas;   The Topic Concordance - Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;   Jesus Christ;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Thomas;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Holy Ghost;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Thomas;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Time, Meaning of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Children (Sons) of God;   English Versions;   God;   Holy Spirit;   John, Theology of;   Thomas;   Way;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Consciousness;   Thomas;   Truth (2);   Unbelief (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Thomas ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;   Pentecost;   Samuel;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Thom'as;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Thomas;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Twelve Apostles, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Thomas;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for November 1;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?”
King James Version (1611)
Thomas saith vnto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest: and how can we know the way?
English Standard Version
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
New American Standard Bible
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?"
New Century Version
Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way?"
Amplified Bible
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
Legacy Standard Bible
Thomas *said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How do we know the way?"
Berean Standard Bible
"Lord," said Thomas, "we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?"
Contemporary English Version
Thomas said, "Lord, we don't even know where you are going! How can we know the way?"
Complete Jewish Bible
T'oma said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you're going; so how can we know the way?"
Darby Translation
Thomas says to him, Lord, we know not where thou goest, and how can we know the way?
Easy-to-Read Version
Thomas said, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Thomas sayd vnto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest: how ca we then know ye way?
George Lamsa Translation
Thomas said to him, Our Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?
Good News Translation
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?"
Lexham English Bible
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How are we able to know the way?"
Literal Translation
Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You go, and how can we know the way?
American Standard Version
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way?
Bible in Basic English
Thomas said, Lord, we have no knowledge of where you are going; how may we have knowledge of the way?
Hebrew Names Version
T'oma says to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
International Standard Version
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Etheridge Translation
Thoma saith to him, Our Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way ?
Murdock Translation
Thomas said to him: Our Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thomas sayth vnto hym: Lorde, we knowe not whither thou goest: And howe is it possible for vs to knowe the waye?
English Revised Version
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; how know we the way?
World English Bible
Thomas says to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Thomas saith to him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way?
Weymouth's New Testament
"Master," said Thomas, "we do not know where you are going. In what sense do we know the way?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thomas seith to hym, Lord, we witen not whidur thou goist, and hou moun we wite the weie?
Update Bible Version
Thomas says to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going; how can we know the way?
Webster's Bible Translation
Thomas saith to him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
New English Translation
Thomas said, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
New King James Version
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
New Living Translation
"No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
New Life Bible
Thomas said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way to get there?"
New Revised Standard
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thomas saith unto him - Lord! we know not whither thou goest: How know we, the way?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thomas saith to him: Lord, we know not whither thou goest. And how can we know the way?
Revised Standard Version
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thomas sayde vnto him: Lorde we knowe not whyther thou goest. Also how is it possible for vs to knowe the waye?
Young's Literal Translation
Thomas saith to him, `Sir, we have not known whither thou goest away, and how are we able to know the way?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thomas sayde vnto him: LORDE, we knowe not whither thou goest, & how can we knowe the waye?
Mace New Testament (1729)
Thomas said to him, Lord, we know not whither you are going, how then can we know the way?
THE MESSAGE
Thomas said, "Master, we have no idea where you're going. How do you expect us to know the road?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
Tom said, "Boss, we ain't sure where you're going. So how can we know which trail to take?"

Contextual Overview

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thomas: John 20:25-28

we know not: John 15:12, Mark 8:17, Mark 8:18, Mark 9:19, Luke 24:25, Hebrews 5:11, Hebrews 5:12

Reciprocal: Luke 9:45 - General John 13:36 - whither John 16:17 - said John 16:23 - ask John 20:24 - Thomas

Cross-References

Genesis 14:10
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
Genesis 14:11
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
Genesis 14:20
And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Genesis 14:23
That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Genesis 15:20
And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
Deuteronomy 1:4
After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:
Deuteronomy 3:11
For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
Deuteronomy 3:20
Until the Lord have given rest unto your brethren, as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the Lord your God hath given them beyond Jordan: and then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you.
Deuteronomy 3:22
Ye shall not fear them: for the Lord your God he shall fight for you.
Joshua 12:4
And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thomas saith unto him, Lord,.... Who was one of his apostles, and here betrays his ignorance, as elsewhere his unbelief; and not only speaks for himself, but for the rest of the apostles, of whom he judged by himself; and who, it may be, might understand things better than himself, though their knowledge at present was but small:

we know not whither thou goest; though he had but just told them of his Father's house, and of his going to prepare a place for them:

and how can we know the way? for if we do not know the place, it is not reasonable to think we should know the way to it. Thomas seemed to have no other notion than that Christ was talking of some particular place in Judea, whither he was going, and of the road to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

We know not whither thou goest - Though Jesus had so often told them of his approaching death and resurrection, yet it seems they did not understand him, nor did they fully comprehend him until after his resurrection. See Luke 24:21. They entertained the common notions of a temporal kingdom; they supposed still that he was to be an earthly prince and leader, and they did not comprehend the reason why he should die. Thomas confessed his ignorance, and the Saviour again patiently explained his meaning. All this shows the difficulty of believing when the mind is full of prejudice and of contrary opinions. If Thomas had laid aside his previous opinions - had he been willing to receive the truth as Jesus plainly spoke it, there would have been no difficulty. Faith would have been an easy and natural exercise of the mind. And so with the sinner. If he were willing to receive the plain and unequivocal doctrines of the Bible, there would be no difficulty; but his mind is full of opposite opinions and plans, occupied with errors and vanities, and these are the reasons, and the only reasons, why he is not a Christian. Yet who would say that, after the plain instructions of Jesus, Thomas might not have understood him? And who will dare to say that any sinner may not lay aside his prejudices and improper views, and receive the plain and simple teaching of the Bible?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 14:5. Lord, we know not — Thomas, perhaps, thought that our Lord only spoke of his going some distance from the place where he then was.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile