John 16:24

THE MESSAGE

"I've told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them. "I didn't tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?' Instead, the longer I've talked, the sadder you've become. So let me say it again, this truth: It's better for you that I leave. If I don't leave, the Friend won't come. But if I go, I'll send him to you. "When he comes, he'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He'll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted. "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.' "In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me." That stirred up a hornet's nest of questions among the disciples: "What's he talking about: ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? And, ‘Because I'm on my way to the Father'? What is this ‘day or so'? We don't know what he's talking about." Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, "Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You're going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness. "When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you'll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You'll no longer be so full of questions. "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.

King James Version (1611)
Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my Name: aske, and ye shall receiue, that your ioy may be full.

King James Version
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

English Standard Version
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

New American Standard Bible
"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

New Century Version
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy.

Amplified Bible
"Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

Legacy Standard Bible
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.

Berean Standard Bible
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Contemporary English Version
You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name. Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy.

Complete Jewish Bible
Till now you haven't asked for anything in my name. Keep asking, and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Darby Translation
Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Easy-to-Read Version
You have never asked for anything in this way before. But ask in my name, and you will receive. And you will have the fullest joy possible.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my Name: aske, and ye shall receiue, that your ioye may be full.

George Lamsa Translation
Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be full.

Good News Translation
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your happiness may be complete.

Lexham English Bible
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

Literal Translation
Until now you asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full.

American Standard Version
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.

Bible in Basic English
Up to now you have made no request in my name: do so, and it will be answered, so that your hearts may be full of joy.

Hebrew Names Version
Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

International Standard Version
So far you haven't asked for anything in my name. Keep asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete."John 15:11;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Hitherto you have not asked any thing in my name : [fn] ask, and receive, that your joy may be full.

Murdock Translation
Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye will receive; that your joy may be complete.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Hytherto haue ye asked nothyng in my name: Aske, & ye shall receaue, that your ioy may be full.

English Revised Version
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be fulfilled.

World English Bible
Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask (and ye shall receive) that your joy may be full.

Weymouth's New Testament
As yet you have not asked for anything in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your hearts may be filled with gladness.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Til now ye axiden no thing in my name; `axe ye, `and ye schulen take, that youre ioie be ful.

Update Bible Version
Until now have you asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be made full.

Webster's Bible Translation
Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

New English Translation
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.

New King James Version
Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

New Living Translation
You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

New Life Bible
Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive. Then your joy will be full.

New Revised Standard
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Until even now, ye have asked nothing in my name: Be asking, and ye shall receive, - that, your joy, may be made full.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Hitherto, you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive; that your joy may be full.

Revised Standard Version
Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Hitherto have ye axed nothinge in my name. Axe and ye shall receave it: that youre ioye maye be full.

Young's Literal Translation
till now ye did ask nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Hither to haue ye axed nothinge in my name. Axe, and ye shal receaue, yt youre ioye maye be perfecte.

Mace New Testament (1729)
hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be compleat.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Until now, you haven't really needed anything, but the time is going to come when you will have a need, and I'm going to give it to you.

Contextual Overview

²⁴ "I've told you these things to prepare you for rough times ahead. They are going to throw you out of the meeting places. There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he's doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father. I've told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you'll be well-warned and ready for them. "I didn't tell you this earlier because I was with you every day. But now I am on my way to the One who sent me. Not one of you has asked, ‘Where are you going?' Instead, the longer I've talked, the sadder you've become. So let me say it again, this truth: It's better for you that I leave. If I don't leave, the Friend won't come. But if I go, I'll send him to you. "When he comes, he'll expose the error of the godless world's view of sin, righteousness, and judgment: He'll show them that their refusal to believe in me is their basic sin; that righteousness comes from above, where I am with the Father, out of their sight and control; that judgment takes place as the ruler of this godless world is brought to trial and convicted. "I still have many things to tell you, but you can't handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I've said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.' "In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me." That stirred up a hornet's nest of questions among the disciples: "What's he talking about: ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? And, ‘Because I'm on my way to the Father'? What is this ‘day or so'? We don't know what he's talking about." Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, "Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, ‘In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You're going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness. "When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you'll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You'll no longer be so full of questions. "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! ²⁵"I've used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I'll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I've revealed to you. I won't continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won't need to. Because you've gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: Genesis 32:9, 1 Kings 18:36, 2 Kings 19:15, Matthew 6:9, Ephesians 1:16, Ephesians 1:17, 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:17

ask: Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:8, James 4:2, James 4:3

that: John 16:23, John 15:11, 1 John 1:3, 1 John 1:4, 2 John 1:12

Reciprocal: Numbers 20:8 - speak 1 Samuel 1:18 - went her 2 Kings 2:10 - Thou hast 2 Kings 4:3 - borrow not a few Esther 7:2 - the king said Job 21:15 - if we Psalms 72:15 - prayer Psalms 116:1 - because Psalms 132:16 - her saints Psalms 145:19 - fulfil Proverbs 10:24 - the desire Ecclesiastes 2:26 - wisdom Song of Solomon 8:13 - cause Daniel 9:17 - for Matthew 6:5 - when Matthew 21:22 - General Luke 11:9 - Ask John 15:16 - that whatsoever Acts 4:31 - spake Acts 8:15 - prayed Philippians 1:26 - General 2 Timothy 1:4 - filled Hebrews 7:25 - to make Hebrews 13:21 - through James 1:5 - let 1 John 3:22 - whatsoever 1 John 5:14 - if

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name,.... Not that they had never prayed as yet; for they had desired him to teach them to pray, which he did: they had prayed to him particularly for an increase of faith, and for many other things; but either they had only asked him, he being present with them, and not the Father; or if they had asked the Father anything, yet not in the name of Christ: they had made no mention of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, nor any use of his mediation; things they had not as yet such clear knowledge of; or they had not asked as yet any extraordinary thing, as they afterwards did; see Acts 4:29;

ask, and ye shall receive; that is, in my name, and whatever ye ask for, ye shall have it, to fit you for your work, to carry you through it, and to give you success in it: see Matthew 7:7;

that your joy may be full; go cheerfully through your work, find much pleasure in it, and with great satisfaction see the Gospel spread, souls converted, Satan's kingdom weakened, and the interest of your Redeemer thrive and flourish; than which nothing can more contribute to complete the joy of the ministers of Christ.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hitherto - During his ministry, and while he was with them.

Have ye asked ... - From the evangelists, as well as from this declaration, it seems that they had presented their requests for instruction and aid to Jesus himself. If they had prayed to God, it is probable that they had not done it in his name This great truth that we must approach God in the name of the Mediator was reserved for the last that the Saviour was to communicate to them. It was to be presented at the close of his ministry. Then they were prepared in some degree to understand it; and then, amid trials, and wants, and a sense of their weakness and unworthiness, they would see its preciousness, and rejoice in the privilege of being thus permitted to draw near to God. Though he would be bodily absent, yet their blessings would still be given through the same unchanging Friend.

Ask ... - Now they had the assurance that they might approach God in his name; and, amid all their trials, they, as well as all Christians since, might draw near to God, knowing that he would hear and answer their prayers.

That your joy ... - See John 15:11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name — Ye have not as yet considered me the great Mediator between God and man; but this is one of the truths which shall be more fully revealed to you by the Holy Spirit.

Ask — In my name; and ye shall receive-all the salvation ye thus request; the consequence of which shall be that your joy shall be full-ye shall be thoroughly happy in being made completely holy.