John 16:20–22
Jesus compares the disciples' sorrow to a woman giving birth
Study it word by word20Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
21A woman, when she is giving birth, has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she has borne the child, she no longer remembers the affliction because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world.
22So you also have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy from you.
In its context
18So they were saying, “What is this that he says, ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.”
19Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see me; and again a little while, and you will see me’?
…
23And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I tell you, if you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you.
24Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
Its words in the original
- ἀμὴνamēn· truly, amen
Amen: a Hebrew word meaning "so it is", "it is firm". Jesus uses it at the start of a saying to affirm what he is about to say: "truly".
- λέγωlegō· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- κλαύσετεklausete· weep
Weep, cry.
- θρηνήσετεthrēnēsete· lament, mourn
Sing laments, mourn the dead.
- κόσμοςkosmos· world
World: what God created; also humanity, and humanity living with its back turned to God.
- χαρήσεταιcharēsetai· rejoice
Rejoice, be glad. As a greeting, "hail!" or "greetings!".
- λυπηθήσεσθεlypēthēsesthe· grieve
Make sad; be sad, grieve.
- λύπηlypē· grief, sorrow
Sorrow, grief.
- χαρὰνcharan· joy
Joy, gladness.
- γενήσεταιgenēsetai· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- γυνὴgynē· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive, wife.
- ὅτανhotan· when, whenever
When, whenever.
- τίκτῃtiktēi· give birth
Give birth.
- ἔχειechei· have
Have, possess, hold.
- ἦλθενēlthen· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- ὥραhōra· hour
Hour; also moment, time.
- γεννήσῃgennēsēi· beget, be born
Beget, become the father of; said of a mother, give birth; in the passive, be born. In family lists it also covers grandchildren and later descendants.
- παιδίονpaidion· little child
Little child.
- μνημονεύειmnēmoneuei· remember
Remember, keep in mind.
- θλίψεωςthlipseōs· trouble, affliction
Affliction, distress, pressure.
- ἄνθρωποςanthrōpos· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- πάλινpalin· again
Again, once more; also "in turn".
- ὄψομαιopsomai· see
See, look; notice.
- καρδίαkardia· heart
Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- αἴρειairei· lift, take away
Lift up, carry; also take away.