John 16:25
New International Version
“Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

New Living Translation
“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father.

English Standard Version
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Berean Standard Bible
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Berean Literal Bible
I have spoken these things to you in allegories; an hour is coming when I will speak to you no more in allegories, but I will report to you plainly concerning the Father.

King James Bible
These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.

New King James Version
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

New American Standard Bible
“These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

NASB 1995
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

NASB 1977
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will speak no more to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

Legacy Standard Bible
“These things I have spoken to you in figures of speech; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you openly of the Father.

Amplified Bible
“I have told you these things in figurative language (veiled language, proverbs); the hour is now coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

Christian Standard Bible
“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. A time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

American Standard Version
These things have I spoken unto you in dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I have spoken these things in parables with you, but the hour is coming when I shall speak with you, not in parables, but I shall declare to you about The Father plainly.”

Contemporary English Version
I have used examples to explain to you what I have been talking about. But the time will come when I will speak to you plainly about the Father and will no longer use examples like these.

Douay-Rheims Bible
These things I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour cometh, when I will no more speak to you in proverbs, but will shew you plainly of the Father.

English Revised Version
These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I have used examples to illustrate these things. The time is coming when I won't use examples to speak to you. Rather, I will speak to you about the Father in plain words.

Good News Translation
"I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech, but will speak to you plainly about the Father.

International Standard Version
"I have said these things to you in figurative language. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Literal Standard Version
I have spoken these things in allegories to you, but there comes an hour when I will no longer speak to you in allegories, but will tell you freely of the Father.

Majority Standard Bible
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

New American Bible
“I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father.

NET Bible
"I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

New Revised Standard Version
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

New Heart English Bible
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Webster's Bible Translation
These things have I spoken to you in proverbs: but the time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly concerning the Father.

Weymouth New Testament
"All this I have spoken to you in veiled language. The time is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in veiled language, but will tell you about the Father in plain words.

World English Bible
“I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

Young's Literal Translation
'These things in similitudes I have spoken to you, but there cometh an hour when no more in similitudes will I speak to you, but freely of the Father, will tell you.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ask and You will Receive
24Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. 25I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26In that day you will ask in My name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.…

Cross References
Ezekiel 20:49
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, 'Is he not just telling parables?'"

Matthew 13:34
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable.

Mark 4:34
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

Mark 8:32
He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

John 10:6
Jesus spoke to them using this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them.

John 10:24
So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

John 16:2
They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.


Treasury of Scripture

These things have I spoken to you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

proverbs.

John 16:12,16,17
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now…

Psalm 49:4
I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Psalm 78:2
I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

but.

John 16:28,29
I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father…

Acts 2:33-36
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear…

2 Corinthians 3:12-18
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: …

Jump to Previous
Allegories Clearly Dark Declare Figurative Figures Hour Kind Language Plain Plainly Proverbs Sayings Shew Show Similitudes Speak Speaking Speech Time Use Veiled Words
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Allegories Clearly Dark Declare Figurative Figures Hour Kind Language Plain Plainly Proverbs Sayings Shew Show Similitudes Speak Speaking Speech Time Use Veiled Words
John 16
1. Jesus comforts his disciples by the promise of the Holy Spirit, and his ascension;
23. assures their prayers made in his name to be acceptable.
33. Peace in Jesus, and in the world affliction.














(25) These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs.--Better, as in the margin, . . . in parables. So in the second clause of the verse and in John 16:29. (Comp. Note on John 10:6.) "These things" refers specially to what He had just said from John 16:16 onwards. There is a sense in which it is necessarily true of all Christ's teaching, and of all teaching in words. They are but parables until the truth which they contain has been thought out by the man that hears them. For the disciples much of Christ's teaching remained in a parabolic form, until the Spirit brought all things which He had said to the mind, and quickened their minds so that they could grasp its meaning. (Comp. e.g., John 2:20-22.)

But the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs.--For "proverbs," read parables, as in last verse. For the time referred to, comp. John 16:16; John 16:23. In that time He will be present with them in the Advocate, and will no longer need parables or words, but will, to the depth of their spirit, communicate to them in all fulness and plainness the eternal truth of the Father (John 16:13 et seq.). . . .

Verses 25-33. - (d) The final conviction wrought that Jesus was what he had said that he was. The joy of Christ, with its note of warning. Verse 25. - These things I have spoken to you in proverbs (see John 10:6); i.e. in concentrated and to some extent enigmatical utterances, "in dark sayings upon a harp," in words which subsequent events and higher enlightenment would interpret (cf. here Christ's distinction between his disciples and the multitude in the matter of parables, Matthew 13.). He used the parable to the stupefied, that they might thus separate between those who were susceptible to his teaching and those who were not. To his disciples he interpreted his parables, still leaving much which might be regarded as παροιμίαι, condensed word-utterances, in which words stood for higher things than in their ordinary usage. Thus the similitudes adopted throughout John 9, 10, 11, 12-16, are numerous, intended to draw the disciples on from their ordinary ideas to the heights of his thought and the mystery of his Person. The ἀλλ is omitted by modern editors. The hour cometh - the great climacteric period of my revelation - when I shall no longer speak to you in proverbs, when, indeed, the sound of my voice will be hushed, and words will no longer be needed, when Divine spirations and heavenly pulsations shall convey to you what my parabolic teaching and my paroimic interpretations have failed to impart, when I shall be with you and in you, and by the energy of the Paraclete I shall declare (to you) plainly, with clearness and openness, in the fullness of spiritual light, without reserve, circumlocution, or parable, concerning the Father. This promise declares that the glorious revelations of Pentecost and the teaching of those who received the Holy Ghost will be verily and indeed our Lord Christ's own most personal and frank and outspoken revelations of the Father;

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
I have spoken
λελάληκα (lelalēka)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

these things
Ταῦτα (Tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

figures of speech.
παροιμίαις (paroimiais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3942: A cryptic saying, an allegory; a proverb, figurative discourse.

A time
ὥρα (hōra)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5610: Apparently a primary word; an 'hour'.

is coming
ἔρχεται (erchetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

when
ὅτε (hote)
Adverb
Strong's 3753: When, at which time. From hos and te; at which too, i.e. When.

I will no longer speak
λαλήσω (lalēsō)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

[this way],
παροιμίαις (paroimiais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3942: A cryptic saying, an allegory; a proverb, figurative discourse.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

will tell
ἀπαγγελῶ (apangelō)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 518: To report (from one place to another), bring a report, announce, declare. From apo and the base of aggelos; to announce.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

plainly
παρρησίᾳ (parrēsia)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3954: From pas and a derivative of rheo; all out-spokenness, i.e. Frankness, bluntness, publicity; by implication, assurance.

about
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Father.
Πατρὸς (Patros)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.


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NT Gospels: John 16:25 I have spoken these things to you (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 16:24
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