Discovery BoxJohn 16:19 
Context16:19 Jesus could see 1 that they wanted to ask him about these things, 2 so 3 he said to them, “Are you asking 4 each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you 5 will not see me; again after a little while, you 6 will see me’?
John 20:19
Context20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together 7 and locked the doors 8 of the place 9 because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. 10 Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
1 tn Grk “knew.”
sn Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples’ confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
2 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
3 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
4 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
5 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
6 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
7 tn Although the words “had gathered together” are omitted in some of the earliest and best
8 tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
sn The fact that the disciples locked the doors is a perfectly understandable reaction to the events of the past few days. But what is the significance of the inclusion of this statement by the author? It is often taken to mean that Jesus, when he entered the room, passed through the closed doors. This may well be the case, but it may be assuming too much about our knowledge of the mode in which the resurrected body of Jesus exists. The text does not explicitly state how Jesus got through the closed doors. It is possible to assume that the doors opened of their own accord before him, or that he simply appeared in the middle of the room without passing through the doors at all. The point the author makes here is simply that the closed doors were no obstacle at all to the resurrected Jesus.
9 tn Grk “where they were.”
10 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders.
