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Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
John 14:5 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
  • BSB “Lord,” said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
  • ESV Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
  • NKJV Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
  • NASB Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how do we know the way?”
  • NLT “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • John 11:16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”
  • Mark 9:19He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
  • John 20:25–28The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
  • Mark 8:17–18Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
  • John 15:12“This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
  • Luke 24:25He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!
  • Heb 5:11–12About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 14:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 14:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.