Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Parallel translations
- WEB Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. 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?”
- 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 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.
Quick answer
Thomas objects that they do not know where Jesus is going, so how can they know the way? It voices honest confusion that draws out Jesus' answer.
Overview
Thomas's candid question reflects the disciples' limited understanding of Jesus' mission and destination. His honesty opens the door for Christ's pivotal self-disclosure. The verse reminds us that sincere questions can lead to deeper revelation of who Jesus is.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- John 11:16Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
- Mark 9:19He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
- John 20:25–28The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
- Mark 8:17–18And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
- John 15:12This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
- Luke 24:25Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
- Heb 5:11–12Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.