The Meaning of John 13:19 Explained

John 13:19

KJV: Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

YLT: From this time I tell you, before its coming to pass, that, when it may come to pass, ye may believe that I am he;

Darby: I tell you it now before it happens, that when it happens, ye may believe that I am he.

ASV: From henceforth I tell you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he .

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now  I tell  you  before  it come,  that,  when  it is come to pass,  ye may believe  that  I  am  [he]. 

What does John 13:19 Mean?

Context Summary

John 13:12-20 - The Master's Example
Notwithstanding His great humility, Jesus expects to be regarded as Master and Lord; do we so call and treat Him? We must be as willing to obey Him as a soldier to obey his commanding officers, even when the order conflicts with his comfort, convenience, or safety. We must also do for each other, in our poor measure, what He has done for us, taking on us the form and work of a slave, that we may remove from each other any stain that may have been contracted. It is only when we have stooped to the simplest and lowest humility that we are able to lift our brethren to a purer and nobler life. Let us watch over each other's souls, as those who must give an account.
What sorrow must have constantly weighed on our Savior's heart in knowing that all His love and care would be resisted by Judas, as the rock in a flower garden refuses to respond to the genial influences of spring! To lift up the heel, that is to kick is emblematic of brutal malice. This treachery, foreseen by Christ, was transformed into a support of the disciples' faith. When the incident took place, as predicted, they knew that Jesus was all that He had declared Himself to be. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 13

1  Jesus washes the disciples' feet, and exhorts them to humility and charity
18  He foretells and discovers to John by a token, that Judas should betray him;
31  commands them to love one another;
36  and forewarns Peter of his denials

Greek Commentary for John 13:19

From henceforth [απ αρτι]
“From now on,” as in John 14:7; Matthew 23:39; Revelation 14:13. Before it come to pass Προ — Pro with ablative of the articular second aorist middle infinitive γινομαι — ginomai (before the coming to pass). When it is come to pass Indefinite relative clause with οταν — hotan and the second aorist middle subjunctive of γινομαι — ginomai “whenever it does come to pass.” That ye may believe Purpose clause with ινα — hina and present active subjunctive of πιστευω — pisteuō “that ye may keep on believing.” Cf. Isaiah 48:5. That I am he As Jesus has repeatedly claimed to be the Messiah (John 8:24, John 8:58, etc.). Cf. also John 14:29 (πιστευσητε — pisteusēte here); John 16:4. [source]
Now [ἀπ ' ἄρτι]
Rev., correctly, from henceforth. Compare John 1:51; John 14:7; Matthew 23:39. [source]
I am he [ἐγώ εἰμι]
Or, I am. See on John 8:24. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 13:19

John 8:24 I am he [ἐγώ εἰμι]
He is inserted in the versions and is not in the text. By retaining it, we read, I am the Messiah. But the words are rather the solemn expression of His absolute divine being, as in John 8:58: “If ye believe not that I am.” See Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 43:10; and compare John 8:28, John 8:58of this chapter, and John 13:19. [source]
John 16:4 Have I spoken [λελαληκα]
Perfect active indicative as in John 15:11; John 16:1. Solemn repetition. When their hour is come Indefinite temporal clause, οταν — hotan with the second aorist active subjunctive of ερχομαι — erchomai “whenever their hour comes.” The time appointed for these things. Now that Simply “that” (declarative conjunction in indirect discourse. Forewarned is to be forearmed. Cf. John 13:19. From the beginning As in John 6:64 but practically like απ αρχης — ap' archēs in John 15:27. While Christ was with them, he was the object of attack (John 15:18). [source]
John 18:6 Fell to the ground [επεσαν χαμαι]
Second aorist active indicative of πιπτω — piptō with first aorist ending (-αν — an). This recoil made them stumble. But why did they step back? Was it the former claim of Jesus (I am, εγω ειμι — egō eimi) to be on an equality with God (John 8:58; John 13:19) or mere embarrassment and confusion or supernatural power exerted by Jesus? B adds Ιησους — Iēsous which must mean simply: “I am Jesus.” [source]
John 8:24 For except ye believe [εαν γαρ μη πιστευσητε]
Negative condition of third class with εαν μη — ean mē and ingressive aorist active subjunctive of πιστευω — pisteuō “For unless ye come to believe.” That I am he Indirect discourse, but with no word in the predicate after the copula ειμι — eimi Jesus can mean either “that I am from above” (John 8:23), “that I am the one sent from the Father or the Messiah” (John 7:18, John 7:28), “that I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12), “that I am the Deliverer from the bondage of sin” (John 8:28, John 8:31., and John 8:36), “that I am” without supplying a predicate in the absolute sense as the Jews (Deuteronomy 32:39) used the language of Jehovah (cf. Isaiah 43:10 where the very words occur ινα πιστευσητεοτι εγω ειμι — hina pisteusēte -εγω ειμι — hoti egō eimi). The phrase egō eimi occurs three times here (John 8:24, John 8:28, John 8:58) and also in John 13:19. Jesus seems to claim absolute divine being as in John 8:58. [source]
Romans 4:5 Believeth on Him [πιστεύοντι ἐπὶ τὸν]
The verb πιστεύω tobelieve is used in the New Testament as follows: 1. Transitively, with the accusative and dative: to entrust something to one, Luke 16:11; John 2:24. In the passive, to be entrusted with something, Romans 3:2; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians 2:7. With the simple accusative, to believe a thing, John 11:26; 1 John 4:16. -DIVIDER-
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2. With the infinitive, Acts 15:11. -DIVIDER-
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3. With ὅτι that Matthew 9:28; Mark 11:24; James 2:19. Especially frequent in John: John 4:21; John 11:27, John 11:42; John 13:19; John 14:10, John 14:11; John 16:27, John 16:30, etc. -DIVIDER-
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4. With the simple dative, meaning to believe a person or thing, that they are true or speak the truth, John 2:22; John 4:21; John 5:46. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:22, John 2:23; see on John 8:31; see on John 10:37. -DIVIDER-
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5. With the preposition ἐν inNot frequent, and questioned in some of the passages cited for illustration. In John 3:15, ἐν αὐτῷ inHim, is probably to be construed with have eternal life. The formula occurs nowhere else in John. In Mark 1:15we find πιστεύετε ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ believein the gospel. The kindred noun πίστις faithoccurs in this combination. Thus Galatians 3:26, though some join in Christ Jesus with sons. See also Ephesians 1:15; Colossians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; Romans 3:25. This preposition indicates the sphere in which faith moves, rather than the object to which it is directed, though instances occur in the Septuagint where it plainly indicates the direction of faith, Psalm 78:22; Jeremiah 12:6. -DIVIDER-
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6. With the preposition ἐπί uponon to, unto. a. With the accusative, Romans 4:5; Acts 9:42; Acts 11:17; Acts 16:31; Acts 22:19. The preposition carries the idea of mental direction with a view to resting upon, which latter idea is conveyed by the same preposition. b. With the dative, 1 Timothy 1:16; Luke 24:25; compare Romans 9:33; Romans 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6. The dative expresses absolute superposition. Christ as the object of faith, is the basis on which faith rests. -DIVIDER-
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7. With the preposition εἰς into Matthew 18:6; John 2:11; Acts 19:4; Romans 10:14; Galatians 2:16; Philemon 1:29, etc. The preposition conveys the idea of the absolute transference of trust from one's self to another. Literally the phrase means to believe into. See on John 1:12; see on John 2:23; see on John 9:35; see on John 12:44.Is counted for righteousness ( λογίζεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην )Rev., is reckoned. See on Romans 4:3. The preposition εἰς has the force of as, not the telic meaning with a view to, or in order that he may be (righteous); nor strictly, in the place of righteousness. Faith is not a substitute for righteousness, since righteousness is involved in faith. When a man is reckoned righteous through faith, it is not a legal fiction. He is not indeed a perfect man, but God does not reckon something which has no real existence. Faith is the germ of righteousness, of life in God. God recognizes no true life apart from holiness, and “he that believeth on the Son hath life.” He is not merely regarded in the law's eye as living. God accepts the germ, not in place of the fruit, but as containing the fruit. “Abraham believed God … . No soul comes into such a relation of trust without having God's investment upon it; and whatever there may be in God's righteousness - love, truth, sacrifice - will be rightfully imputed or counted to be in it, because, being united to Him, it will have them coming over derivatively from Him” (Bushnell). The idea of logical sequence is inherent in λογίζεται isreckoned - the sequence of character upon faith. Where there is faith there is, logically, righteousness, and the righteousness is from faith unto faith (Romans 1:17). Nevertheless, in the highest development of the righteousness of faith, it will remain true that the man is justified, not by the works of righteousness, which are the fruit of faith, but by the faith which, in making him a partaker of the life and righteousness of God, generates and inspires the works. Observe that the believer's own faith is reckoned as righteousness. “In no passage in Paul's writings or in other parts of the New Testament, where the phrase to reckon for or the verb to reckon alone is used, is there a declaration that anything belonging to one person is imputed, accounted, or reckoned to another, or a formal statement that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers” (President Dwight, “Notes on Meyer”). -DIVIDER-
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[source]

What do the individual words in John 13:19 mean?

From this time I am telling you before - it comes to pass so that you should believe when it comes to pass that I am [He]
ἀπ’ ἄρτι λέγω ὑμῖν πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅταν γένηται ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι

ἄρτι  this  time 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἄρτι  
Sense: just now, this moment.
λέγω  I  am  telling 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
πρὸ  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: πρό  
Sense: before.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
γενέσθαι  it  comes  to  pass 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Middle
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ἵνα  so  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
πιστεύσητε  you  should  believe 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
γένηται  it  comes  to  pass 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εἰμι  am  [He] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.