John 13:7
New International Version
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

English Standard Version
Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Berean Literal Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do, you do not know presently, but you will know after these things."

King James Bible
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

New King James Version
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.”

NASB 1995
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.”

NASB 1977
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.”

Amplified Bible
Jesus replied to him, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but you will [fully] understand it later.”

Christian Standard Bible
Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t understand now, but afterward you will know."”

American Standard Version
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt understand hereafter.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, "You don't really know what I am doing, but later you will understand."

English Revised Version
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt understand hereafter.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus answered Peter, "You don't know now what I'm doing. You will understand later."

Good News Translation
Jesus answered him, "You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later."

International Standard Version
Jesus answered him, "You don't realize now what I'm doing, but later on you'll understand."

Majority Standard Bible
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

NET Bible
Jesus replied, "You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things."

New Heart English Bible
Jesus answered him, "You do not know what I am doing now, but you will understand later."

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Weymouth New Testament
"What I am doing," answered Jesus, "for the present you do not know, but afterwards you shall know."

World English Bible
Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing now, but you will understand later.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Jesus answered and said to him, “That which I do you have not known now, but you will know after these things”;

Berean Literal Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, "What I do, you do not know presently, but you will know after these things."

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to him, 'That which I do thou hast not known now, but thou shalt know after these things;'

Smith's Literal Translation
Jesus answered and said to him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know after these.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus answered, and said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Jesus responded and said to him: “What I am doing, you do not now understand. But you shall understand it afterward.”

New American Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”

New Revised Standard Version
Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing, you do not know now, but later you will understand.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Yeshua answered and said to him, “What I am doing now you do not understand, but after this you will know.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Jesus answered and said to him: What I am doing you know not now, but you will know here after.

Godbey New Testament
Jesus responded and said to him, What I do you know not now; but shall understand hereafter.

Haweis New Testament
Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

Mace New Testament
Jesus answered him, you don't at present comprehend what I am about: but hereafter you shall.

Weymouth New Testament
"What I am doing," answered Jesus, "for the present you do not know, but afterwards you shall know."

Worrell New Testament
Jesus answered, and said to him, "What I am doing you know not now; but you shall know hereafter."

Worsley New Testament
Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou dost not now understand, but thou shalt know hereafter.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
6He came to Simon Peter, who asked Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8“Never shall You wash my feet!” Peter told Him. Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. / “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 11:33-34
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! / “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Job 11:7-9
Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? / They are higher than the heavens—what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol—what can you know? / Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

John 12:16
At first His disciples did not understand these things, but after Jesus was glorified they remembered what had been done to Him, and they realized that these very things had also been written about Him.

John 16:12-13
I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. / However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Psalm 92:5
How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!

Matthew 11:25
At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Luke 24:25-27
Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! / Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” / And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.

1 Peter 1:10-12
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully, / trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. / It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.

Daniel 12:8-9
I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?” / “Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.


Treasury of Scripture

Jesus answered and said to him, What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter.

What.

John 13:10-12
Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all…

John 12:16
These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

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Afterward Afterwards Clear Hereafter Jesus Later Present Realize Time Understand
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.














Jesus replied
The Greek word for "replied" is "ἀπεκρίθη" (apekrithē), which indicates a response or answer. In the context of the Last Supper, Jesus is responding to Peter's confusion about the foot-washing. This reply is not just a simple answer but a profound revelation of His divine purpose. Jesus, the Master and Teacher, is engaging in an act of humility, setting an example for His disciples. His reply is a reminder of His role as a servant leader, a theme that runs throughout His ministry.

You do not realize now
The phrase "do not realize" comes from the Greek "οἶδας" (oidas), meaning to know or understand. At this moment, the disciples are unable to grasp the full significance of Jesus' actions. This reflects a common theme in the Gospels where the disciples often struggle to comprehend Jesus' teachings and actions until after His resurrection. It highlights the limitations of human understanding when faced with divine mysteries.

what I am doing
The Greek word "ποιῶ" (poiō) translates to "doing" and implies an ongoing action. Jesus is not merely performing a ritual; He is enacting a deeper spiritual truth. The act of washing the disciples' feet symbolizes purification and service, foreshadowing His ultimate act of service on the cross. This phrase invites believers to reflect on the significance of Jesus' actions in their own lives, encouraging them to embrace humility and service.

but later you will understand
The word "later" is translated from "μετὰ ταῦτα" (meta tauta), meaning "after these things." This points to a future revelation, specifically after Jesus' death and resurrection, when the Holy Spirit would illuminate the disciples' understanding. The promise of future understanding is a source of hope and assurance for believers, reminding them that God's purposes are often revealed in His timing. The Greek "γνώσῃ" (gnōsē) for "understand" suggests a deep, experiential knowledge, indicating that the disciples will not only intellectually comprehend but also spiritually grasp the significance of Jesus' actions.

(7) What I do thou knowest not now.--Here both pronouns are emphatic, and convey a rebuke to Peter. His words had almost implied that the Lord's .act was wholly out of place, as of one who knew not what he was doing. The opposite was really the case. "What I do thou knowest not now."

But thou shalt know hereafter--i.e., in the teaching which is to follow (John 13:13-17). The word rendered "hereafter" is different from that rendered "afterwards" in John 13:36. The precise meaning is "after these things." The sense, then, is "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt come to know presently." (Comp. John 13:17.)

Verses 7, 8. - Jesus answered and said to him, That which I am doing thou knowest not now - thou hast not absolute knowledge of, thou hast not seen through as yet; but after these things, afterwards when I shall have completed my present undertaking, thou (γνώσῃ) shalt come by clear proof and full discovery and intimate acquaintance to understand. This is sometimes referred to the subsequent illumination of the Holy Spirit, or even to the higher life of the future world (Luthardt), but the above interpretation is more consonant with the context. The μετὰ ταῦτα may (as Westcott suggests) point to the whole manifestation of love as it should complete itself on the cross, and become illumined by the Resurrection and by the gift of the Spirit, when the same mind should be put into Peter that was in Christ Jesus; consequently we may reasonably apply this great word to many of our earthly experiences. God's ways, Christ's government of his Church, and the mystery of our lot, are often so puzzling that we cannot be said to know them objectively or absolutely. We know (γινώσκομεν) but in part, and see (βλέπομεν) by means of a mirror (1 Corinthians 13:12); but eventually in the fulness of the Divine manifestation we shall know (ἐπιγνωσόμεθα) completely, subjectively, in the depths of our personal consciousness. Peter saith to him, with mere emphasis than before, with an intensity of double negative and εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Thou shalt not ever wash my feet - "not while eternity lasts." "A praiseworthy modesty," says Calvin, "were it not that with God obedience is better than worship." This vehement, Peter-like burst showed that even yet he had not learned his profound dependence upon his Lord. Exuberant utterance of a love which in its superlative enthusiasm was in danger of severing the relation between his Lord and himself, elicited from Christ a reply which went far Beneath this purely symbolic washing, and gave even to it a moral significance which it had not possessed before. Jesus answered, If I wash thee (not thy feet) not, thou hast no part with me - no μέρος, no portion, no share, no communion, no common inheritance with me in the honors and blessings of the kingdom. This may be understood in two ways: either, "If I do not by my grace cleanse you from your defilement, wash you in a deeper sense, in a more abundant and effectual manner than by giving you this practical lesson, there is utter misunderstanding of my relation to you - you have no part nor share with me." And this ver. 11 seems to favor. Hengstenberg strongly defends this view as a reference by Christ to his power on earth to forgive sins, and confer the pure and new nature (cf. Psalm 51:4, 9-11); and this doubtless lies in the solemn tone of the Lord. A refusal to accept the Divine cleansing is the only ground of exclusion from the benefits of the bloodshedding. Still another more obvious meaning arises, "If you refuse this manifestation of humble love from me, if you put your own pride between yourself and me, if you disdain this act of self-surrender, claiming to understand me and our mutual relations better than I, you have no part with me. This is a symbol of my love to you, and of what is to be your love to one another (ver. 15); if you refuse to accept it from me, you will then have no part with me in the manifestation of the spirit of self-sacrificing love which I have come to inaugurate." Peter must learn the beauty and glory of service for the sake of others; and if he were unable to understand and accept this act of love, he must separate himself from all share in the Master's work. This truth dawned upon him, but only in part, and it led to the extraordinary revulsion of feeling which followed.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

replied,
Ἀπεκρίθη (Apekrithē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

“You
σὺ (sy)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

{do} not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

realize
οἶδας (oidas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1492: To know, remember, appreciate.

now
ἄρτι (arti)
Adverb
Strong's 737: Now, just now, at this moment. Adverb from a derivative of airo through the idea of suspension; just now.

what
(Ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

am doing,
ποιῶ (poiō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

later
ταῦτα (tauta)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

you will understand.”
γνώσῃ (gnōsē)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.


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NT Gospels: John 13:7 Jesus answered him You don't know what (Jhn Jo Jn)
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