Quotes & Notes on: John 14:2
- John Wesley’s Notes:
-Enough to receive both the holy angels, and your predecessors in the faith, and all that now believe, and a great multitude, which no man can number.
- Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:* my. 2Co 5:1; Heb 11:10,14-16; 13:14; Re 3:12; 21:10-27
* if. Joh 12:25; 16:4; Lu 14:26-33; Ac 9:16; 1Th 3:3; 5:9; 2Th 1:4-10 Tit 1:2; Re 1:5
* I go. Joh 13:33; 17:24; Heb 6:20; 9:8,23-26; 11:16; Re 21:2
- Adam Clarke’s Commentary: In my Fathers house, &c.] The kingdom of glory.Many mansions] Though I have said before that whither I am going ye cannot come now, yet do not think that we shall be for ever separated. I am going to that state of glory where there is not only a place of supreme eminence for myself, but also places for all my disciples;-various degrees of glory, suited to the various capacities and attainments of my followers.
Our Lord alludes here to the temple, which was called the house of God, in the precincts of which there were a great number of chambers, 1Ki 6:5; Ezr 8:29; Jer 35:2,4; 36:10.
If-not-I would have told you.] If your places were not prepared in the kingdom of God, I would not have permitted you to have indulged a vain hope concerning future blessedness.
- Family Bible Notes: In my Father’s house; in heaven. Many mansions; dwelling-places. I go to prepare a place for you; this going was begun by the Saviour’s death–after which he never abode permanently with his disciples–and completed at his ascension. His death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, were all parts of the one act of going to the Father to prepare a place for his followers.
- 1599 Geneva Bible Notes:
That is, if it were not as I am telling you, that is, unless there was room enough not only for me, but also for you in my Father’s house, I would not deceive you in this way with a vain hope, but I would have plainly told you so. (b) This whole speech is an allegory, by which the Lord comforts his own, declaring to them his departure into heaven; and he departs not to reign there alone, but to go before and prepare a place for them.
- People’s New Testament Commentary: In my Father’s house are many mansions. By the “Father’s house” is meant the heavenly abode. He is about to return there, from whence he had come.I go to prepare a place for you. If the separation was to be an eternal one, he would have forewarned them. Rather, he goes before to prepare a home for them where they can all be together. The departure of Jesus was needful to open an entrance to them and use.
- Robertson’s Word Pictures:
Mansions (monai). Old word from menô, to abide, abiding places, in N.T. only here and verse Joh 14:23. There are many resting-places in the Father’s house (oikia). Christ’s picture of heaven here is the most precious one that we possess. It is our heavenly home with the Father and with Jesus. If it were not so (ei de mê). Ellipsis of the verb (Mr 2:21; Re 2:5,16; Joh 14:11). Here a suppressed condition of the second class (determined as unfulfilled) as the conclusion shows. I would have told you (eipon an humin). Regular construction for this apodosis (an and aorist–second active–indicative). For I go (hoti poreuomai). Reason for the consolation given, futuristic present middle indicative, and explanation of his words in Joh 13:33 that puzzled Peter so (Joh 13:36). To prepare a place for you (hetoimasai topon humin). First aorist active infinitive of purpose of hetoimazô, to make ready, old verb from hetoimos. Here only in John, but in Mr 10:40 (Mt 20:23). It was customary to send one forward for such a purpose (Nu 10:33). So Jesus had sent Peter and John to make ready (this very verb) for the passover meal (Mr 14:12; Mt 26:17). Jesus is thus our Forerunner (prodromos) in heaven (Heb 6:20).
- Albert Barnes’ Commentary: In my Father’s house. Most interpreters understand this of heaven, as the peculiar dwelling-place or palace of God; but it may include the universe, as the abode of the omnipresent God.Are many mansions. The word rendered mansions means either the act of dwelling in any place (Joh 14:23), “we will make our abode with him”), or it means the place where one dwells. It is taken from the verb to remain, and signifies the place where one dwells or remains. It is applied by the Greek writers to the tents or temporary habitations which soldiers pitch in their marches. It denotes a dwelling of less permanency than the word house. It is commonly understood as affirming that in heaven there is ample room to receive all who will come; that therefore the disciples might be sure that they would not be excluded. Some have understood it as affirming that there will be different grades in the joys of heaven; that some of the mansions of the saints will be nearer to God than others, agreeably to 1Co 15:40,41. But perhaps this passage may have a meaning which has not occurred to interpreters. Jesus was consoling his disciples, who were affected with grief at the idea of his separation. To comfort them he addresses them in this language:
“The universe is the dwelling-place of my Father. All is his house. Whether on earth or in heaven, we are still in his habitation. In that vast abode of God there are many mansions. The earth is one of them, heaven is another. Whether here or there, we are still in the house, in one of the mansions of our Father, in one of the apartments of his vast abode. This we ought continually to feel, and to rejoice that we are permitted to occupy any part of his dwelling-place. Nor does it differ much whether we are in this mansion or another. It should not be a matter of grief when we are called to pass from one part of this vast habitation of God to another. I am indeed about to leave you, but I am going only to another part of the vast dwelling-place of God. I shall still be in the same universal habitation with you; still in the house of the same God; and am going for an important purpose–to fit up another abode for your eternal dwelling.”
If this be the meaning, then there is in the discourse true consolation. We see that the death of a Christian is not to be dreaded, nor is it an event over which we should immoderately weep. It is but removing from one apartment of God’s universal dwelling–place to another–one where we shall still be in his house, and still feel the same interest in all that pertains to his kingdom. And especially the removal of the Saviour from the earth was an event over which Christians should rejoice, for he is still in the house of God, and still preparing mansions of rest for his people.
If it were not so, &c.
“I have concealed from you no truth. You have been cherishing this hope of a future abode with God. Had it been ill founded I would have told you plainly, as I have told you other things. Had any of you been deceived, as Judas was, I would have made it known to you, as I did to him.”
I go to prepare a place for you. By his going is meant his death and ascent to heaven. The figure here is taken from one who is on a journey, who goes before his companions to provide a place to lodge in, and to make the necessary preparations for their entertainment. It evidently means that he, by the work he was yet to perform in heaven, would secure their admission there, and obtain for them the blessings of eternal life. That work would consist mainly in his intercession, Heb 10:12; 13:1-25,25; 7:25-27; 4:14; 13:25.
That where I am. This language could be used by no one who was not then in the place of which he was speaking, and it is just such language as one would naturally use who was both God and man –in reference to his human nature, speaking of his going to his Father; and in reference to his divine nature, speaking as if he was then with God.
Ye may be also. This was language eminently fitted to comfort them. Though about to leave them, yet he would not always be absent. He would come again at the day of judgment and gather all his friends to himself, and they should be ever with him, Heb 9:28. So shall all Christians be with him. And so, when we part with a beloved Christian friend by death, we may feel assured that the separation will not be eternal. We shall meet again, and dwell in a place where there shall be no more separation and no more tears.
{c} “I go” Heb 6:20; 9:8,24; Re 21:2
{d} “prepare a place for you” Heb 9:28
{e} “where I am” Joh 12:26; 17:24; 1Th 4:17
- Jamieson-Faussett Brown: In my Father’s house are many mansions–and so room for all, and a place for each.if not, I would have told you–that is, I would tell you so at once; I would not deceive you.
I go to prepare a place for you–to obtain for you a right to be there, and to possess your “place.”
- Spurgeon Devotional Commentary:His absence would not grieve them if they remembered the errand on which he was gone. We may well spare the bodily presence of Jesus from this world now that we know he has gone to prepare our eternal resting place.
- Spurgeon Commentary on Matthew:
(No comment on this verse).
- William Burkitt’s Notes:(No comment on this verse).
- Matthew Henry’s Commentary:(No comment on this verse).
- Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary:(No comment on this verse).
- The Fourfold Gospel: In my Father’s house are many mansions. Many abiding places or homes. They were not to be homeless always.If it were not so, I would have told you. That is to say, if heaven had been of such limited capacity that there was little or no hope that you could follow me, I should have dealt plainly with you, and should have disabused your mind of all vain hopes. But there is room (Lu 14:22), and you may follow (Joh 13:36).
For I go to prepare a place for you. We are familiar with the thought that the going, or death, of Jesus prepared a way for us by providing a fountain for the cleansing of our sin, and by rending the veil of the temple, “thus signifying that the way into heaven is now open.” But the thought here is different. Jesus departed to prepare places for his own in the Father’s house.
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