John 17:15

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
I pray	ἐρωτῶ erōtō	G2065	to interrogate · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
thou shouldest take	ἄρῃς arēs	G142	to lift up · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 2nd person singular
them	αὐτοὺς autous	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural masculine
out of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
the world	κόσμου kosmou	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — genitive singular masculine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
thou shouldest keep	τηρήσῃς tērēsēs	G5083	perhaps akin to G2334 (θεωρέω)) · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 2nd person singular
them	αὐτοὺς autous	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural masculine
from	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
the evil	πονηροῦ. ponērou	G4190	hurtful · adjective — genitive singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Psalms 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
1 Chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be wit…
Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Isaiah 38:18-19 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:11-16

After the general pleas with which Christ recommended his disciples to his Father's care follow the particular petitions he puts up for them; and, 1. They all relate to spiritual blessings in heavenly things. He does not pray that they might be rich and great in the world, that they might raise estates and get preferments, but that they might be kept from sin, and furnished for their duty, and brought safely to heaven. Note, The prosperity of the soul is the best prosperity; for what relates to this Christ came to purchase and bestow, and so teaches us to seek, in the first place, both for others and for ourselves. 2. They are such blessings as were suited to their present state and case, an…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:15

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world--for that, though it would secure their own safety, would leave the world unblessed by their testimony. but . . . keep them from the evil--all evil in and of the world.

Adam Clarke on John 17:15

That thou shouldest take them out of the world - They must not yet leave the land of Judea: they had not as yet borne their testimony there, concerning Christ crucified and risen again from the dead. To take them away before this work was finished would not answer the gracious design of God. - 1. Christ does not desire that his faithful apostles should soon die, and be taken to God. No: but that they may live long, labor long, and bring forth much fruit. 2. He does not intimate that they should seclude themselves from the world by going to the desert, or to the cloisters; but that they should continue in and among the world, that they may have the opportunity of recommending the salvation o…

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John Gill on John 17:15

I pray not that thou shouldest take theft of the world,.... Either in an unusual manner, by a translation, as Enoch and Elijah were; or by death in its common form, before their time, and purely to be rid of afflictions: this he prayed not for; for he had much work for them to do, by preaching the Gospel, for the conversion of sinners and comfort of saints; and it was for his interest they should live longer; and it would make most for his glory, and be best for his chosen people and churches: but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil; either of sin, which is an evil and bitter thing, being committed against a good God, and a righteous law, and brings ruin and destruction upon men; fr…

The Church Fathers

(Tr. cviii) But though they were no longer of the world, it was still necessary that they should be in the world: I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world.
— Augustine of Hippo ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

"I pray not," He adds, "that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil." For they still accounted it necessary to be in the world, although they were no longer of it.
— Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 108

As if to say, The time is now at hand, when I shall be taken out of the world; and therefore it is necessary that they should be still left in the world, in order to preach Me and Thee to the world. But that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil; every evil, but especially the evil of schism.
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Lord’s Prayer — The name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matt. 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matt. 6:13. This prayer…
Perseverance of the saints — Their certain continuance in a state of grace. Once justified and regenerated, the believer can neither totally nor finally fall away from grace, but will certainly persevere therein and attain…
Grace Of God · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Holiness · IS THE RESULT OF: God’s keeping — IS THE RESULT OF: God’s keeping
Prayer, Intercessory · Christ set an example of — Christ set an example of
Temptation · Christ: Intercedes for his people under — Christ: Intercedes for his people under

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 17:15

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:11-16

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:15

Adam Clarke on John 17:15

John Gill on John 17:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 17:15

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 17:11-16

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:15

Adam Clarke on John 17:15

John Gill on John 17:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 17:14-19

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 17:14