What Does John 17:13 Mean?
And now I come to you, and I speak these things in the world, that they might have my joy filled full in themselves.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.THE KEY
The joy Jesus speaks of is not merely given to you; his own joy is brought to fullness within you.
THE MEANING
Jesus speaks within the world, and his words carry his joy toward fullness inside you. The joy is not detached from him: it becomes complete within you even while you remain in the world.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that joy must wait until the world around you changes; Jesus’ joy can be coming to fullness within you while you are still in the world.
THE ROOT
πεπληρωμένην
peplērōmenēn
GROWS FROM
πληρόω (plēroō), stem πληρ- (plēr-)
To fill, make full, bring to fullness.
“filled full” in this verse is peplērōmenēn. The Greek form describes joy as having been filled or made full within them. “Fulfilled” therefore carries the image of fullness arriving inside a person: the joy is Jesus’ own, and it reaches its fullness in them.
ALSO GROWS
plēroō: To fill or make full; to fulfill.
πληρόω
This is the verb behind “fulfilled,” keeping the image of filling in view.
plērēs: Full, complete.
πλήρης
This adjective shows the condition toward which the joy is brought: fullness.
plērōma: Fullness; that which fills.
πλήρωμα
This related noun makes the inner movement visible: joy has fullness, and that fullness is in them.
THE PATTERN
Joy reaches fullness as divine presence and words become inwardly present.
You make me perceive the path of life; before your face is the fullness of joy, and at your right hand are sweetnesses forever.These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be filled.And we write these things to you, so that your joy may be filled.THE THREAD
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be filled.John 15:11 uses the same Greek root, πληρόω (plēroō), “to fill, make full,” for joy becoming full. It makes the movement plain: Jesus’ joy remains within you, and your joy reaches fullness there.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
You can read any verse this way in the app, keep it as a card, and send it on.
A Bible app where you send verses from your keyboard and in Messages, and every verse has a Deep Dive.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us