John 17:9
New International Version
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

New Living Translation
“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.

English Standard Version
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Berean Standard Bible
I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.

Berean Literal Bible
I am praying concerning them. I do not pray concerning the world, but concerning those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

King James Bible
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

New King James Version
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

New American Standard Bible
I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours;

NASB 1995
“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;

NASB 1977
“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine;

Legacy Standard Bible
I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;

Amplified Bible
I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You;

Christian Standard Bible
“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those You have given Me, because they are Yours.

American Standard Version
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“I pray over them; I was not praying over the world, but I was praying for those whom you have given me, for they are yours, and they have believed that you have sent me.”

Contemporary English Version
I am praying for them, but not for those who belong to this world. My followers belong to you, and I am praying for them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me: because they are thine:

English Revised Version
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I pray for them. I'm not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.

Good News Translation
"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me, for they belong to you.

International Standard Version
"I am asking on their behalf. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you gave me, because they are yours.

Literal Standard Version
I ask in regard to them; I do not ask in regard to the world, but in regard to those whom You have given to Me, because they are Yours,

Majority Standard Bible
I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours.

New American Bible
I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours,

NET Bible
I am praying on behalf of them. I am not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you.

New Revised Standard Version
I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.

New Heart English Bible
I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Webster's Bible Translation
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given to me; for they are thine.

Weymouth New Testament
"I am making request for them: for the world I do not make any request, but for those whom Thou hast given me. Because they are Thine,

World English Bible
I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

Young's Literal Translation
'I ask in regard to them; not in regard to the world do I ask, but in regard to those whom Thou hast given to me, because Thine they are,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Prayer for the Disciples
8For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. 10All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified.…

Cross References
Luke 22:32
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

John 6:37
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away.

John 6:39
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day.

John 14:16
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever--

John 17:2
For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him.

John 17:6
I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.


Treasury of Scripture

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which you have given me; for they are yours.

pray for.

John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 16:26,27
At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: …

Luke 22:32
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

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John 17
1. Jesus prays to his Father.














(9) I pray for them: I pray not for the world.--Better, I am praying for them: I am not praying for the world. Both pronouns are emphatic. "I who have during my work on earth taught them;" "they who have received the truth" (John 17:8). "I who am about to leave the world;" "they who will remain in the world" (John 17:11). The tense is the strict present, referring to the prayer which He is at this moment uttering, and not to His general practice, which the Authorised version may be taken to express. Against any limitation of the prayer of our Lord, see John 17:21, and His own prayer for His enemies, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Comp. also His command to His disciples to pray for "them which despitefully used them" (Matthew 5:44). The present prayer was like that which pious Rabbis were accustomed to offer for their pupils. (Comp. Sch�ttgen's Note here.) It is from its very nature applicable only to disciples. He is leaving them, and commends them to His Father's care.

But for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.--This is the special claim on which He commends them to the Father. They were the Father's before they were given to the Son. By that gift they have become the Father's more fully (John 17:6-8). They are the Father's, for all things which are the Son's are the Father's, and all things which are the Father's are the Son's (John 17:10). . . .

Verse 9. - I - very emphatic - am praying for them (for this use of ἐρωτῶ see note, John 16:23). We must remember that this is perfectly consistent with the fact that, in the day of the spiritual manifestation to the disciples, when both the Father and Son came to them, the disciples would ask the Father for the gifts which his love to them was waiting to supply; and he, Christ himself, would hear them if they asked in his Name; and that then there would be no need that he should pray the Father for them. That time had not yet come, though it was coming. Both statements are also perfectly consistent with his "intercession" for us. Not concerning - or, not for - the world am I praying. Surely this is not an assertion that he would never pray, or that he had not already prayed, for the world. Nay, his entire ministry is the expression of the Father's love to the whole world (John 3:16). He came as Jehovah's Lamb to take away its sin (John 1:29), he bade his disciples (Matthew 5:44) pray for their enemies, and he cried at the last for a blessing on his murderers. He "came to seek and save the lost," to "call sinners to repentance," "not to condemn, but to save the world." Moreover, in this prayer (Ver. 21) he does pray for those who should ultimately, though they do not now, believe on him through the word of the disciples; therefore it is inconceivable that he should here dogmatically limit the range of his gracious desire. Calvin here observes, "We are commanded to pray for all (l Timothy 2:1)," and quotes Luke 23:34 that Christ prayed for his murderers. "We ought to pray that this man and that man and every man may be saved, and thus include the whole human race, because we cannot distinguish the elect from the reprobate." Calvin implies that Christ is here within the sanctuary, and places before his eyes the secret judgments of the Father. Lampe goes much further. Luther says, "In the same sense in which he prays for the disciples, he does not pray for the world." But the best explanation is that the high-priestly intercession at this supreme moment is concerned with those who were already given to him, and who have come to believe in his Divine Person and commission. He expressly and divinely commends to the Father those whom thou hast given me - the burden of the thought is contained in the motive he suggests for this commendation, viz. - because they are thine; i.e. though thou hast given them to me, though they have "come to me," through thy drawing, they are more than ever "thine." This most fervent yielding to the attraction of Jesus, and utter moral surrender to his control, do not alienate the heart from the Father, but make it more than ever his.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
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.

ask
ἐρωτῶ (erōtō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2065: Apparently from ereo; to interrogate; by implication, to request.

on
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

their behalf.
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

I do not ask
ἐρωτῶ (erōtō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2065: Apparently from ereo; to interrogate; by implication, to request.

on behalf of
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

the
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

world,
κόσμου (kosmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2889: Probably from the base of komizo; orderly arrangement, i.e. Decoration; by implication, the world (morally).

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

on behalf of
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

those
ὧν (hōn)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

You have given
δέδωκάς (dedōkas)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

Me;
μοι (moi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

for
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

they are
εἰσιν (eisin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

Yours.
σοί (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


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