King James Version

What Does John 14:27 Mean?

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Context

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

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.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

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Topics in This Verse

Peace Fear & Courage

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(27) **Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.**—The immediate context speaks of His departure from them (John 14:25; John 14:28), and it is natural therefore to understand these words as suggested by the common Oriental formulas of leave-taking. Men said to each other when they met and parted, “Shalom! Shalom!” (Peace! Peace!) just as they say the “Salaam! Salaam!” in our own day. (See 1Samuel 1:17; Luke 7:50; Acts 16:36; James 2:16; Ephesians 6:23; 1Peter 5:14; 3John 1:14.) He will leave them as a legacy the gift of “peace.” And this peace is more than a meaningless sound or even than a true wish. He repeats it with the emphatic “My,” and speaks of it as an actual possession which He imparts to them. “Peace on earth” was the angels’ message when they announced His birth; “peace to you” was His own greeting when He returned victorious from the grave. “He is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), and this peace is the farewell gift to the disciples from whom He is now departing. (Comp. John 14:27; John 16:33; John 20:19; John 20:21; John 20:26.) **Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.**—The contrast is not between the emptiness of the world’s salutations and the reality of His own gift, but between His legacy to them and the legacies ordinarily left by the world. He gives them not land or houses or possessions, but “peace;” and that “His own peace,” “the peace of God which passeth all understanding.” **Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.**—These are in part the words of the first verse, and are now repeated as a joyous note of triumph. Possessing the peace which He gives them, having another Advocate in the person of the Holy Spirit, having the Father and the Son ever abiding in them, there cannot be, even when He is about to leave them, room for trouble or for fear. The word here rendered “be afraid*”* occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It points especially to the cowardice of fear. The cognate substantive is used in 2Timothy 1:7, and the adjective in Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:40; and Revelation 21:8.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of John. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

John 14:27 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.