Greek Meaning of "Whatever" in John 14:13
Greek Meaning of "Whatever" in John 14:13
The Greek word underlying "whatever" in John 14:13 is a comprehensive term that appears in two major English translations with slightly different renderings. The NASB translates the verse: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son" [1]. Young's Literal Translation renders the parallel verse 14:14 as "if ye ask anything in my name I will do it" [2], using "anything" to capture the same Greek term. This word carries the force of unrestricted scope—"all things whatsoever"—as the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary explains in its treatment of similar constructions elsewhere in the New Testament [4].
The Scope of the Promise
The Greek construction here is emphatic and comprehensive. When Jesus says "whatever," He employs a term that encompasses the full range of requests without initial qualification. The promise is not limited to a narrow category of petitions but extends to "all things whatsoever" that fall within the condition He specifies. This breadth appears deliberate, as the promise "is emphatically repeated in Joh 14:14" [3], underscoring its significance in Jesus' farewell discourse.
The Qualifying Phrase: "In My Name"
The comprehensive scope of "whatever" operates within a crucial boundary: "in My name." According to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, this phrase designates Jesus "as Mediator" [3]. The request must align with Christ's mediatorial office and mission. This is not a blank check for arbitrary desires but a promise tied to the purposes of the kingdom. The phrase "in my name" functions as both authorization and limitation—prayers offered in alignment with Christ's character, will, and redemptive work fall within the scope of "whatever," while those that contradict His nature do not.
The Agent and Purpose
Jesus identifies Himself as the one who will act: "that will I do—as Head and Lord of the kingdom of God" [3]. The Greek construction places emphasis on Christ's active role in answering these prayers. He does not merely forward requests to the Father but acts Himself in His capacity as the exalted Lord. The ultimate purpose clause—"so that the Father may be glorified in the Son" [1]—further defines the scope of "whatever." Requests that would glorify the Father through the Son's work fall within the promise's range; those that would not serve this end lie outside it.
Literary Context in the Farewell Discourse
This promise appears in John 14, part of Jesus' extended teaching to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. The chapter addresses the disciples' anxiety about His departure and introduces the coming of the Holy Spirit. The "whatever" promise follows immediately after Jesus' declaration that believers will do "greater works" than He did (John 14:12). The comprehensive nature of "whatever" thus connects to the disciples' future ministry in the power of the Spirit, not merely to personal comfort or material provision.
Interpretive Implications
The Greek term's breadth has generated discussion about the promise's limits. Some interpreters emphasize the unrestricted scope of "whatever," seeing it as a charter for bold faith. Others stress the qualifying conditions—"in my name" and "that the Father may be glorified"—as defining boundaries that prevent the promise from becoming a formula for self-centered requests. The repetition in verse 14 [3] suggests Jesus intended the promise to be taken seriously in its full scope, yet the context of His mediatorial work and the Father's glory provides the interpretive framework within which "whatever" operates.
The term's comprehensive force appears elsewhere in the New Testament with similar breadth, as when describing "all things whatsoever" in contexts requiring complete scope [4]. In John 14:13, this linguistic fullness serves Jesus' pastoral purpose: assuring His departing disciples that their prayers, when aligned with His mission and offered through His authority, will meet with His active response as the reigning Lord of God's kingdom.
Sources
- John “John 14:13 (NASB) — "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
- John “John 14:14 (YLT) — if ye ask anything in my name I will do <FI>it<Fi> .”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 14:13: whatsoever ye . . . ask in my name--as Mediator. that will I do--as Head and Lord of the kingdom of God. This comprehensive promise is emphatically repeated in Joh 14:14.”
- Jude (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jude 1:10: (Pe2 2:12.) those things which--Greek, "all things whatsoever they understand not," namely, the things of the spiritual world. but what . . . naturally--Connect thus, "Whatever (so the Greek) things naturally (by natural, blind instinct), as the unreasoning (so the Greek) animals, they know," &c. The Greek for the former "know" implies deeper knowledge; the latter "know," the mere perception of the "animal senses and faculties."”