Codex D and some other versions introduce into the text καὶ εϊπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ (and he said to his disciples) but Bengel's Gnomon says that "the mass of authorities is against [this]".

Heinrich Meyer lists "Erasmus, Luther (in his Exposition), Castalio, Beza, Calvin, Aretius, Maldonatus, Grotius, and several others" as writers who utilised the latter approach.

John 14:2 begins, in many English translations, with the statement "There are many rooms in my Father’s house", but the alternative, if it were not so, is presented in various ways: The latter reading is not supported by any previous text where Jesus had said he was going to prepare a place.

Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas argue from the reference to "many mansions" that the mansions vary in type and therefore reflect "different degrees of rewards":[11] Verse 3 builds on this departure and preparation, when Jesus continues: The words I will come again are in the present tense, and should be literally rendered, I am coming again.

[4] Watkins notes that "this clause has been variously explained: of the resurrection; of the death of individual disciples; of the spiritual presence of our Lord in the Church;[13] [or] of the coming again of the Lord in the Parousia of the last day, when all who believe in Him shall be received unto Himself", but he prefers to read them as referring to Jesus' constant spiritual presence in the midst of His disciples.

Plummer notes that they were in Jerusalem, "the royal city of the conquering Messiah", so the disciples may have thought they were in the place where Jesus would be "to restore the kingdom to Israel".

[5] The Greek text also includes καὶ (kai, "and") before ἡ ἀλήθεια, (hē alētheia, "the truth"),[15] a preference noted by Plummer and the Revised Standard Version.

[4] Philip, who had said to Nathaniel in John 1:46, "Come and see", takes over the dialogue from Thomas: He still wants to see a further revelation, thinking that Jesus still has to show them a vision of God which has not yet been made visible.

This passage finalises Jesus' discourse with his closest disciples: as his life now is solely directed to the task of obedience to his Father (John 14:31a-c).

[24] In Mark 14:42 and Matthew 26:46, the same words "arise, let us go" (Greek: εγειρεσθε αγωμεν) appear within the Gethsemane narrative set later within those gospels' portrayal of Jesus' passion.