The passage
      v1. John is determined to take us into the mind of Jesus and he does this through the intimacy of prayer. Jesus, addressing his Father, asks that he may be clothed in splendor in order that he may similarly clothe the Father in splendor. For Jesus, his glorification is realized in the completion of his mission on the cross, and he will need the full weight of divine help to complete this service as the sacrificial lamb of God.
      v2. Jesus' request rests on the fact that he alone has been given the responsibility to gather a community of faith and give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
      v3. And what is eternal life? It's not just eternal existence, but rather knowing God, the only one who is really God, and of course, knowing Jesus, the one sent to us by the Father. To "know" God is to experience an ever-growing eternal relationship with the divine, a union, an intimate oneness with God through Jesus.
      v4-5. The cross looms large and so Christ's mission is all but complete, with the consequent glorification of God. So, Jesus restates his request that his own glorification be properly completed in his death, resurrection and ascension. Then, enthroned beside the Father, Jesus will again be clothed with the divine splendor that was his from the beginning of time.
      v6. Jesus now prays for his disciples, those who will share his glory in the age to come. Referring to God's special group of people, the children of God, Jesus, in typical fashion, defers to the Father, noting that they are the Father's possession, although now he is responsible for them, a responsibility given him by the Father. This people is formed by those who have responded in faith to ("obeyed") the gospel ("word" - message) proclaimed by Jesus.
      v7-8. Jesus goes on to explain, in a little more detail, what he means by "they have obeyed your word." God's people are those who have recognized that Jesus' mission is divine and have put their faith in his actions and words on their behalf.
      v9-10. Jesus now explains why he is praying for his disciples and not the for the rest of humanity. The disciples are members of God's special group of people, his redeemed community of believers; they belong to God. As the children of God they are rightly the focus of God's concern.
      11a. Jesus also prays for his disciples because they are to take over where he left off. Jesus will soon be with the Father, while the community of believers will remain in the world to proclaim the way of salvation. Since Jesus is no longer with them to guide and strengthen, he makes such a matter of prayer.

The ground of prayer
      It is very interesting how Jesus first establishes the ground for his "high priestly prayer" on behalf of his disciples and "those who will believe in me through their word." In approaching the Father on our behalf, Jesus links us to his glorification, he then notes that we properly belong to God and finally that we are now responsible for his mission to the lost. On these grounds, Jesus prayers, makes requests, on our behalf.
      There is a sense where we do this in the Lord's Prayer. We begin by establishing our relationship with God; he is our Father. Then we go through a list of requests, all of which are based on Biblical promises - the honouring of God's person is ultimately assured, his kingdom will come and his sovereign purposes done. God will supply our needs for his service, he will forgive us and protect our eternal standing from the wiles of darkness. So we pray, and rightly expect our prayer to be answered.
      I suspect we don't often establish a basis for our prayer requests. I heard one preacher once describe the majority of prayer requests as "Father Christmas prayers" - wishful thinking. Possibly he was being a bit harsh, but then, most of our prayers have little basis in scripture. Jesus never promised his disciples health, wealth and happiness, but that's exactly where many of our prayers head.
      We easily recognize the absurd and so put little weight on the testimony of those who believe that the Lord supplies a parking spot for them when they "prayerfully" go shopping. Yet, we do well to also look for a Biblical basis for all our prayer requests, some ground upon which we can ask "according to His will." This doesn't stop us sharing our trials and tribulations with the Lord, but it does help us ask in faith that "Thy will be done."

v2
      kaqwV "for" - Here probably expressing cause or reason, as NIV. So, v2 serves as the basis for the request in v1.
      exousian (a) "authority" - Obviously, Jesus possesses authority in himself as a coequal member of the godhead, but is given a particular responsibility for "all humanity", namely, the giving of eternal life. On the basis of this responsibility, Jesus asks that the Father "glorify" the Son.
      pashV adj. "over all [people]" - of all [flesh]. "The whole of mankind", Cassirer.
      iJna + subj. "that" - Forming a purpose clause, "in order that ....... he may give to them eternal life." Variant future exists, dwsei, rather than the subjunctive, and is well attested.
      pan oJ dedwkaV (didwmi) perf. "you have given [him]" - all that you have given [to him]. The perfect is "denoting the permanence of the gift", Morris. The "all" is neuter which may mean "all things" = "that he will/may give to them all the good things you have given him, namely, eternal life", but most commentators regard the "all" as referring to believers, simply "the whole lot which you have given to him." This approach is supported by the fact that the "whole lot", neut. sing. is picked up by the resumptive pronoun "them", autoiV, mas. pl. (a casus pendens construction), so NIV. The gift of a people, of a kingdom of priests, .... does not of itself require the sovereign appointment of its individual members. It is likely that membership of / inclusion in, God's select people, his chosen called-out people, is by faith, by believing, by asking and receiving, rather than by appointment. Of course, this interpretation is contentious and so each will have to resolve the issue (predestination) for themselves. "So that he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge", Peterson.

v3
      This definition of "eternal life" is interesting, as well as informative. Eternal life involves knowing God, entering into an ongoing personal relationship with the divine in and through Jesus. Yet, why would Jesus need to define eternal life in a prayer to the Father (note also the use of his name "unsuitable and contrary to the style of the prayer as a whole", Schnackenburg - a bit harsh!)? This question has prompted the suggestion that this verse is a parenthesis, an aside by John, cf. Barrett. The verse is bracketed by Moffatt.
      iJna + pres. subj. "that [they may know]" - This construction normally forms a purpose clause, "in order that we may ...." So, eternal life has, as its purpose, the knowledge of God. Result is also possible, such that eternal life has as its result the knowledge of God, although knowing God results in eternal life would be a better way to express this truth. None-the-less, it is more likely that it forms a epexegetic clause serving to explain the substantive "eternal life." "It is eternal life to know you", Barclay; "this is what eternal life is, that they should know you who alone are truly God", Cassirer.
      ginwskwsin (ginwskw) subj. "they may know" - The present tense is durative, probably expressing an ongoing, ever-expanding knowledge. As noted above, Jesus does seem to be saying that knowing God is eternal life, not that it is the way to life, "the ground of salvation", Barrett.
      ton monon alhqinon qeon "the only true God" - cf. 5:44, 1Jn.5:20. Serving as an affirmation of monotheism. The adjectives, "only true", take an emphatic position before the noun, while the phrase is attributive, defining "you". "The only one who is really God", TH.
      apesteilaV (apostellw) aor. "you have sent" - you sent. The aorist indicating punctiliar action and so probably referring to the incarnation, so Morris.

v4
      edoxasa (doxazw) aor. "I have brought [you] glory" - glorified. What action is Jesus referring to? "I have given you glory", NAB.
      teleiwsaV (teleiow) aor. part. "by completing" - having completed, finished, accomplished. The participle is more likely original than the variant finite verb. The participle is obviously adverbial, probably means (instrumental), so NIV. Jesus has clothed the Father in splendor by accomplishing the work that was entrusted to him. Causal is possible, "I glorify you because / in that I complete ...." Presumably the cross is the completed work that is in Jesus' mind, so Morris, Brown, although his work up to this point, or the totality of his work on earth ("while I was with them"), so Carson, are other possibilities. The aorist tense is weighted to punctiliar action rather than past action (note how Barrett wrongly pushes time rather than aspect here, arguing that the "glory" here is different since a "past tense" is adopted in this verse) and so the "have brought" of the NIV (and most other translations) is misleading. "I clothe you with splendor by completing, down to the last detail, all that you have assigned me to do", cf. Peterson.
      iJna + subj. "[you gave me to do]" - that [I should do]. Probably the construction is epexegetic, explaining "the work", it is a work that must be completed.

v5
      Jesus restates his request to be returned to the glory that he shared with the Father before the creation of the world.
      nun "[and] now" - [and] now [you Father glorify me]. Serving to tie this verse to v1 as a restatement of the request made there, "the repetition of a request already made", Laurentin; "so now, ..." Note also, the "you" and "me" takes an emphatic position in the sentence.
      para seautw/ "in your presence" - along with yourself. Lit. "in the house of." "By causing me to return to the position I enjoyed before the creation", Barrett, since his "presence in human flesh in this world involved the surrender, for a time, of the joy and full uninterrupted communion [with the Father]", Murray. "With you", CEV.
      pro tou einai (eimi) "before" - This preposition + the gen. articular infinitive forms a temporal clause, antecedent time, although the infinitive is usually aorist and not present as here. "Before the world came into existence", Barclay.

v6
      The focus of Jesus' prayer now moves to the disciples, establishing first the validity of his request on their behalf (they belong to God and have responded in faith), and the reasons why he prayers for them and not the world (they belong to God, and v11a, he must go and they must remain).
      efanerwsa (fanerow) aor. "I have revealed" - I manifested, revealed, made known, showed. Is Brown right when he says that this is another way of saying "I glorified you", v4? Certainly, Jesus, as the Word of God, serves as the apex of God's self-revelation to mankind.
      sou to onoma "you" - the name of you. "The revealed character of God", Barrett.
      ouV edwkaV "those you have given [me]" - whom you gave. The sense can move between "those whom you have caused to believe in me" to "those who are in the world, but not of the world." Our Calvinist, or Arminian tendencies, will dictate how we handle the idea. See 6:37 and note the number of times the idea crops up in this prayer. At lease we need to recognize that the idea expresses deference; Jesus recognizes that God's special people rightly belong to the Father and that the Father has kindly given Jesus authority over them. I would argue that what we have here is the giving of God's people, the redeemed, to Jesus, not the giving of selected individuals to Jesus.
      ek "out of" - from. Expressing separation.
      tou kosmou "the world" - Often an ethically natural idea in the scriptures, although in John's gospel the term usually refers to "humanity opposed to God."
      tethrhkan (threw) perf. "they have obeyed" - they have kept. The perfect tense expresses the idea of a past act with ongoing consequences, so they have done and continue to rest on what they have done. "Obeyed" is an unhelpful choice of words as it implies an ethical response. The disciples have responded to and acted upon Jesus' message, a message which is anything but law. Jesus' command is that we believe in him, rest in faith on his promises fulfilled in his death and resurrection on our behalf. We need to remember that when Jesus gets into ethics he does so to expose the human condition of sin, not to improve the ethical behavior of the hearer. Not quite on the mark, but heading in the right direction; "they have done me honor", Phillips.
      ton logon "[your] word" - Barrett suggests that the singular, as here, means "the divine message of Jesus taken as a whole", and that when the plural is used it means Jesus' "precepts". One wonders whether the distinction can be made since the plural also seems to carry the idea of "divine message" although probably with the sense of "in its parts".

v7
      It seems likely that v7 and 8 explain what Jesus means by "they have kept your word", v6. The disciples have recognized the divine nature of Jesus' mission and have responded in faith to his message.
      nun "now" - The position is emphatic, referring to this point in time at the end of Jesus' ministry, ie. taking temporal meaning, rather than logical. "They know now (at the end of my ministry, TH) beyond a shadow of a doubt", Peterson.
      oJti "that" - Introducing a dependent statement of perception, what they know, namely, "that Jesus' mission is divine", Morris.

v8
      oJti "for" - because. Here expressing cause/reason.
      dedwka (didwmi) perf. "I gave [them]" - I have given [to them]. "All that you told me I have told them."
      ta rJhmata (a atoV) "the words" - The divine revelation from God. "The message", RSV.
      elabon (lambanw) aor. "[they] accepted [them]" - they received. The disciples received the divine revelation communicated by Jesus, ie. they put their faith in the gospel, having recognized Jesus' credentials (from God with a word from God).

v9
      Jesus now explains why he prays "for them" (his immediate disciples) and not the "world" (humanity against God, either actively or passively against God). Jesus prays for "them" because they belong to God.
      autwn "them" - His disciples. In v20 Jesus extends his prayer to believers beyond the present band of disciples.
      erwtw (erwtaw) pres. "I pray" - I ask. Usually of ask a question, but this word is often employed in John's gospel of Jesus praying / making a request to the Father.
      ou peri tou kosmou "[I am] not [praying] for the world" - not concerning the world [I ask]. The position of "not the world" is emphatic. A general concern is expressed by commentators over Jesus' seemingly harsh neglect of the lost and so most point out that God's love for the world is not negated by Jesus focus on his disciples. In fact, it is through the disciples' mission that God's love for humanity is further realized in the calling out and saving of the lost.
      oJti "because" - Here expressing cause / reason. Jesus is focused in his prayer because "it is the Father's own purpose for mankind which is at stake, and his own chosen agents whose welfare Jesus prayers for", Lindars. "Since they really belong to you", Anchor.

v10
      ta ema panta "all I have" - all things of mine. Again we have a problem with the neuter when Jesus is surely speaking of God's special group of people; "all of this lot are yours", cf. v2, Carson, Ridderbos, ... not so Barrett, Brown, ... who push for a "broadening" possession. Note "them", mas. pl. at the end of the verse. So, "everything of mine is yours", NAB, seems unlikely, rather "all who are mine are Thine", Berkeley.
      kai "and" - "The reciprocity of ownership", Carson, again underlines the deference shown by each member of the trinity toward the other members. The redeemed community belongs to each member of the trinity, although responsibility for the establishment (and the maintenance?) of the community is gifted to Jesus.
      dedoxasmai (doxazw) perf. pas. "glory has come" - I have been glorified. The perfect is expressing a completed act with ongoing consequences, so God has been and is being clothed in splendor through the faith response of the disciples. Probably best expressed as a present tense although Morris argues that it is proleptic, "pointing forward to the glory that was yet to come." "They will bring [they bring] glory to me", CEV.