A.T. Robertson Commentary John 17:9

"I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:" — John 17:9 (ASV)

I pray (εγω ερωτω). Request, not question, as in 16:23.

Not for the world (ου περ του κοσμου). Now at this point in the prayer Christ means. In verse 19 Jesus does pray for the world (for future believers) that it may believe (verse 21). God loves the whole world (3:16). Christ died for sinners (Romans 5:8) and prayed for sinners (Luke 23:34) and intercedes for sinners (1 John 2:1f.; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

For those whom (περ ων). A condensed and common Greek idiom for περ τουτων ους with τουτων (the demonstrative antecedent) omitted and the relative ους attracted from the accusative ους (object of δεδωκας) to the case (genitive) of the omitted antecedent.