John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Then	οὖν oun	G3767	(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
spake	ἐλάλησεν elalēsen	G2980	to talk · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
again	Πάλιν Palin	G3825	(adverbially) anew · adverb
them	αὐτοῖς autois	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative plural masculine
saying	λέγων· legōn	G3004	properly · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
I	ἐγώ egō	G1473	I · personal pronoun — 1st person nominative singular
am	εἰμι eimi	G1510	I exist (used only when emphatic) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
the light	φῶς phōs	G5457	compare G5316 (φαίνω) · noun — nominative singular neuter
of the world	κόσμου. kosmou	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — genitive singular masculine
he that followeth	ἀκολουθῶν akolouthōn	G190	properly · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
me	ἐμοί emoí	G1698	to me
shall	περιπατήσῃ peripatēsē	G4043	to tread all around · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
walk	περιπατέω peripatéō	G4043	to tread all around
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
darkness	σκοτίᾳ skotia	G4653	dimness · noun — dative singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
shall have	ἕξει hexei	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — future active indicative, 3rd person singular
the light	φῶς phōs	G5457	compare G5316 (φαίνω) · noun — accusative singular neuter
of life	ζωῆς.¶ zōēs	G2222	life (literally or figuratively) · noun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that…
Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Job 33:28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
John 1:4-9 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Psalms 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 8:12-20

The rest of the chapter is taken up with debates between Christ and contradicting sinners, who cavilled at the most gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. It is not certain whether these disputes were the same day that the adulteress was discharged; it is probable they were, for the evangelist mentions no other day, and takes notice (Joh 8:2) how early Christ began that day's work. Though those Pharisees that accused the woman had absconded, yet there were other Pharisees (Joh 8:13) to confront Christ, who had brass enough in their foreheads to keep them in countenance, though some of their party were put to such a shameful retreat; nay perhaps that made them the more industrious to…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:12

FURTHER DISCOURSES OF JESUS--ATTEMPT TO STONE HIM. (John 8:12-59) I am the light of the world--As the former references to water (Joh 4:13-14; Joh 7:37-39) and to bread (Joh 6:35) were occasioned by outward occurrences, so this one to light. In "the treasury" where it was spoken (see on Joh 8:20) stood two colossal golden lamp-stands, on which hung a multitude of lamps, lighted after the evening sacrifice (probably every evening during the feast of tabernacles), diffusing their brilliancy, it is said, over all the city. Around these the people danced with great rejoicing. Now, as amidst the festivities of the water from Siloam Jesus cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me an…

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Adam Clarke on John 8:12

Then spake Jesus again unto them - Allowing the story about the woman taken in adultery to be authentic, and to stand here in its proper place, we may consider that our Lord, having begun to teach the people in the temple, was interrupted by the introduction of this woman by the scribes and Pharisees; and now, having dismissed them and the woman also, he resumes his discourse. I am the light of the world - The fountain whence an intellectual light and spiritual understanding proceed: without me all is darkness, misery, and death. The Divine Being was, by the rabbins denominated, The light of the world. So in Bamidbar Rabba: "The Israelites said to God, O Lord of the universe, thou commandest…

The Church Fathers

[Christ] is the brightness of souls, the one who drives away the darkness of ignorance, and the one who reveals mysteries that can be perceived only by the pure.
— Maximus the Confessor, CHAPTERS ON KNOWLEDGE 2.70

Having absolved the woman from her sin, lest some should doubt, seeing that He was really man, His power to forgive sins, He deigns to give further disclosure of His divine nature; Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the Light of the world.
— Alcuin of York ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Where it is to be observed, He does not say, I am the light of Angels, or of heaven, but the Light of the world, i. e. of mankind who live in darkness, as we read, To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death. (Luke 1:79)
— Bede ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Tabernacles, The Feast Of — (Exodus 23:16) (“the feast of ingathering”), the third of the three great festivals: of the Hebrews, which lasted from the 15th till the 22d of Tisri.
Blindness, Spiritual · Christ appointed to remove — Christ appointed to remove
Candlestick · Illustrative Of: Christ — Illustrative Of: Christ
Darkness · .OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS — .OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS
Light · FIGURATIVE AND SYMBOLI — FIGURATIVE AND SYMBOLI
Regeneration · 1:16,17,25;4:4;12:3;26:12;29:23;32:3,4,15,17;35:5,6;42:16;43:7;44:3-5;49:9;55:1-3; — 1:16,17,25;4:4;12:3;26:12;29:23;32:3,4,15,17;35:5,6;42:16;43:7;44:3-5;49:9;55:1-3;
Titles And Names Of Christ · Light of the world — Light of the world
Types Of Christ · Golden candlestick — Golden candlestick

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

John 8:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 8:12-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:12

Adam Clarke on John 8:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 8:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 8:12-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 8:12

Adam Clarke on John 8:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on John 8:12

John Calvin on John 8:12-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 8:12-59