Luke 11:36 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Luke 11:36
If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
"whole" or "all" · adjective — nominative singular neuter
body
σῶμάsōma
G4983
the body (as a sound whole) · noun — nominative singular neuter
therefore
οὖνoun
G3767
(adverbially) certainly · conjunction
full of light
φωτεινὸνphōteinon
G5460
lustrous · adjective — nominative singular neuter
having
ἔχονechon
G2192
to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, nominative singular neuter
no
μὴmē
G3361
(adverb) not · particle — negative
part
μέροςmeros
G3313
a division or share (literally or figuratively · noun — accusative singular neuter
dark
σκοτεινόν,skoteinon
G4652
opaque · adjective — accusative singular neuter
the whole
ὅλον,holon
G3650
"whole" or "all" · adjective — nominative singular neuter
shall be
ἔσομαιésomai
G2071
will be
full of light
φωτεινὸνphōteinon
G5460
lustrous · adjective — nominative singular neuter
as
ὡςhōs
G5613
which how · particle
when
ὅτανhotan
G3752
whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertain… · conjunction
the bright shining
ἀστραπῇastrapēa
G796
lightning · noun — dative singular feminine
of a candle
λύχνοςluchnos
G3088
a portable lamp or other illuminator (literally or figu… · noun — nominative singular masculine
doth give
φωτίζῃphōtizē
G5461
to shed rays · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
thee
σέsé
G4571
thee
light
φωτίζωphōtízō
G5461
to shed rays
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
Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Proverbs 4:18-19 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God…
Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
2 Timothy 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ…
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Psalms 119:97-105 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Luke 11:29-36
Christ's discourse in these verses shows two things: -
I. What is the sign we may expect from God for the confirmation of our faith. The great and most convincing proof of Christ's being sent of God, and which they were yet to wait for, after the many signs that had been given them, was the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Here is,
1. A reproof to the people for demanding other signs than what had already been given them in great plenty: The people were gathered thickly together (Luk 11:29), a vast crowd of them, expecting not so much to have their consciences informed by the doctrine of Christ as to have their curiosity gratified by his miracles. Christ knew what brought such a multit…
(See on Mat 5:14-16; Mat 6:22-23.) But Luk 11:36 here is peculiarly vivid, expressing what pure, beautiful, broad perceptions the clarity of the inward eye imparts.
Adam Clarke on Luke 11:36
The whole shall be full of light - Or, altogether enlightened; i.e. when the eye is perfect, it enlightens the whole body. Every object within the reach of the eye is as completely seen as if there was an eye in every part. So the eye is to every part of the body what the lamp is to every part of the house.
When the light of Christ dwells fully in the heart, it extends its influence to every thought, word, and action; and directs its possessor how he is to act in all places and circumstances. It is of the utmost importance to have the soul properly influenced by the wisdom that comes from above. The doctrine that is contrary to the Gospel may say, Ignorance is the mother of devotion; but Chr…
If thy whole body therefore be full of light,.... That is, if the whole soul, as the Ethiopic version reads, be full of Gospel light, through the illuminating influences of the blessed Spirit accompanying the word:
having no part dark; every power and faculty of the soul being affected with it, and influenced by it, though, as yet, the light and knowledge of evangelical things is not perfect in any:
the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light; the whole soul shall be as full of light and joy, which the Gospel always brings with it, as a room is full of light, when a candle is lighted, and shines brightly, and burns clearly in it.
The Church Fathers
Now when He adds, If thy whole body therefore, &c. by the whole of our body He means all our works. If then thou hast done a good work with a good intention, having in thy conscience nothing approaching to a dark thought, though it chance that thy neighbour is injured by thy good actions, nevertheless for thy singleness of heart shalt thou be rewarded with grace here, and with glorious light hereafter; which he signifies, adding, And as the bright shining of a candle shall it give thee light. These words were especially directed against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who sought for signs that they might catch him.
If therefore your whole body is full of light, not having any part dark, it will be all bright, and as a lamp shining will illuminate you. Our whole body means all our works, because the Apostle calls certain works our members, which he condemns and orders to be mortified, saying: Mortify therefore your members which are on earth: fornication, impurity, lust (Col. III), and such things. If therefore you yourself perform good with good intention, not having in your conscience any part of dark thought, even if it happens that one of your neighbors is harmed by your good action, for example, either by the money he had received from you out of need and asked for, doing or suffering something evil, or by the word of exhortation with which you wanted to correct the erring one, perhaps erring more harmfully, nevertheless, you, for your simple and bright heart, both here and in the future, will be endowed with the grace of light. These words were specifically said against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees cunningly seeking signs, may they instruct us generally according to the moral sense.
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
Conscience · 20:12; — 20:12;
Influence · GOOD — GOOD
Parables · Lighted candle — Lighted candle
Pharisees · .By Jesus — .By Jesus
Self-Righteousness · .Pharisees — .Pharisees
Wisdom · .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
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 Calvin on Luke 11:34-36
Luke 11:34-36
Matthew 6:22-24
Luke 11:34-36
22. The light [454] of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye shall be simple, thy whole body shall be luminous. 23. But if thine eye shall be evil, thy whole body shall be dark. Therefore, if the light which is in thee is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will hold to one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
34. The light [455] of the body is the eye: if thine eye therefore shall be simple, thy whole body shall be luminous: but if it shall be evil, thy whole body also shall be dark. 36. If therefore thy whole body shall be…
Light and darkness are metaphors for good and evil (John 1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35; Acts 26:18; Rom 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; 1 Thes 5:5; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8-9).
