KJV: 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 walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
YLT: Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Yet a little time is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; and he who is walking in the darkness hath not known where he goeth;
Darby: Jesus therefore said to them, Yet a little while is the light amongst you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you. And he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
ASV: Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
| Εἶπεν | Said |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say. |
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| αὐτοῖς | to them |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| ὁ | - |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Ἰησοῦς | Jesus |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Ἰησοῦς Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor. |
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| Ἔτι | Yet |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ἔτι Sense: yet, still. |
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| μικρὸν | a little |
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Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: μικρός Sense: small, little. |
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| χρόνον | while |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: χρόνος Sense: time either long or short. |
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| φῶς | light |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: φῶς Sense: light. |
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| περιπατεῖτε | Walk |
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Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: περιπατέω Sense: to walk. |
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| ὡς | while |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ὡς Sense: as, like, even as, etc. |
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| φῶς | light |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: φῶς Sense: light. |
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| ἔχετε | you have |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural Root: ἔχω Sense: to have, i.e. to hold. |
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| ἵνα | so that |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: ἵνα Sense: that, in order that, so that. |
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| σκοτία | darkness |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: σκοτία Sense: darkness. |
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| καταλάβῃ | might overtake |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: καταλαμβάνω Sense: to lay hold of. |
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| ὁ | the [one] |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| περιπατῶν | walking |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: περιπατέω Sense: to walk. |
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| σκοτίᾳ | darkness |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular Root: σκοτία Sense: darkness. |
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| οἶδεν | knows |
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Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: οἶδα Sense: to see. |
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| ποῦ | where |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ποῦ Sense: somewhere. |
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| ὑπάγει | he is going |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: ὑπάγω Sense: to lead under, bring under. |
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Greek Commentary for John 12:35
Χρονον Chronon is the accusative of extent of time. Jesus does not argue the point of theology with the crowd who would not understand. He turns to the metaphor used before when he claimed to be the light of the world (John 8:12) and urges that they take advantage of their privilege “while ye have the light” That darkness overtake you not Purpose (negative) with ινα μη hina mē and second aorist active subjunctive of καταλαμβανω katalambanō See this verb in John 1:5. In 1 Thessalonians 5:4 this verb occurs with ημερα hēmera (day) overtaking one like a thief. Knoweth not whither he goeth See John 11:10 for this idea and the same language in 1 John 2:11. The ancients did not have our electric street lights. The dark streets were a terror to travellers. [source]
The best texts read πάντα , among you. [source]
The best texts read ὡς , as: walk in conformity with the fact that you have the Light among you. [source]
Rev., better, that darkness overtake you not. On overtake see on taketh, Mark 9:18; and see on perceived, Acts 4:13. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 12:35
Rather, while I am coming. Compare John 9:4; John 12:35, John 12:36; 1 Timothy 4:13. [source]
The phrase occurs only here. Compare 1 John 2:9, 1 John 2:11; also John 8:12; John 12:35. [source]
Better, that they should not be, etc. Compare Rev., John 12:35. On the phrase, be put out of the synagogue, see on John 9:22. [source]
Rev., apprehended. Wyc., took not it. See on Mark 9:18; see on Acts 4:13. Comprehended, in the sense of the A.V., understood, is inadmissible. This meaning would require the middle voice of the verb (see Acts 4:13; Acts 10:34; Acts 25:25). The Rev., apprehended, i.e., grasped or seized, gives the correct idea, which appears in John 12:35, “lest darkness come upon you,” i.e., overtake and seize. The word is used in the sense of laying hold of so as to make one's own; hence, to take possession of. Used of obtaining the prize in the games (1 Corinthians 9:24); of attaining righteousness (Romans 9:30); of a demon taking possession of a man (Mark 9:18); of the day of the Lord overtaking one as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:4). Applied to darkness, this idea includes that of eclipsing or overwhelming. Hence some render overcame (Westcott, Moulton). John's thought is, that in the struggle between light and darkness, light was victorious. The darkness did not appropriate the light and eclipse it. “The whole phrase is indeed a startling paradox. The light does not banish the darkness; the darkness does not overpower the light. Light and darkness coexist in the world side by side” (Westcott). [source]
Linear present active indicative of παινω phainō old verb from παω phaō to shine “The light keeps on giving light.” In the darkness (σκοτος en tēi skotiāi). Late word for the common σκια skotos (kin to ο ζοπος του σκοτου skia shadow). An evident allusion to the darkness brought on by sin. In 2 Peter 2:17 we have σκοτια ho zophos tou skotou (the blackness of darkness). The Logos, the only real moral light, keeps on shining both in the Pre-incarnate state and after the Incarnation. John is fond of σκοτος skotia (πως skotos) for moral darkness from sin and πωτιζω παινω phōs (αυτο ου κατελαβεν phōtizō class="normal greek">καταλαμβανω phainō) for the light that is in Christ alone. In 1 John 2:8 he proclaims that “the darkness is passing by and the true light is already shining.” The Gnostics often employed these words and John takes them and puts them in the proper place. Apprehended it not (ινα μη σκοτια υμας καταλαβηι auto ou katelaben). Second aorist active indicative of ινα καταλαβηι katalambanō old verb to lay hold of, to seize. This very phrase occurs in John 12:35 (κατελαβε δε αυτους η σκοτια hina mē skotia humas katalabēi) “that darkness overtake you not,” the metaphor of night following day and in 1 Thessalonians 5:4 the same idiom (hina katalabēi) is used of day overtaking one as a thief. This is the view of Origen and appears also in 2Macc 8:18. The same word appears in Aleph D in John 6:17 katelabe de autous hē skotia (“but darkness overtook them,” came down on them). Hence, in spite of the Vulgate comprehenderunt, “overtook” or “overcame” seems to be the idea here. The light kept on shining in spite of the darkness that was worse than a London fog as the Old Testament and archaeological discoveries in Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Crete, Asia Minor show.sa120 [source]
Third condition again. It is spiritual darkness that Jesus here pictures, but the result is the same. See the same figure in John 12:35 (1 John 2:11). The ancients had poor illumination at night as indeed we did before Edison gave us electric lights. Pedestrians actually used to have little lamps fastened on the feet to light the path. In him Spiritual darkness, the worst of all (cf. Matthew 6:23; John 8:12). Man has the capacity for light, but is not the source of light. “By the application of this principle Christianity is distinguished from Neo-Platonism” (Westcott). [source]
Genitive absolute with perfect active participle in concessive sense of ποιεω poieō Yet they believed not on him No “yet” in the Greek. Negative imperfect active of πιστευω pisteuō “they kept on not believing on him,” stubborn refusal in face of the light (John 12:35). [source]
As in John 3:19; John 9:5; John 8:12; John 12:35. Final clause (negative) also here (ινα μη μεινηι hina mē meinēi first aorist active subjunctive) as in John 12:35. Light dispels darkness. [source]
A thoroughly Johannine phrase for sequence of thought (John 15:12; John 17:3; 1 John 1:5; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:14; 3 John 1:6). It is more precisely the process of judging The light is come Second perfect active indicative of το σκοτος erchomai a permanent result as already explained in the Prologue concerning the Incarnation (John 1:4, John 1:5, John 1:9, John 1:11). Jesus is the Light of the world. Loved darkness Job (Job 24:13) spoke of men rebelling against the light. Here πονηρα to skotos common word for moral and spiritual darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5), though Πονηρος hē skotia in John 1:5. “Darkness” is common in John as a metaphor for the state of sinners (John 8:12; John 12:35, John 12:46; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:8, 1 John 2:9, 1 John 2:11). Jesus himself is the only moral and spiritual light of the world (John 8:12) as he dared claim to his enemies. The pathos of it all is that men fall in love with the darkness of sin and rebel against the light like denizens of the underworld, “for their works were evil In the end the god of this world blinds men‘s eyes so that they do not see the light (2 Corinthians 4:4). The fish in the Mammoth Cave have no longer eyes, but only sockets where eyes used to be. The evil one has a powerful grip on the world (1 John 5:19). [source]
John does not mention “scribes,” though this combination (note two articles) is common enough in the Synoptics (Luke 5:30; Luke 6:7, etc.). Bring Vivid dramatic present active indicative of αγω agō Dods calls this “in itself an unlawful thing to do” since they had a court for the trial of such a case. Their purpose is to entrap Jesus. Taken in adultery Perfect passive participle of καταλαμβανω katalambanō old compound to seize (Mark 9:18), to catch, to overtake (John 12:35), to overcome (or overtake) in John 1:5. Having let her in the midst First aorist active (transitive) participle of ιστημι histēmi Here all could see her and what Jesus did with such a case. They knew his proneness to forgive sinners. [source]
This is undoubtedly the correct text (supported by the Neutral and Western classes) and not εμε eme (I) and με me (me) of the Syrian class nor ημας hēmas (we) and ημας hēmas (us) of the Alexandrian class. Jesus associates us with him in the task committed to him by the Father. Bernard argues vigorously, but vainly, for εμε eme me. We are not able to fathom the depth of the necessity This clause gives the note of urgency upon us all. The night cometh “Night is coming on,” and rapidly. Night was coming for Jesus (John 7:33) and for each of us. Cf. John 11:9; John 12:35. Even electric lights do not turn night into day. εως Heōs with the present indicative (John 21:22.) means “while,” not until as in John 13:38. [source]
The word, meaning originally to seize upon or lay hold of, occurs frequently in the New Testament in different phases of this original sense. Thus, to apprehend or grasp, Ephesians 3:18; Philemon 3:12, Philemon 3:13; Romans 9:30: of seizure by a demon, Mark 9:18: of something coming upon or overtaking, John 12:35; 1 Thessalonians 5:4: of comprehending, grasping mentally, as here, Acts 10:34; Acts 25:25. [source]
Lit., lay hold of. Rev., attain. See on comprehended, John 1:5; see on come upon you, John 12:35; and see on perceived, Acts 4:13. Compare Philemon 3:12. [source]
See on John 1:5. God is light; and whatever is not in fellowship with God is therefore darkness. In all cases where the word is not used of physical darkness, it means moral insensibility to the divine light; moral blindness or obtuseness. Compare John 8:12; John 12:35, John 12:46; 1 John 2:9, 1 John 2:11. [source]