John 12:36

John 12:36 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
• New International Version (NIV)Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
• New King James Version (NKJV)While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

Context of John 12:36

34At this the crowd answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; how then can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you [only] a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going [he is drifting aimlessly]. While you have the Light, believe and trust in the Light [have faith in it, hold on to it, rely on it], so that you may become sons of Light [being filled with Light as followers of God].” Jesus said these things, and then He left and hid Himself from them. 37Even though He had done so many signs (attesting miracles) right before them, yet they still did not believe and failed to trust Him— 38This was to fulfill what Isaiah the prophet said: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm (the power) of the Lord been shown (unveiled, revealed)?”

John 12:36 word by word

ὡς τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, πιστεύετε εἰς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα υἱοὶ φωτὸς γένησθε. ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἐκρύβη ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Whileἕωςheōs · untilG2193
• ye haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• lightὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye may beγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• the childrenυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• These thingsοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• spakeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• departedἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
• and did hide himselfκρύπτωkruptō · to hideG2928
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for John 12:36

• John 1:7This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.
• John 3:21But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”
• Isaiah 60:1“Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.
• Acts 13:47For that is what the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, So that You may bring [the message of eternal] salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
• Luke 16:8And his master commended the unjust manager [not for his misdeeds, but] because he had acted shrewdly [by preparing for his future unemployment]; for the sons of this age [the non-believers] are shrewder in relation to their own kind [that is, to the ways of the secular world] than are the sons of light [the believers].
• Ephesians 5:8For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light]
• 1 Thessalonians 5:5for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We do not belong to the night nor to darkness.
• 1 John 2:9The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yet habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now.
• John 8:59So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus concealed Himself and left the temple.
• John 10:39So they tried again to seize Him, but He eluded their grasp.
• John 11:54For that reason Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but left there and went to the district that borders on the uninhabited wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and He stayed there with the disciples.
• Matthew 21:17Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Commentaries on John 12:36

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36Children of light - Let the light, the truth of Christ, so dwell in and work by you that ye may be all light in the Lord: that as truly as a child is the produce of his own parent, and partakes of his nature, so ye may be children of the light, having nothing in you but truth and righteousness. Did hide himself from them - Either by rendering himself invisible, or by suddenly mingling with the crowd, so that they could not perceive him. See John 8:59…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36While ye have light - This implied two things: 1.that he was the light, or was the Messiah. 2.that he was soon to be taken away by death. In this manner he answered their question - not directly, but in a way to convey the truth to their minds, and at the same time to administer to them a useful admonition. Jesus never aroused the prejudices of men unnecessarily, yet he never shrank from declaring to them the truth in some way, however unpalatable it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-36Verses 34-36 The people drew false notions from the Scriptures, because they overlooked the prophecies that spoke of Christ's sufferings and death. Our Lord warned them that the light would not long continue with them, and exhorted them to walk in it, before the darkness overtook them. Those who would walk in the light must believe in it, and follow Christ's directions. But those who have not faith, cannot behold what is set forth in Jesus, lifted up on…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36Jesus was the Light (1:4, 7–9; 3:19–21; 8:12). He urged the crowd to choose to believe in him before it was too late. They could become sons of the light by being spiritually born through God's power (1:12–13). was hidden from them: He first withdrew from Judea and then from this audience (11:54; 12:36). Soon, he would withdraw from the world (17:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 35-3635-36. Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, &c.--Instead of answering their question, He warns them, with mingled majesty and tenderness, against trifling with their last brief opportunity, and entreats them to let in the Light while they have it in the midst of them, that they themselves might be "light in the Lord." In this case, all the clouds which hung around His Person and Mission would speedily be dispelled, while…Read the comment

Topics related to John 12:36

• Faith
• Light
• Prudence
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Chief
• Consult
• Costly
• Prince
• Andrew
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• King, Christ As

Commentaries on John 12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings