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

34The crowd said, ‘The Bible tells us that the Messiah will continue for ever. So why do you say, “People must lift up the Son of Man”? Who is this Son of Man?’ 35Jesus answered, ‘The light will be with you for only a short time longer. So continue to walk while you still have the light. Do that, so that the dark will not come over you. Anyone who walks in the dark does not know where they are going. While you still have the light with you, believe in that light. So then you will become children of light.’ When Jesus had said this, he went away. He hid himself from them. 37Jesus had done many miracles that the people themselves had seen. But even then, they still did not believe in him. 38This showed that the prophet Isaiah had spoken true words when he said: ‘Lord, has anyone believed our message? You have shown how powerful you are, but nobody has really understood.’

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 1:7He came to tell people about the light. God wanted everyone to believe in the one who is the light.
• John 3:21But anyone who does what is true will come to the light. The light will show clearly that he has been doing what is right. Everyone can see that he has been obeying God.
• Isaiah 60:1Stand up! Shine brightly! Now your light has come! The Lord's glory has risen to shine on you.
• Acts 13:47The Lord God has also told us to do this. He said: “I have chosen you to be like a light to the Gentiles. You must go to people everywhere in the world. You must tell them how God wants to save them.” ’
• Luke 16:8Jesus then said, ‘The servant in the story was not honest. But his master spoke well about what he had done. It would help the servant later in his life. People that do not obey God think carefully. They know how to do well with people who are like themselves. But people who live in God's light often think less carefully.
• Ephesians 5:8Once your minds were completely in the dark. But now you belong to the Lord. As a result, you have become full of light. So now you must live as people who belong to the light.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:5All of you are people who belong to the light and to the day. We who are believers do not belong to the night or to the dark.
• 1 John 2:9A person may say that he is living in the light. But if that person hates another believer, then he is telling a lie. He is still living in the dark.
• John 8:59Then they picked up stones. They wanted to throw them at him and kill him. But Jesus hid himself from them. He went away from the temple.
• John 10:39Again, the Jewish leaders tried to take hold of Jesus. But he escaped from them.
• John 11:54So Jesus stopped travelling about in Judea where everyone could see him. Instead, he went away from there to a town called Ephraim that was near to the wilderness. He stayed there with his disciples.
• Matthew 21:17Then Jesus left everyone and he went out of Jerusalem. He stayed that night in Bethany, a village near the city.

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