John 5:35

John 5:35 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
• New International Version (NIV)John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

Context of John 5:35

33You have sent your people to ask John about me. What he has told you about me is true. 34I do not need any man to speak on my behalf. But I am telling you this to help you. Then God will be able to save you. John was like a light that shone brightly. For a certain time, you enjoyed the light that he gave. 36But it is not only John who shows who I am. There are other things that show it more strongly. My Father has given work to me so that I could finish it. These are the things that I do, and they show who I am. They show clearly that the Father has sent me. 37Also, the Father himself has spoken about me. You have never heard his voice. And you have never seen his shape.

John 5:35 word by word

ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠθελήσατε ἀγαλλιαθῆναι πρὸς ὥραν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• aλύχνοςluchnos · lampG3088
• burningκαίωkaiō · to kindle/burnG2545
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• a shiningφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
• andδέde · thenG1161
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• were willingθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• forπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• a seasonὥραhōra · hourG5610
• to rejoiceἀγαλλιάωagalliaō · to rejoiceG21
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457

Cross-references for John 5:35

• John 1:7He came to tell people about the light. God wanted everyone to believe in the one who is the light.
• Matthew 11:11Jesus then said, ‘I tell you this: John the Baptist is greater than any person who has ever lived until now. But now, anyone who belongs in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Even the least important of them is greater than he is.
• Luke 7:28Jesus also said to the people, ‘I tell you, John is greater than any person who has ever lived up to now. But now anyone who belongs in the kingdom of God is greater than John, even the least important of them.’
• 2 Peter 1:19As well as that, we have the prophets' messages from long ago. They also show us very clearly that these things are true. The prophets' words are like a light that shines in a dark place. That light continues to shine in the dark until the dawn comes. So you need to think about those messages carefully. Then the morning star will rise and it will bring light deep inside you.
• John 6:66From that time, many of Jesus' disciples left him. They did not go with him any longer.
• Ezekiel 33:31They are my people and they come as a crowd to listen to you. They sit and they listen to your words. But they do not obey what you say. They say that they love me. But really they like to cheat people to get things for themselves.
• Matthew 3:5Many people went to listen to John. They lived in Jerusalem and all over the country called Judea and many other places near the Jordan River.
• Matthew 11:7John's disciples went away again. Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. He said to them, ‘You went out to the wilderness. What did you go there to see? Was it a tall piece of grass which the wind was blowing this way and that? No, you did not go to see that.
• Matthew 13:20Other seeds fell on soil with rocks in it. This is like some people who hear God's message. These people are happy to believe it for a time.
• Matthew 21:26But we do not want to say that only men gave John his authority. All the people think that John was a prophet from God. We are afraid that the crowd might attack us.’
• Mark 6:20because Herod was afraid of John. Herod knew that John was a good man and a servant of God. So Herod kept John safe. Herod liked to listen to the things that John said. But he did not know what to think about those things.
• Galatians 4:15But now you do not seem to be happy with me any more. I can say that you would have pulled out your own eyes to help me. You would have given them to me, if that had been possible.

Commentaries on John 5:35

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 35He was a burning and a shining light - ̔ ̔ , should be translated, He was a burning and a shining Lamp. He was not , the light of the world, i.e. the sun; but he was ̔ , a lamp, to give a clear and steady light till the sun should arise. It is supposed that John had been cast into prison about four months before this time. See the note on John 4:35. As his light continued no longer to shine, our Lord says he Was. The expression of lamp our Lord took from…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 35He was - It is probable that John had been cast into prison before this. Hence, his public ministry had ceased, and our Saviour says he was such a light. Light - The word in the original properly means a “lamp,” and is not the same which in John 1:4-5 is translated “light.” That is a word commonly applied to the sun, the fountain of light; this means a lamp, or a light that is lit up or kindled artificially from oil or tallow. A teacher is often called a…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 30-38Verses 30-38 Our Lord returns to his declaration of the entire agreement between the Father and the Son, and declared himself the Son of God. He had higher testimony than that of John; his works bore witness to all he had said. But the Divine word had no abiding-place in their hearts, as they refused to believe in Him whom the Father had sent, according to his ancient promises. The voice of God, accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost, thus made…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 33-35The second witness of Jesus was John the Baptist. John pointed to Jesus and said that he is the Messiah (1:29–34).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33-3533-35. Ye sent unto John--(See Joh 1:19, &c.). receive not testimony ... from man--that is, depend not on human testimony. but ... that ye might be saved--"I refer to him merely to aid your salvation."Read the comment

Topics related to John 5:35

• Instability
• John
• Light
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Folk
• John the Baptist
• Judgment
• Lest
• Light
• Step
• Trouble
• Troubling
• Witness
• Jesus Christ

Commentaries on John 5

• 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