John 1:5

John 1:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
• New International Version (NIV)The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Context of John 1:5

3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

John 1:5 word by word

καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• the lightὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• shinethφαίνωphainō · to shine/appearG5316
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• darknessσκοτίαskotia · darknessG4653
• comprehendedκαταλαμβάνωkatalambanō · to graspG2638
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• notοὐou · noG3756

Cross-references for John 1:5

• John 1:10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
• John 3:19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
• John 12:36While 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.
• Job 24:13"There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths.
• Proverbs 1:22"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
• Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Commentaries on John 1:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And the light shineth in darkness - By darkness here may be understood: The heathen world, Ephesians 5:8. The Jewish people. The fallen spirit of man. Comprehended it not - , Prevented it not - hindered it not, says Mr. Wakefield, who adds the following judicious note: - "Even in the midst of that darkness of ignorance and idolatry which overspread the world, this light of Divine wisdom was not totally eclipsed: the Jewish nation was a lamp perpetually…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The light shineth in darkness - Darkness, in the Bible, commonly denotes ignorance, guilt, or misery. See Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:16; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 5:11; Romans 13:12. It refers here to a wicked and ignorant people. When it is said that “the light shineth in darkness,” it is meant that the Lord Jesus came to teach an ignorant, benighted, and wicked world. This has always been the case. It was so when he sent his prophets; so during…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5the darkness has not overcome it: Or the darkness has not understood it; literally, the darkness cannot grasp it. The Greek word katalambanō (“grasp”) can mean either “understand” or “be hostile.” In John’s Gospel, it means "hostility." The darkness would try to destroy Jesus (the Light), but it would fail. The Light would successfully bring salvation to the world.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. shineth in darkness, &c.--in this dark, fallen world, or in mankind "sitting in darkness and the shadow of death," with no ability to find the way either of truth or of holiness. In this thick darkness, and consequent intellectual and moral obliquity, "the light of the Word" shineth--by all the rays whether of natural or revealed teaching which men (apart from the Incarnation of the Word) are favored with. the darkness comprehended it not--did not take…Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:5

• Blindness
• Darkness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Light
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Flesh
• Guile
• Light
• Prefer
• Receive
• Son of God

Commentaries on John 1

• 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