English Standard Version
John 8:12
12Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 8:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
- New International Version (NIV)When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
Context of John 8:12
10Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."]] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 13So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." 14Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
Read all of John 8John 8:12 word by word
Πάλιν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων· ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ οὐ μὴ περιπατήσῃ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἀλλ᾽ ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- spakeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- againπάλινpalin · againG3825
- unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- amεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
- of the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- he that followethἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190
- shallπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ·μήmē · notG3361
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- darknessσκοτίαskotia · darknessG4653
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- shall haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- of lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
Cross-references for John 8:12
- John 1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
- 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 9:5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
- John 12:35So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
- Isaiah 9:2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
- Isaiah 42:6"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
- Isaiah 49:6he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."
- Isaiah 60:1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
- Hosea 6:3Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth."
- Malachi 4:2But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
- Matthew 4:14so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
- Luke 1:78because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
- Luke 2:32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."
- Acts 13:47For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
- Acts 26:23that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
- Psalms 18:28For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
Commentaries on John 8:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Then spake Jesus again unto them - Allowing the story about the woman taken in adultery to be authentic, and to stand here in its proper place, we may consider that our Lord, having begun to teach the people in the temple, was interrupted by the introduction of this woman by the scribes and Pharisees; and now, having dismissed them and the woman also, he resumes his discourse. I am the light of the world - The fountain whence an intellectual light and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12I am the light of the world - See the notes at John 1:4, John 1:9.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-16Verses 12-16 Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. What a dark dungeon would the world be without the sun! So would it be without Jesus, by whom light came into the world. Those who follow Christ shall not walk in darkness. They shall not be left without the truths which are necessary to keep them from destroying error…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12During the Festival of Tabernacles, people filled 16 gold bowls in the temple's inner courts with oil and lit them. Jesus stood under these lights in the temple and said that he was now the source of the light of the world (8:20). The light of Jesus brings salvation to both Israel and the world, regardless of race or location.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 12-5912. I am the light of the world--As the former references to water (Joh 4:13, 14; 7:37-39) and to bread (Joh 6:35) were occasioned by outward occurrences, so this one to light. In "the treasury" where it was spoken (see on Joh 8:20) stood two colossal golden lamp-stands, on which hung a multitude of lamps, lighted after the evening sacrifice (probably every evening during the feast of tabernacles), diffusing their brilliancy, it is said, over all the…Read the comment
Topics related to John 8:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 8
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
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