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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 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 testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

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 though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
• John 3:19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
• John 12:36Believe 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.
• Job 24:13“There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.
• Proverbs 1:22“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
• Romans 1:28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

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