New International Version
John 12:36
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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
Context of John 12:36
34The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 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. 37Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Read all of John 12John 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 as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
- John 3:21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
- Isaiah 60:1“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
- Acts 13:47For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
- Luke 16:8“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
- Ephesians 5:8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
- 1 John 2:9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.
- John 8:59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
- John 10:39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
- John 11:54Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
- Matthew 21:17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries