John 3:20

John 3:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
• New Living Translation (NLT)All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

Context of John 3:20

18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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. 22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.

John 3:20 word by word

πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων μισεῖ τὸ φῶς καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• everyπᾶςpas · allG3956
• one that doethπράσσωprassō · to do/requireG4238
• evilφαῦλοςphaulos · evilG5337
• hatethμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
• the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• neitherοὐou · noG3756
• comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• ·ἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• lestμήmē · notG3361
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• deedsἔργονergon · workG2041
• should be reprovedἐλέγχωelegchō · to rebukeG1651

Cross-references for John 3:20

• John 7:7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
• Job 24:13“There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.
• Psalms 50:17You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.
• Proverbs 1:29since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.
• Proverbs 4:18The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
• Proverbs 5:12You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!
• Proverbs 15:12Mockers resent correction, so they avoid the wise.
• Amos 5:10There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.
• Luke 11:45One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
• James 1:23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror
• Ephesians 5:12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

Commentaries on John 3:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light - He who doth vile or abominable things: alluding to the subject mentioned in the preceding verse. The word , evil or vile, is supposed by some to come from the Hebrew פלס phalas, to roll, and so cover oneself in dust or ashes, which was practised in token of humiliation and grief, not only by the more eastern nations, see Job 42:6, but also by the Greeks and Trojans, as appears from Homer, Iliad xviii. l…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20That doeth evil - Every wicked person. Hateth the light - This is true of all wicked men. They choose to practice their deeds of wickedness in darkness. They are afraid of the light, because they could be easily detected. Hence, most crimes are committed in the night. So with the sinner against God. He hates the gospel, for it condemns his conduct, and his conscience would trouble him if it were enlightened. His deeds should be reproved - To “reprove”…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20When people live in spiritual darkness (a life separated from God), they do not want the light that Jesus brings. Jesus called himself "the light of the world" (8:12; 9:5). His light shows truth and exposes sin. Darkness does not simply ignore the light. It resists it and tries to overcome it. But the darkness cannot defeat the light (1:5). Those who refuse to believe continue to live in darkness (13:30). They stumble because they cannot see clearly…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. not to condemn, &c.--A statement of vast importance. Though "condemnation" is to many the issue of Christ's mission (Joh 3:19), it is not the object of His mission, which is purely a saving one.Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:20

• Blindness
• Character
• Darkness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Judgment
• Light
• Sin
• Wicked (People)
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Faith
• Increase
• Love
• Nicodemus
• Testify

Commentaries on John 3

• 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