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.
• New International Version (NIV)Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
• 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.

Context of John 3:20

18“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” 22Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.

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 can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.
• 1 Kings 22:8The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”
• Job 24:13“Wicked people rebel against the light. They refuse to acknowledge its ways or stay in its paths.
• Psalms 50:17For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.
• Proverbs 1:29For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord.
• Proverbs 4:18The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
• Proverbs 5:12You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
• Proverbs 15:12Mockers hate to be corrected, so they stay away from the wise.
• Amos 5:10How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth!
• Luke 11:45“Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”
• James 1:23For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
• Ephesians 5:12It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people 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