John 12 · Verse 35

John 12:35

Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
John 12:35, King James Version

John 12:35 in other translations

BSBThen Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
WEBJesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going.
ASVJesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
YLTJesus, therefore, said to them, ‘Yet a little time is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; and he who is walking in the darkness hath not known where he goeth;
DARBYJesus therefore said to them, Yet a little while is the light amongst you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you. And he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
BBEJesus said to them, For a little time longer the light will be among you; while you have the light go on walking in it, so that the dark may not overtake you: one walking in the dark has no knowledge of where he is going.
WebsterThen Jesus said to them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

What does John 12:35 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 12:35-36
35-36. 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 if they continued to hate the light, bootless were all His answers to their merely speculative or captious questions. (See on Lu 13:23).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 35. Yet a little while is the light with you. Jesus did not reply directly to may their question. He saw that they were offended by the mention of his death, and he endeavoured to arrive at the same thing indirectly. He tells them, therefore, that the light would be with them a little while, and that they ought to improve the opportunity while they had it to listen to his instructions, to inquire with candour, and thus to forsake their false notions respecting the Messiah.

The light. Jn 1:4. It is probable that they understood this as denoting the Messiah. See Jn 8:12 "I am the light of the world;" Jn 9:4

Walk, &c. Jn 11:9. Whatever you have to do, do it while you enjoy this light. Make good use of your privileges before they are removed. That is, while the Messiah is with you, avail yourselves of his instructions and learn the way to life.

Lest darkness. Lest God should take away all your mercies, remove all light and instruction from you, and leave you to ignorance, blindness, and woe. This was true that darkness and calamity were to come upon the Jewish people when the Messiah was removed; and it is also true that God leaves a sinner to darkness and misery when he has long rejected the gospel.

For he, &c. See Jn 11:10.

(m) "the light" Jn 8:32 (n) "with you" Jer 13:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 35 Yet a little while is the light with you - In answer to their objection, our Lord compares himself to a light, which was about to disappear for a short time, and afterwards to shine forth with more abundant lustre; but not to their comfort, if they continued to reject its present beamings. He exhorts them to follow this light while it was among them. The Christ shall abide for ever, it is true; but he will not always be visible. When he shall depart from you, ye shall be left in the thickest darkness; in impenitence and hardness of heart. Then shall ye wish to see one of the days of the Son of man, and shall not see it, Luk 17:22. Then shall ye seek me, but shall not find me, Joh 7:34. For the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to the Gentiles, Mat 21:43. If ye believe not in me now, ye shall then wish ye had done it, when wishing shall be for ever fruitless. Instead of μεθ' ὑμων, with you, εν ὑμιν, among you, is the reading of BDL, seventeen others; Coptic, Gothic, Slavonic, Vulgate, Itala; Cyril, Nonnus, and Victorinus. Griesbach has received it into the text. The meaning of both is nearly the same. Lest darkness come upon you - Ye have a good part of your journey yet to go: ye cannot travel safely but in the daylight - that light is almost gone - run, that the darkness overtake you not, or in it ye shall stumble, fall, and perish! Reader, is thy journey near an end? There may be but a very little time remaining to thee. O, run, fly to Christ, lest the darkness of death overtake thee, before thy soul have found redemption in his blood!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 12:34-36

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…

Read the full comment on John 12:34-36 →

John 12:35 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΕἶπενEipenSaidG2036
οὖνounthereforeG3767
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰησοῦς·IēsousJesus;G2424
ἔτιetiYetG2089
μικρὸνmikrona littleG3398
χρόνονchrononwhileG5550
τὸtotheG3588
φῶςphōslightG5457
ἐνenamongG1722
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
ἐστιν.estinis.G1510
περιπατεῖτεperipateitedo walkG4043
ὡςhōswhileG5613
τὸtotheG3588
φῶςphōslightG5457
ἔχετε,echeteyou have,G2192
ἵναinaso thatG2443
μὴmēnotG3361
σκοτίαskotiadarknessG4653
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
καταλάβῃ·katalabēmay grasp;G2638
καὶkaiAndG2532
ὁhothe [one]G3588
περιπατῶνperipatōnwalkingG4043
ἐνeninG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
σκοτίᾳskotiadarknessG4653
οὐκouknotG3756
οἶδενoidenknows
ποῦpouwhereG4226
ὑπάγει.hupageihe is going.G5217

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 12:35

  • John 12:46

    I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

  • John 16:16

    A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

  • Ephesians 5:8

    For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

  • 1 John 1:6-7

    If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

  • John 8:12

    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.

  • John 11:10

    But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

  • Jeremiah 13:16-17

    Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.

  • John 9:4-5

    I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

  • John 12:36

    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.

  • John 7:33

    Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

  • Isaiah 2:5

    O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

  • John 12:39-40

    Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Yet.
7:33; 9:4; 16:16; Heb 3:7,8
Walk.
36,46; 1:5-9; 8:12; 9:5; Isa 2:5; 42:6,7; Ro 13:12-14; Eph 5:8,14,15
1Th 5:5-8; 1Jo 1:6,7
lest.
39,40; Ps 69:22-28; Jer 13:16,17; Ro 11:7-10; 2Co 3:14
for.
11:10; Pr 4:19; 1Jo 2:8-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 12:34

    The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

  • John 12:35

    Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

  • John 12:36

    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.

Read all of John 12

John 12:35 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Jesús les dice: Aun por un poco estará la luz entre vosotros: andad entre tanto que tenéis luz, porque no os sorprendan las tinieblas; porque el que anda en tinieblas, no sabe dónde va.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Jésus donc leur dit: Encore pour un peu de temps la lumière est au milieu de vous; marchez pendant que vous avez la lumière, afin que les ténèbres ne s’emparent pas de vous; et celui qui marche dans les ténèbres ne sait où il va.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprach Jesus zu ihnen: Noch eine kleine Zeit ist das Licht unter euch; wandelt, während ihr das Licht habt, auf daß nicht Finsternis euch ergreife. Und wer in der Finsternis wandelt, weiß nicht, wohin er geht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixit ergo eis Jesus: Adhuc modicum, lumen in vobis est. Ambulate dum lucem habetis, ut non vos tenebræ comprehendant; et qui ambulat in tenebris, nescit quo vadat.