John 12 · Verse 36

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 12:36, King James Version

John 12:36 in other translations

BSBWhile you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.
WEBWhile you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
ASVWhile ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light. These things spake Jesus, and he departed and hid himself from them.
YLTwhile ye have the light, believe in the light, that sons of light ye may become.' These things spake Jesus, and having gone away, he was hid from them,
DARBYWhile ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may become sons of light. Jesus said these things, and going away hid himself from them.
BBEIn so far as you have the light, put your faith in the light so that you may become sons of light. With these words Jesus went away and for a time was not seen again by them.
WebsterWhile ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and concealed himself from them.

What does John 12:36 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…

Read the full comment on John 12:35-36 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 36. While ye have light. This implied two things:

1st. That he was the light, or was the Messiah.

2nd. 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 might be.

Believe in the light. That is, in the Messiah, who is the light of the world.

That ye may be the children, &c. That ye may the friends and followers of the Messiah. Mt 1:1. Comp. Jn 8:12 Eph 5:8: "Now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of light."

Did hide himself from them. Jn 8:59. He went out to Bethany, where he commonly passed the night, Lk 21:37.

(p) "be the children of light" Eph 5:8

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 36 Children 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 Joh 8:59. Probably it means no more than that he withdrew from them, and went to Bethany, as was his custom a little before his crucifixion; and concealed himself there during the night, and taught publicly every day in the temple. It was in the night season that they endeavored to seize upon him, in the absence of the multitude.

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 12:36 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.

ὡςhōsWhileG5613
τὸtotheG3588
φῶςphōslightG5457
ἔχετε,echeteyou have,G2192
πιστεύετεpisteuetedo believeG4100
εἰςeisinG1519
τὸtotheG3588
φῶς,phōslight,G5457
ἵναinaso thatG2443
υἱοὶhuioisonsG5207
φωτὸςphōtosof lightG5457
γένησθε.genēstheyou may become.G1096
ταῦταtautaThese thingsG3778
ἐλάλησενelalēsenspokeG2980
Ἰησοῦς,IēsousJesus,G2424
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀπελθὼνapelthōnhaving gone awayG565
ἐκρύβηekrubēHe was hiddenG2928
ἀπ᾽ap᾽fromG575
αὐτῶν.¶autōnthem.G846

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

Cross references for John 12:36

  • Ephesians 5:8

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

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:5

    Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

  • John 8:59

    Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

  • Luke 16:8

    And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

  • John 1:7

    The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

  • Isaiah 60:1

    Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

  • Acts 13:47-48

    For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

  • 1 John 2:9-11

    He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

  • John 11:54

    Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

  • John 10:39-40

    Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.

  • Matthew 21:17

    And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

  • John 3:21

    But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
believe.
1:7; 3:21; Isa 60:1; Ac 13:47,48
the children.
Lu 16:8; Eph 5:8; 1Th 5:5,8; 1Jo 2:9-11
and departed.
8:59; 10:39,40; 11:54; Mt 21:17

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

Context

  • 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.

  • John 12:37

    But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

Read all of John 12

John 12:36 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entre tanto que tenéis la luz, creed en la luz, para que seáis hijos de luz. Estas cosas habló Jesús, y fuése, y escondióse de ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Pendant que vous avez la lumière, croyez en la lumière, afin que vous soyez fils de lumière. Jésus dit ces choses, et s’en allant, il se cacha de devant eux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Während ihr das Licht habt, glaubet an das Licht, auf daß ihr Söhne des Lichtes werdet. Dieses redete Jesus und ging hinweg und verbarg sich vor ihnen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dum lucem habetis, credite in lucem, ut filii lucis sitis. Hæc locutus est Jesus, et abiit et abscondit se ab eis.