John 9 · Verse 5

John 9:5

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:5, King James Version

John 9:5 in other translations

BSBWhile I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
WEBWhile I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
ASVWhen I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
YLTwhen I am in the world, I am a light of the world.'
DARBYAs long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
BBEAs long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
WebsterAs long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

What does John 9:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 9:1-5

Joh 9:1-41. The Opening of the Eyes of One Born Blind, and What Followed on It. 1-5. as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from birth--and who "sat begging" (Joh 9:8).

Read the full comment on John 9:1-5 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 5. As long as I am in the world, &c. As the sun is the natural light of the world, even while it sinks away to the west, so am I, although my days are drawing to a close, the light of the spiritual world. What a sublime description is this! Jesus occupied the same place, filled the same space, shed his beams as far, in the moral world, as the sun does on natural objects; and as all is dark when that sun sinks to the west, so when he withdraws from the souls of men all is midnight and gloom. When we look on the sun in the firmament or in the west, let us remember that such is the great Sun of Righteousness in regard to our souls; that his shining is as necessary, and his beams as mild and lovely on the soul, as is the shining of the natural sun to illumine the material creation. Jn 1:4.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 I am the light of the world - Like the sun, it is my business to dispense light and heat every where; and to neglect no opportunity that may offer to enlighten and save the bodies and souls of men. See Joh 8:12.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 9:1-7

Christ cured many who were blind by disease or accident; here he cured one born blind. Thus he showed his power to help in the most desperate cases, and the work of his grace upon the souls of sinners, which gives sight to those blind by nature. This poor man could not see Christ, but Christ saw him. And if we know or apprehend anything of Christ, it is because we were first known of him. Christ says of uncommon…

Read the full comment on John 9:1-7 →

John 9:5 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.

ὅτανhotanWhileG3752
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
κόσμῳkosmōworldG2889
ὦ,ōI may be,G1510
φῶςphōs[the] lightG5457
εἰμιeimiI amG1510
τοῦtouof theG3588
κόσμου.kosmouworld.G2889

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

Cross references for John 9:5

  • 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 12:46

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

  • Acts 13:47

    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.

  • John 1:4-9

    In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. …

  • Revelation 21:23

    And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

  • Isaiah 42:6-7

    I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

  • Acts 26:18

    To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

  • Ephesians 5:14

    Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

  • John 3:19-21

    And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

  • Matthew 4:16

    The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

  • John 12:35-36

    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. 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.

  • Isaiah 49:6

    And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
long.
1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 12:35,36,46; Isa 42:6,7; 49:6; 60:1-3; Mal 4:2
Mt 4:16; Lu 2:32; Ac 13:47; 26:18,23; Eph 5:14; Re 21:23
I am.Our Lord here claims one of the titles given by the Jews to the Divine Being. So in Bammidbar Rabba,  15, fol. 229.1, "The Israelites said to God, O Lord of the universe, thou commandest us to light lamps to thee, yet thou art the light of the world." It was also a title of the Messiah (see Isa 49:6; 60:1;) and in a remarkable passage of Yalkut Rubeni, fol. 6, it is said on Ge 1:4, "From this we learn that the holy and blessed God saw the light of the Messiah, and his works, before the world was created; and reserved it for the Messiah, and his generation, under the throne of his glory. Satan said to the holy and blessed God, For whom dost thou reserve that light which is under the throne of thy glory? God answered, For him who shall subdue thee, and overwhelm thee with confusion. Satan rejoined, Lord of the universe, shew that person to me. God said, Come, and see him. When he saw him, he was greatly agitated, and fell upon his face, saying, Truly this is the Messiah, who shall cast me and idolaters into hell."

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

Context

  • John 9:4

    I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

  • John 9:5

    As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

  • John 9:6

    When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

Read all of John 9

John 9:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entre tanto que estuviere en el mundo, luz soy del mundo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Pendant que je suis dans le monde, je suis la lumière du monde.
German
Elberfelder 1871		So lange ich in der Welt bin, bin ich das Licht der Welt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quamdiu sum in mundo, lux sum mundi.