the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
Green's Literal Translation
John 1:4
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- BridgewayEncyclopedias:
- CondensedDevotionals:
- ChipParallel Translations
In him there was life, and that life was a light for the people of the world.
In it was lyfe and the lyfe was ye lyght of men
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and that life brought light to humanity.was the light of people">[fn]John 5:26; 8:12; 9:5; 1 John 5:11;">[xr]
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind.
In him there was life, and that life was the light of all people.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.
In hym was lijf, and the lijf was the liyt of men; and the liyt schyneth in derknessis,
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone.
In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life is the light of the sons of man;
In him was life; and the life was the light of man.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men.
in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
In it was life, and that life was the light of men.
The life was in him, and the life is the light of men.
in him, was, life, and, the life, was, the light of men. -
In him was life: and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
In it was lyfe, and the lyfe was the lyght of men,
The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people.
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men,
In him was the life, and the life was the light of men:
the Life was produc'd in him, and the Life was the Light of men.
In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
All life began through the speaking of God's Word. That spark of life has been given to everyone.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
him: John 5:21, John 5:26, John 11:25, John 14:6, 1 Corinthians 15:45, Colossians 3:4, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 5:11, Revelation 22:1
the life: John 1:8, John 1:9, John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:35, John 12:46, Psalms 84:11, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 35:5, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 42:16, Psalms 49:6, Psalms 60:1-3, Malachi 4:2, Matthew 4:16, Luke 1:78, Luke 1:79, Luke 2:32, Acts 26:23, Ephesians 5:14, 1 John 1:5-7, Revelation 22:16
Reciprocal: Exodus 37:17 - the candlestick of Leviticus 24:2 - the lamps Job 25:3 - upon whom Psalms 43:3 - send Isaiah 49:6 - I will also Ezekiel 21:27 - until John 3:19 - this Acts 3:15 - Prince Acts 26:18 - and to Ephesians 5:8 - but Hebrews 1:3 - upholding 1 John 2:8 - and the Revelation 21:23 - the Lamb
Cross-References
And God called the dry land, Earth. And He called the collection of the waters, Seas. And God saw that it was good.
And the earth bore tender sprouts, the plant seeding seed according to its kind, and the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind, whichever seed is in it. And God saw that it was good.
and to rule over the day and over the night; and to divide between the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
And God made the beasts of the earth according to its kind, and cattle according to its kind, and all creepers of the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning the sixth day.
Then I saw that there is advantage to wisdom above folly, even as light has advantage over darkness.
Also the light is sweet; yea, it is good for the eyes to behold the sun.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
In him was life,.... The Persic version reads in the plural number, "lives". There was life in the word with respect to himself; a divine life, the same with the life of the Father and of the Spirit; and is in him, not by gift, nor by derivation or communication; but originally, and independently, and from all eternity: indeed he lived before his incarnation as Mediator, and Redeemer. Job knew him in his time, as his living Redeemer; but this regards him as the word and living God, and distinguishes him from the written word, and shows that he is not a mere idea in the divine mind, but a truly divine person: and there was life in Christ the word, with respect to others; the fountain of natural life is in him, he is the efficient cause, and preserver of it; whether vegetative, animal, or rational; and proves him to be truly God, and that he existed before his incarnation; since creatures, who have received such a life from him, did: and spiritual life was also in him; all his elect are dead in trespasses and sins, and cannot quicken themselves. Christ has procured life for them, and gives it to them, and implants it in them; a life of sanctification is from him; and a life of justification is upon him, and of faith is by him; all the comforts of a spiritual life, and all things appertaining to it, are from him, and he maintains, and preserves it. Eternal life is in him, and with him; not the purpose of it only, nor the promise of it barely, but the gift of it itself; which was granted in consequence of his asking it, and which he had by way of stipulation; and hence has a right and power to bestow it: now, this being in him proves him to be the true God, and shows us where life is to be had, and the safety and security of it:
and the life was the light of men; the life which was in, and by the word, was, with respect to men, a life of light, or a life attended with light: by which is meant, not a mere visive faculty, receptive of the sun's light, but rational knowledge and understanding; for when Christ, the word, breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul, he filled him with rational light and knowledge. Adam had a knowledge of God; of his being, and perfections; of the persons in the Trinity; of his relation to God, dependence on him, and obligation to him; of his mind and will; and knew what it was to have communion with him. He knew much of himself, and of all the creatures; this knowledge was natural and perfect in its kind, but loseable; and different from that which saints now have of God, through Christ, the Mediator; and since this natural light was from Christ, the word, as a Creator, he must be the eternal God. The Socinians are not willing to allow this sense, but say that Christ is the light of men, by preaching the heavenly doctrine, and by the example of his holy life; but hereby he did not enlighten every man that cometh into the world; the greatest part of men, before the preaching, and example of Christ, sat in darkness; and the greatest part of the Jews remained in darkness, notwithstanding his preaching, and example; and the patriarchs that were enlightened under the former dispensation, were not enlightened this way: it will be owned, that all spiritual and supernatural light, which any of the sons of men have had, since the fall, was from Christ, from whom they had their spiritual life; even all spiritual light in conversion, and all after degrees of light; through him they enjoyed the light of God's countenance, and had the light of joy and gladness here, and of glory hereafter.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
In him was life - The evangelist had just affirmed John 5:3 that by the λόγος Logos or “Word” the world was originally created. One part of that creation consisted “in breathing into man the breath of life,” Genesis 2:7. God is declared to be “life,” or the “living” God, because he is the source or fountain of life. This attribute is here ascribed to Jesus Christ. He not merely made the material worlds, but he also gave “life.” He was the agent by which the vegetable world became animated; by which brutes live; and by which man became a living soul, or was endowed with immortality. This was a “higher” proof that the “Word was God,” than the creation of the material worlds; but there is another sense in which he was “life.” The “new creation,” or the renovation of man and his restoration from a state of sin, is often compared with the “first creation;” and as the λόγος Logos was the source of “life” then, so, in a similar but higher sense, he is the source of “life” to the soul dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:1. And it is probably in reference to this that he is so often called “life” in the writings of John. “For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in him self,” John 5:26; “He giveth life unto the world,” John 6:33; “I am the resurrection and the life,” John 11:25; “This is the true God and eternal life,” John 5:20. See also 1 John 1:1-2; 1 John 5:11; Acts 3:15; Colossians 3:4. The meaning is: that he is the source or the fountain of both natural and spiritual life. Of course he has the attributes of God.
The life was the light of men - “Light” is that by which we see objects distinctly. The light of the sun enables us to discern the form, the distance, the magnitude, and the relation of objects, and prevents the perplexities and dangers which result from a state of darkness. Light is in all languages, therefore, put for “knowledge” - for whatever enables us to discern our duty, and that saves us from the evils of ignorance and error. “Whatsoever doth make manifest is light,” Ephesians 5:13. See Isaiah 8:20; Isaiah 9:2. The Messiah was predicted as the “light” of the world, Isaiah 9:2, compared with Matthew 4:15-16; Isaiah 60:1. See John 8:12; “I am the light of the world;” John 12:35-36, John 12:46; “I am come a light into the world.” The meaning is, that the λόγος Logos or Word of God is the “instructor or teacher” of mankind. This was done before his advent by his direct agency in giving man reason or understanding, and in giving his law, for the “law was ordained by angels ‘in the hand of a mediator’” Galatians 3:19; after his advent by his personal ministry when on earth, by his Spirit John 14:16, John 14:26, and by his ministers since, Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse John 1:4. In him was life — Many MSS., versions, and fathers, connect this with the preceding verse, thus: All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made. What was made had life in it; but THIS LIFE was the light of men. That is, though every thing he made had a principle of life in it, whether vegetable, animal, or intellectual, yet this, that life or animal principle in the human being, was not the light of men; not that light which could guide them to heaven, for the world by wisdom knew not God, 1 Corinthians 1:21. Therefore, the expression, in him was life, is not to be understood of life natural, but of that life eternal which he revealed to the world, 2 Timothy 1:10, to which he taught the way, John 14:6, which he promised to believers, John 10:28, which he purchased for them, John 6:51; John 6:53-54, which he is appointed to give them, John 17:2, and to which he will raise them up, John 5:29, because he hath the life in himself, John 5:26. All this may be proved:
1. From the like expressions; 2 John 1:5:11, This is the promise that God hath given unto us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son: whence he is styled the true God and eternal life, 1 John 5:20; the resurrection and the life, John 11:25; the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6.
2. From these words, John 1:7, John came to bear witness of this light, that all might believe through him, viz. to eternal life, 1 Timothy 1:16; for so John witnesseth, John 3:15; John 3:36.
And hence it follows that this life must be the light of men, by giving them the knowledge of this life, and of the way leading to it. See Whitby on the place. Is there any reference here to Genesis 3:20: And Adam called his wife's name Eve, חוה chava, ζωη, LIFE, because she was the mother of all living? And was not Jesus that seed of the woman that was to bruise the head of the serpent, and to give life to the world?
