John 1:5

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And, the light, in the darkness, shineth; and, the darkness, thereof, laid not hold.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and the lyght shyneth in the darcknes but the darcknes comprehended it not.

Hebrew Names Version
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.

International Standard Version
And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.understood it">[fn]John 3:19;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

New Century Version
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.

Update Bible Version
And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness did not apprehend it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

English Standard Version
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

World English Bible
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness perceived it not.

Weymouth's New Testament
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and derknessis comprehendiden not it.

English Revised Version
And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

Berean Standard Bible
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Contemporary English Version
The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out.

Amplified Bible
The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it].

American Standard Version
And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

Bible in Basic English
And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.

Complete Jewish Bible
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it.

Darby Translation
And the light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.

Etheridge Translation
and the Light himself in the darkness shineth, and the darkness perceived him not.

Murdock Translation
And this light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

King James Version (1611)
And the light shineth in darknesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not.

New Living Translation
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

New Life Bible
The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.

New Revised Standard
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And that light shineth in the darkenesse, and the darkenesse comprehended it not.

George Lamsa Translation
And the same light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Revised Standard Version
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the lyght shyneth in darkenesse: and the darknesse comprehended it not.

Good News Translation
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

Christian Standard Bible®
That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

King James Version
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Lexham English Bible
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Literal Translation
and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

Young's Literal Translation
and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and the light shyneth in the darknesse, and the darknesse comprehended it not.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and the Light shineth in darkness, but the darkness did not receive it.

New English Translation
And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.

New King James Version
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [fn] it.

Simplified Cowboy Version
This light that comes from the Word shines brightly in the darkness. No matter how dark it is, the light will prevail.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

Contextual Overview

⁵ And, the light, in the darkness, shineth; and, the darkness, thereof, laid not hold. ⁶ There arose a man, sent from God, whose name was, John: ⁷ The same, came, for a witness, That he might bear witness, concerning the light, that, all, might believe, through him. ⁸ He, was not the light, - but, that he might bear witness concerning the light, ⁹ It, was - The real light that enlighteneth every man - Coming into the world. ¹⁰ In the world, he was, and, the world, through him, came into existence, and, the world, knew him not. ¹¹ Into his own possessions, he came, and, his own people, received him not home. ¹² But, as many as did receive him, he gave, unto them, authority, children of God, to become, - unto them who were believing on his name: ¹³ Who - not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but - of God, were born. ¹⁴ And, the Word, became, flesh, and pitched his tent among us, and we gazed upon his glory, - a glory, as an Only-begotten from his Father. Full of favour and truth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

John 1:10, John 3:19, John 3:20, John 12:36-40, Job 24:13-17, Proverbs 1:22, Proverbs 1:29, Proverbs 1:30, Romans 1:28, 1 Corinthians 2:14

Reciprocal: Genesis 1:3 - Let Exodus 40:24 - General Zechariah 14:6 - not John 3:3 - he cannot John 12:35 - Walk John 12:46 - am Ephesians 5:8 - but 1 John 2:8 - and the

Cross-References

Genesis 1:8
And God called the expanse, heavens. So it was evening - and it was morning, a, second day.

Genesis 1:13
So it was evening - and it was morning, a third day.

Genesis 1:19
So it was evening - and it was morning, a fourth day.

Genesis 1:23
So it was evening - and it was morning, a fifth day.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing which he had made, and lo! it was very good. So it was evening - and it was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 8:22
During all the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease.

Psalms 19:2
Day, unto day, doth pour forth speech, and, night, unto night, doth breathe out knowledge.

Psalms 74:16
Thine, is the day, Yea, thine, the night, Thou, didst establish moon and sun;

Psalms 104:20
Thou causest darkness, and it becometh night, Therein, creepeth forth, Every wild beast of the forest;

Isaiah 45:7
Forming light and creating darkness, Making prosperity, and creating misfortune, - I - Yahweh, who doeth all these.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the light shineth in darkness,.... Which, through sin, came upon the minds of men; who are naturally in the dark about the nature and perfections of God; about sin, and the consequences of it; about Christ, and salvation by him; about the Spirit of God, and his work upon the soul; and about the Scriptures of truth, and the doctrines of the Gospel. Man was created a knowing creature, but, not content with his knowledge, sins, and is banished from the presence of God, the fountain of light; which brought a darkness on him, and his posterity, and which is increased in them by personal iniquity, and in which Satan, the god of this world, has an hand; and sometimes they are left to judicial blindness, and which issues in worse darkness, if grace prevents not: now amidst this darkness there were some remains of the light of nature: with respect to the being of God, which shines in the works of creation and providence and to the worship of God, though very dimly; and to the knowledge of moral good and evil:

and the darkness comprehended it not; or "perceived it not"; as the Syriac version renders it. By the light of nature, and the remains of it, men could not come to any clear and distinct knowledge of the above things; and much less to any knowledge of the true way of salvation: unless, rather by the light should be meant, the light of the Messiah, or of the Gospel shining in the figures, types, and shadows of the law, and in the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament: and yet, such was the darkness upon the minds of men, that they could not very distinctly apprehend it, and much less fully comprehend it, so that there was need of a fresh and fuller revelation; an account of which follows;

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The light shineth in darkness - Darkness, in the Bible, commonly denotes ignorance, guilt, or misery. See Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew 4:16; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:8, Ephesians 5:11; Romans 13:12. It refers here to a wicked and ignorant people. When it is said that “the light shineth in darkness,” it is meant that the Lord Jesus came to teach an ignorant, benighted, and wicked world. This has always been the case. It was so when he sent his prophets; so during his own ministry; and so in every age since. His efforts to enlighten and save men have been like light struggling to penetrate a thick, dense cloud; and though a few rays may pierce the gloom, yet the great mass is still an impenetrable shade.

Comprehended it not - This word means “admitted” it not, or “received” it not. The word “comprehend,” with us, means to “understand.” This is not the meaning of the original. The darkness did not “receive” or “admit” the rays of light; the shades were so thick that the light could not penetrate them; or, to drop the figure, men were so ignorant, so guilty, so debased, that they did not appreciate the value of his instructions; they despised and rejected him. And so it is still. The great mass of men, sunk in sin, will not receive his teachings, and be enlightened and saved by him. Sin always blinds the mind to the beauty and excellency of the character of the Lord Jesus. It indisposes the mind to receive his instructions, just as “darkness” has no affinity for “light;” and if the one exists, the other must be displaced.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 1:5. And the light shineth in darkness — By darkness here may be understood:

1. The heathen world, Ephesians 5:8.

2. The Jewish people.

3. The fallen spirit of man.

Comprehended it not. — αυτο ου κατελαβεν, Prevented it not-hindered it not, says Mr. Wakefield, who adds the following judicious note:-"Even in the midst of that darkness of ignorance and idolatry which overspread the world, this light of Divine wisdom was not totally eclipsed: the Jewish nation was a lamp perpetually shining to the surrounding nations; and many bright luminaries, among the heathen, were never wanting in just and worthy notions of the attributes and providence of God's wisdom; which enabled them to shine in some degree, though but as lights in a dark place, 2 Peter 1:19. Compare Acts 14:17; Acts 17:28-29."