Ἰωάννην 5:35

Greek Modern Translation

Εκεινος ητο ο λυχνος ο καιομενος και φεγγων, και σεις ηθελησατε να αγαλλιασθητε προς ωραν εις το φως αυτου.

Parallel Translations

Byzantine/Majority Text
εκεινος ην ο λυχνος ο καιομενος και φαινων υμεις δε ηθελησατε αγαλλιαθηναι προς ωραν εν τω φωτι αυτου

SBL Greek New Testament (2010)
ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠθελήσατε ἀγαλλιαθῆναι πρὸς ὥραν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ·

Tischendorf 8th Edition
ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠθελήσατε ἀγαλλιαθῆναι πρὸς ὥραν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ.

Textus Receptus (1550/1894)
εκεινος ην ο λυχνος ο καιομενος και φαινων υμεις δε ηθελησατε αγαλλιασθηναι προς ωραν εν τω φωτι αυτου

Westcott/Hort UBS4 (1881)
εκεινος ην ο λυχνος ο καιομενος και φαινων υμεις δε ηθελησατε αγαλλιαθηναι προς ωραν εν τω φωτι αυτου

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

was: John 1:7, John 1:8, Matthew 11:11, Luke 1:15-17, Luke 1:76, Luke 1:77, Luke 7:28, 2 Peter 1:19

and ye: John 6:66, Ezekiel 33:31, Matthew 3:5-7, Matthew 11:7-9, Matthew 13:20, Matthew 13:21, Matthew 21:26, Mark 6:20, Galatians 4:15, Galatians 4:16

Reciprocal: Exodus 27:21 - Aaron Exodus 34:35 - General Leviticus 24:2 - the lamps 2 Samuel 21:17 - quench 1 Kings 18:39 - The Lord Isaiah 58:2 - they seek Ezekiel 33:32 - of one Matthew 5:14 - the light Mark 4:16 - which Luke 7:26 - General Luke 8:13 - receive Luke 8:40 - the people John 12:17 - bare Philippians 2:15 - ye shine Revelation 2:1 - holdeth

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He was a burning and a shining light,.... He was not that light, the famous light, the Messiah, the sun of righteousness; yet he was the "phosphorus", the forerunner of that light, and was himself a very great one: he had much light himself into the person and office of the Messiah; in the doctrines of faith in Christ, and repentance towards God; in the Gospel dispensation, and in the abolition of the Mosaic economy; and gave great light to others, in the business of salvation, and remission of sins, and was the means of guiding the feet of many in the way of peace. His light of pure doctrine, and of an holy and exemplary conversation, shone very visibly, and brightly before men; and he burned with strong love and affection for Christ, and the souls of men; and with flaming zeal for the honour of God, and true religion, and against all sin and profaneness, which he was a faithful reprover of, and for which he lost his life. It was common with the Jews to call their doctors, who were famous for their knowledge, and holiness of life, lights, burning lights, and shining lights; or in words which amount to the same. So R. Simeon ben Jochai is often called in the book of Zohar,

בוצינא קדישא, "the holy light"; and particularly it is said of him m,

"R. Simeon, כבוצינא דשרגא דאדליק, is as "the lamp of light which burns above", and "burns" below; and by the light which burns below all the children of the world are enlightened: woe to the world, when the light below ascends to the light above.''

So R. Abhu is called בוצינא דנהורא, "the lamp of light" n: and it is o said of Shuah, Judah's father-in-law, that he was דאתרא

בוצינא, "the light of the place"; that is, where he lived. The gloss on the place says, he was a man of note in the city, and enlightened their eyes; and it is very frequent with them still, when they are praising any of their doctors, to say of him, he was המאור הגדול, "a great light", who enlightened the eyes of Israel, and in whose light the people walked p; so among the philosophers, Xenophon, and Plato, are called duo lumina q, "two lights"; :-;

and ye were willing for a season, or "for an hour",

to rejoice in his light; or "to glory in it", or "boast of" it, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it. When John first appeared among them, they were fond, and even proud of him; they gloried in him, that a man of such uncommon endowments, and of such exemplary holiness, was raised up among them; and hoped that he was the Messiah, or Elias, that was to come before him; and pleased themselves, that times of great outward honour and prosperity were hastening: wherefore they flocked about him, and many of the Pharisees and Sadducees attended his ministry, and would have been baptized by him; but when they found that he was not the Messiah, nor Elias, nor that prophet, but bore a testimony to Jesus of Nazareth, that he was the Messiah; and ran counter to their notions of a temporal kingdom, and of birth privileges, and their own righteousness; and threatened them with ruin, and destruction, both in this world, and that which is to come, in case of their impenitence and unbelief; they grew sick of him, and said he had a devil, and rejected the counsel of God he declared, and despised his baptism. Such was their fickleness and inconstancy, which Christ here tacitly charges them with. They were like the stony ground hearers, and like some of the Apostle Paul's admirers among the Galatians, who at first could have plucked out their eyes for him, but afterwards became his enemies for telling them the truth.

m Zohar in Exod. fol. 79. 1. n T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 17. 1. o Bereshit Rabba, sect. 85. fol. 74. 4. & Mattanot Cehunah in ib. p Vid. R. David Ganz Tzemach David, par. 1. fol. 38. 1. 41. 1. 44. 2. 45. 1. 46. 2. & 47. 1. q A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 14. c. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He was - It is probable that John had been cast into prison before this. Hence, his public ministry had ceased, and our Saviour says he was such a light.

Light - The word in the original properly means a “lamp,” and is not the same which in John 1:4-5 is translated “light.” That is a word commonly applied to the sun, the fountain of light; this means a lamp, or a light that is lit up or kindled artificially from oil or tallow. A teacher is often called a “light,” because he guides or illuminates the minds of others. Romans 2:19; “thou art confident that thou art a guide of the blind, a light of them that sit in darkness;” John 8:12; John 12:46; Matthew 5:14.

A burning - A lamp lit up that burns with a steady luster.

Shining - Not dim, not indistinct. The expression means that he was an eminent teacher; that his doctrines were clear, distinct, consistent.

Ye were willing - You willed, or you chose; you went out voluntarily. This shows that some of those whom Jesus was now addressing were among the great multitudes of Pharisees that came unto John in the wilderness, Matthew 3:7. As they had at one time admitted John to be a prophet, so Jesus might with great propriety adduce his testimony in his favor.

For a season - In the original, for an “hour” - denoting only a short time. They did it, as many others do, while he was popular, and it was the “fashion” to follow him.

To rejoice in his light - To rejoice in his doctrines, and in admitting that he was a distinguished prophet; perhaps, also, to rejoice that he professed to be sent to introduce the Messiah, until they found that he bore testimony to Jesus of Nazareth.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 35. He was a burning and a shining light — Ην ὁ λυχνος ὁ καιομενος και φαινων, should be translated, He was a burning and a shining LAMP. He was not το φως του κοσμου, the light of the world, i.e. the sun; but he was ο λυχνος, a lamp, to give a clear and steady light till the sun should arise. It is supposed that John had been cast into prison about four months before this time. John 4:35. As his light continued no longer to shine, our Lord says he WAS.

The expression of lamp our Lord took from the ordinary custom of the Jews, who termed their eminent doctors the lamps of Israel. A lighted candle is a proper emblem of a minister of God; and, Alteri serviens consumor - "In serving others, I myself destroy:" - a proper motto. There are few who preach the Gospel faithfully that do not lose their lives by it. Burning may refer to the zeal with which John executed his message; and shining may refer to the clearness of the testimony which he bore concerning Christ. Only to shine is but vanity; and to burn without shining will never edify the Church of God. Some shine, and some burn, but few both shine and burn; and many there are who are denominated pastors, who neither shine nor burn. He who wishes to save souls must both burn and shine: the clear light of the knowledge of the sacred records must fill his understanding; and the holy flame of loving zeal must occupy his heart. Zeal without knowledge is continually blundering; and knowledge without zeal makes no converts to Christ.

For a season — The time between his beginning to preach and his being cast into prison.

To rejoice — αγαλλιασθηναι, To jump for joy, as we would express it. They were exceedingly rejoiced to hear that the Messiah was come, because they expected him to deliver them out of the hands of the Romans; but when a spiritual deliverance, of infinitely greater moment was preached to them, they rejected both it and the light which made it manifest.