Translation commentary on John 8:12

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again may be more literally rendered “therefore Jesus spoke to them again saying.” “Therefore” represents a transitional particle (oun), and the participle “saying” after the finite verb “to speak,” indicates that direct discourse is to follow. Good News Translation specifically identifies the persons referred to by the pronoun “they” (the Pharisees), since a new section begins here.

The locale and the persons to whom Jesus is speaking are both vague, though in verse 20 we learn that Jesus said all this as he taught in the Temple, in the room where the offering boxes were placed. The last time Jesus was indicated as speaking was in 7.38 (considering, of course, that 8.1-11 is completely parenthetical). There he was apparently addressing the crowds who had come to the Temple for the feast. However, the crowd which was mentioned some eight times in Chapter 7 is not mentioned at all in Chapter 8. So it is possible that the present discourse is addressed to the Pharisees, the last group mentioned (7.47). They are mentioned again in the following verse, but the translations which make the pronominal reference of “them” explicit generally supply “the people” (so Phillips, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible).

The I am statement of Jesus is here followed by a predicate, the light of the world. (On the use of I am in the Gospel of John, see comments at 4.26.) I am the light of the world is often rendered “I am the one who gives light to people in the world” or “I am the one who causes light for people of the world.” It is important to avoid a translation which would equate Jesus with the sun. Unfortunately, such a thing has happened in some literal translations of this passage.

Whoever follows me must be understood in the sense of “whoever becomes my disciple.” It is often expressed more clearly in some languages as “if anyone becomes my adherent” or “… joins himself with me.”

The light of life means “the light that gives life” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the light that leads to life”). In some languages the light of life may be rendered “the light that causes people to really live” or “the light that shows people how they may live.”

In Greek the negative statement will never walk in darkness precedes the positive statement will have the light of life; but for English style it is more natural to state the positive first and then the negative. (On the meaning of light and darkness see 1.4-5.) Will never walk in darkness may be rendered in some languages “will never walk where it is dark” or even “will never walk in places where they cannot see.” Some translators want to express will never walk in darkness as “will never live in ignorance” or “… in ignorance of what God wants them to do.” However, this is not really the meaning of the contrast between light and darkness in this special biblical sense. It is not advisable to change completely these figurative meanings, based upon such pervasive usage as the contrast between light and darkness suggested in the biblical message.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 8:12

Section 8:12–20

Jesus is the light of the world

In this section Jesus returned to teaching in the temple during the festival of Booths. He declared that he was the light of the world. The Pharisees said that what Jesus said was not valid because he testified about himself. Jesus said that his testimony was valid because he knew where he came from and where he was going. And he said that his Father testified about him too, but they did not know either him or his Father.

Here are some other examples of headings for this section:

Jesus said that he was light for the world
-or-
Jesus’ testimony that he was the light of the world was valid

Paragraph 8:12

Jesus said he was the light of the world. He declared that those who follow him will always live in the light.

8:12a

Once again, Jesus spoke to the people: This passage probably originally followed 7:52. See the note on Section 7:53–8:11. In chapter 7, Jesus taught in the temple during the festival of Booths. Now he again addressed the people gathered there in the temple.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

When Jesus spoke to the people again, he said (New Jerusalem Bible)

to the people: This phrase probably refers to the people who had gathered for the festival. Some think that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees here because they respond in the next verse (see Good News Translation). However, Jesus spoke to the people in chapter 7, not just the Pharisees. So the phrase “Once again” suggests that he again spoke to the people. If possible, use a pronoun because it is not clear who he spoke to here. However, in some languages it may be necessary to make it more explicit. For example:

to the people (New International Version)

8:12b

I am the light of the world: The phrase light of the world means that the light is for the benefit of the world. This phrase is a metaphor. Jesus compared himself to light. Just as light makes it possible to see physical objects, so Jesus makes it possible to see or understand God and spiritual things.

If the meaning of this metaphor is not clear in your language, here are other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

I am like the light which shines for the world

• Use a metaphor or simile and make clear how Jesus was like the light of the world. For example:

I am the light which gives light ⌊to the minds of people⌋ in the world
-or-
I am like a light ⌊which shines in the minds of people, and gives them understanding⌋

Refer to your translation of light in 1:4–5, 7–9. For the Old Testament background of this metaphor, see Psalms 27:1, 36:9, 119:105.

the light: When Jesus said that he was the light for the whole world, he meant that he was unique. Jesus said that he was the light, not just a light, not one among many lights. He was the only true source of the knowledge of God. In your translation, try to maintain this emphasis.

the world: The phrase the world refers to the people in the world. Jesus is the light for all people all over the world. In some languages it is more natural to make this more explicit. For example:

to people in the whole world
-or-
for all people everywhere

8:12c

Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness: The pronoun Whoever refers to anyone and everyone who trusts and obeys Jesus. It is possible to use a singular or plural form. For example:

The one who follows me (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
All/Those who follow me

follows Me: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as follows means “to go with someone, to go along behind them.” Figuratively it began to mean “to go with someone as their disciple, which means one learns from him and obeys him.” See John 1:43.

will never walk in the darkness: The verb phrase walk in the darkness is a metaphor that means to live in sin and not know God. People who follow Jesus will always have God in their lives, so they will never walk in darkness. For example:

will never live in darkness (New Century Version)
-or-
will never live in the dark (God’s Word)

in the darkness: Here, darkness is a metaphor which means “evil” or “the absence of God and all that is good.” See the note on this word at 1:5a. In some languages a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. However, it is important to use the idea of darkness because it is an important idea in the Bible.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

they will never live like people who are in the dark

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make the meaning explicit. For example:

will never be like those who are in darkness ⌊who do not know God⌋

8:12d

but will have the light of life: The Greek conjunction that Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (8:12c) to a positive statement (8:12d). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Here it emphasizes that Jesus’ followers will have the light that leads to true life, eternal life. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis.

Here are some ways to indicate the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

The one who follows me, he does not walk in darkness. Rather/Instead he has in him the light which gives life.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

Follow me, and you won’t be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life. (Contemporary English Version)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness. (Good News Translation)

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

the light of life: This phrase is a metaphor that refers to the light that produces true life. This light was Jesus himself. Jesus makes it possible for people to know God and so to have true life, eternal life. It is important to use the idea of light because it is an important idea in the Bible.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

the light that leads to life (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the light that gives life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
my light which shows them how to have eternal life (Translation for Translators)

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.