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Selected Verse: John 3:19 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Joh 3:19 |
King James |
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
this is the condemnation, &c.--emphatically so, revealing the condemnation already existing, and sealing up under it those who will not be delivered from it.
light is come into the world--in the Person of Him to whom Nicodemus was listening.
loved darkness, &c.--This can only be known by the deliberate rejection of Christ, but that does fearfully reveal it. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
This is the condemnation - This is the cause of condemnation; or this is the reason why men are punished.
That light is come - Light often denotes instruction, teaching, doctrine, as that by which we see clearly the path of duty. all the instruction that God gives us by conscience, reason, or revelation may thus be called light; but this word is used especially to denote the Messiah or the Christ, who is often spoken of as "the light." See Isa 60:1; Isa 9:2. Compare Mat 4:16; also the notes at Joh 1:4. It was doubtless this light to which Jesus had particular reference here.
Men loved darkness - Darkness is the emblem of ignorance, iniquity, error, superstition - whatever is opposite to truth and piety. Men are said to love darkness more than they do light when they are better pleased with error than truth, with sin than holiness, with Belial than Christ.
Because their deeds are evil - Men who commit crime commonly choose to do it in the night, so as to escape detection. So men who are wicked prefer false doctrine and error to the truth. Thus the Pharisees cloaked their crimes under the errors of their system; and, amid their false doctrines and superstitions, they attempted to convince others that they had great zeal for God.
Deeds - Works; actions. |
The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917] |
world
Greek, "kosmos", means "mankind".
(See Scofield) - (Mat 4:8). |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
This
That is, herein consists the judgment. The prefacing a statement with this is, and then defining the statement by ὅτι or ἵνα, that, is characteristic of John. See Joh 15:12; Joh 17:3; Jo1 1:5; Jo1 5:11, Jo1 5:14; Jo3 1:6.
Light (τὸ φῶς)
Rev., correctly, the light. See Joh 1:4, Joh 1:9.
Men (οἱ ἄνθρωποι)
Literally, the men. Regarded as a class.
Darkness (τὸ σκότος)
See on Joh 1:5. Rev., correctly, the darkness. John employs this word only here and Jo1 1:6. His usual term is σκοτία (Joh 1:5; Joh 8:12; Jo1 1:5, etc.), more commonly describing a state of darkness, than darkness as opposed to light.
Were (ἦν)
Habitually. The imperfect tense marking continuation.
Evil (πονηρὰ)
Actively evil. See on Mar 7:22; see on Luk 3:19. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
This is the condemnation - That is, the cause of it. So God is clear. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
This is the condemnation - That is, this is the reason why any shall be found finally to perish, not that they came into the world with a perverted and corrupt nature, which is true; nor that they lived many years in the practice of sin, which is also true; but because they refused to receive the salvation which God sent to them.
Light is come - That is, Jesus, the Sun of righteousness, the fountain of light and life; diffusing his benign influences every where, and favoring men with a clear and full revelation of the Divine will.
Men loved darkness - Have preferred sin to holiness, Belial to Christ, and hell to heaven. חשך chashac, darkness, is frequently used by the Jewish writers for the angel of death, and for the devil. See many examples in Schoettgen.
Because their deeds were evil - An allusion to robbers and cut-throats, who practice their abominations in the night season, for fear of being detected. The sun is a common blessing to the human race - it shines to all, envies none, and calls all to necessary labor. If any one choose rather to sleep by day, that he may rob and murder in the night season, he does this to his own peril, and has no excuse: - his punishment is the necessary consequence of his own unconstrained actions. So will the punishment of ungodly men be. There was light - they refused to walk in it. They chose to walk in the darkness, that they might do the works of darkness - they broke the Divine law, refused the mercy offered to them, are arrested by Divine justice, convicted, condemned, and punished. Whence, then, does their damnation proceed? From Themselves. |
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
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.
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
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.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.