JHN 8:12-29

Jesus the Light of the World

12Therefore Jesus spoke to them again, saying: "I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."

13Therefore the Pharisees said to him, "You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not valid."

14Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

15You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

16But even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me.

17And in your own law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.

18I am the one testifying about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me."

19Therefore they were saying to him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also."

20These words he spoke in the treasury, while teaching in the temple. And no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

21Therefore he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."

22Therefore the Jews were saying, "Will he kill himself? Because he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'?"

23And he said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.

24Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

25Therefore they were saying to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Essentially what I have been telling you from the beginning.

26I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but the one who sent me is truthful, and what I heard from him, these things I speak to the world."

27They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.

28Therefore Jesus said to them: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing from myself, but as the Father taught me, so I speak these things.

29And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to him."

In the world it was spoken into

In 1st-century Jewish thought, light was a powerful metaphor for divine presence, truth, and guidance, rooted in texts like Psalm 27:1 and Isaiah 9:2. For Jesus to declare Himself 'the light of the world' would have been heard as a claim to divine authority, echoing Yahweh’s self-revelation in Exodus 3:14 with the ' ' formula. The Pharisees, steeped in Torah and oral tradition, would have recognized this as a bold assertion of messianic identity, challenging their authority and understanding of God’s covenant. Their accusation that Jesus’ self-testimony was invalid reflects Jewish legal principles requiring multiple witnesses for testimony to be credible (Deuteronomy 19:15). Jesus’ response, emphasizing His divine origin and destiny, contrasts their 'fleshly' judgment with His transcendent perspective. The mention of being 'lifted up' would have carried both the literal meaning of crucifixion and the theological implication of exaltation, a duality familiar to Jewish audiences from texts like Isaiah 52:13.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

JHN 8:12

KJV: 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.
BSB: Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Koinōnos: Therefore Jesus spoke to them again, saying: "I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.

JHN 8:13

KJV: The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
BSB: So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”
Koinōnos: Therefore the Pharisees said to him, "You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not valid.

JHN 8:14

KJV: Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.
BSB: Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going.
Koinōnos: Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.

JHN 8:15

KJV: Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
BSB: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
Koinōnos: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

JHN 8:16

KJV: And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.
BSB: But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me.
Koinōnos: But even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me.

JHN 8:17

KJV: It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.
BSB: Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.
Koinōnos: And in your own law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.

JHN 8:18

KJV: I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.
BSB: I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”
Koinōnos: I am the one testifying about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.

JHN 8:19

KJV: Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
BSB: “Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”
Koinōnos: Therefore they were saying to him, "Where is your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.

JHN 8:20

KJV: These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.
BSB: He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
Koinōnos: These words he spoke in the treasury, while teaching in the temple. And no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

JHN 8:21

KJV: Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
BSB: Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
Koinōnos: Therefore he said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.

JHN 8:22

KJV: Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
BSB: So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
Koinōnos: Therefore the Jews were saying, "Will he kill himself? Because he says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'?

JHN 8:23

KJV: And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
BSB: Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
Koinōnos: And he said to them, "You are from below; I am from above. You are from this world; I am not from this world.

JHN 8:24

KJV: I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
BSB: That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
Koinōnos: Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

JHN 8:25

KJV: Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
BSB: “Who are You?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied.
Koinōnos: Therefore they were saying to him, "Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "Essentially what I have been telling you from the beginning.

JHN 8:26

KJV: I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
BSB: “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”
Koinōnos: I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but the one who sent me is truthful, and what I heard from him, these things I speak to the world.

JHN 8:27

KJV: They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
BSB: They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father.
Koinōnos: They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.

JHN 8:28

KJV: Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
BSB: So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me.
Koinōnos: Therefore Jesus said to them: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing from myself, but as the Father taught me, so I speak these things.

JHN 8:29

KJV: And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
BSB: He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”
Koinōnos: And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do the things that are pleasing to him.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Where the historical framing draws from

Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.1.2
Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3

›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.1.2

“The Jews had for a great while had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves; the sect of the Essens, and the sect of the Sadducees, and the third sort of opinions was that of those called Pharisees”

Cited to ground: The Pharisees, steeped in Torah and oral tradition, would have recognized this as a bold assertion of messianic identity, challenging their authority and understanding of God’s covenant.

›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3

“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him”

Cited to ground: The mention of being 'lifted up' would have carried both the literal meaning of crucifixion and the theological implication of exaltation

Translator's notes

JHN 8:12

world.:The word translated 'world' here refers to the created order, the universe, and also humanity as a whole, often with the connotation of humanity in rebellion against God.

JHN 8:15

flesh:The term translated 'flesh' often refers to the physical body, but in this context, it carries the broader sense of human nature apart from divine influence, often implying weakness or sinfulness.

JHN 8:24

am [He],:The phrase 'I am' here is a significant declaration, echoing the divine name revealed to Moses in the Old Testament, emphasizing Jesus's eternal existence and divine identity.

JHN 8:28

When:The word translated 'lift up' can refer to physical elevation, but in this context, it carries a double meaning, alluding both to Jesus's crucifixion and his subsequent exaltation and glorification.