God & Savior

John 1:4-5

4In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:4-5
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Study notes

Verse 5

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

Explanation

John describes the Word as the source of life and light (1:4). Darkness pictures evil and ignorance of God. The Greek verb can mean "grasp" in the sense of understand or in the sense of overcome; the BSB translates it "overcome".

Original language
  • φῶς (phōs): light
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · Strong's G5457 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Light.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 1:5, word 3

  • σκοτίᾳ (skotia): darkness
    Greek · Noun, dative, singular, feminine · Strong's G4653 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Darkness.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 1:5, word 6

  • φαίνει (phainei): to shine/appear
    Greek · Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G5316 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Shines: keeps on shining.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 1:5, word 7

  • κατέλαβεν (katelaben): to grasp
    Greek · Verb, 2nd aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G2638 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Grasped, seized, overcame.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 1:5, word 13

Cross-references
  • John 1:4 · Surrounding passage

    In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

  • John 8:12 · Same theme

    I am the light of the world.

  • Isaiah 9:2 · Background

    The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 4

Original language (Greek)

ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων,

  1. ἐνen“In”
    Preposition · “in/on/among” · Strong's G1722
  2. αὐτῷautō“Him”
    Personal pronoun, dative, singular, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  3. ζωὴzōē“life”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · from ζωή · “life” · Strong's G2222
  4. ἦν,ēn“was,”
    Verb, imperfect, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  5. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  6. ἡhē“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  7. ζωὴzōē“life”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · from ζωή · “life” · Strong's G2222
  8. ἦνēn“was”
    Verb, imperfect, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from εἰμί · “to be” · Strong's G1510
  9. τὸto“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  10. φῶςphōs“light”
    Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · “light” · Strong's G5457
  11. τῶνtōn“<the>”
    Article, genitive, plural, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  12. ἀνθρώπων,anthrōpōn“of men,”
    Noun, genitive, plural, masculine · from ἄνθρωπος · “a human” · Strong's G0444

Verse 5

Original language (Greek)

καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.

  1. καὶkai“And”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  2. τὸto“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  3. φῶςphōs“Light”
    Noun, nominative, singular, neuter · “light” · Strong's G5457
  4. ἐνen“in”
    Preposition · “in/on/among” · Strong's G1722
  5. τῇtēa“the”
    Article, dative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  6. σκοτίᾳskotia“darkness”
    Noun, dative, singular, feminine · from σκοτία · “darkness” · Strong's G4653
  7. φαίνει,phainei“shines,”
    Verb, present, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from φαίνω · “to shine/appear” · Strong's G5316
  8. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  9. ἡhē“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  10. σκοτίαskotia“darkness”
    Noun, nominative, singular, feminine · “darkness” · Strong's G4653
  11. αὐτὸauto“it”
    Personal pronoun, accusative, singular, neuter · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  12. οὐou“not”
    Particle, negative · “no” · Strong's G3756
  13. κατέλαβεν.katelaben“grasped [it].”
    Verb, 2nd aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from καταλαμβάνω · “to grasp” · Strong's G2638
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)