Joh 1:9-11 | RWP | e4.org | There was ( ην ). Imperfect indicative. Emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence and so probably not periphrastic conjugation with ερχομενον (coming) near the end, though that is possible. The true light ( το φως το αληθινον ). "The light the genuine," not a false light of wreckers of ships, but the dependable light that guides to the harbor of safety. This true light had been on hand all the time in the darkness ( ην imperfect, linear action) before John came. Even the light (not in the Greek). Added in the English to make plain this interpretation. Lighteth every man ( φωτιζε παντα ανθρωπον ). Old verb (from φως ) to give light as in ; . The Quakers appeal to this phrase for their belief that to every man there is given an inner light that is a sufficient guide, the Quaker's text it is called. But it may only mean that all the real light that men receive comes from Christ, not necessarily that each one receives a special revelation. Coming ( ερχομενον ). This present middle participle of ερχομα can be taken with ανθρωπον just before (accusative masculine singular), "every man as he comes into the world." It can also be construed with φως (nominative neuter singular). This idea occurs in ; ; . In the two last passages the phrase is used of the Messiah which makes it probable here. But even so the light presented in ; is that of the Incarnate Messiah, not the Pre-incarnate Logos. Here κοσμος rather than παντα occurs in the sense of the orderly universe as often in this Gospel. See .

‏ John 1:9-11

There was ( ην ). Imperfect indicative. Emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence and so probably not periphrastic conjugation with ερχομενον (coming) near the end, though that is possible.

The true light ( το φως το αληθινον ). "The light the genuine," not a false light of wreckers of ships, but the dependable light that guides to the harbor of safety. This true light had been on hand all the time in the darkness ( ην imperfect, linear action) before John came.

Even the light (not in the Greek). Added in the English to make plain this interpretation.

Lighteth every man ( φωτιζε παντα ανθρωπον ). Old verb (from φως ) to give light as in Re 22:5; Lu 11:35f. The Quakers appeal to this phrase for their belief that to every man there is given an inner light that is a sufficient guide, the Quaker's text it is called. But it may only mean that all the real light that men receive comes from Christ, not necessarily that each one receives a special revelation.

Coming ( ερχομενον ). This present middle participle of ερχομα can be taken with ανθρωπον just before (accusative masculine singular), "every man as he comes into the world." It can also be construed with φως (nominative neuter singular). This idea occurs in Joh 3:19; 11:27; 12:46. In the two last passages the phrase is used of the Messiah which makes it probable here. But even so the light presented in 11:27; 12:46 is that of the Incarnate Messiah, not the Pre-incarnate Logos. Here κοσμος rather than παντα occurs in the sense of the orderly universe as often in this Gospel. See Eph 1:4.

He was in the world ( εν τω κοσμω ην ). Imperfect tense of continuous existence in the universe before the Incarnation as in verses 1, 2.

Was made by him ( δι' αυτου εγενετο ). "Through him." Same statement here of "the world" ( ο κοσμος ) as that made in verse 3 of παντα.

Knew him not ( αυτον ουκ εγνω ). Second aorist active indicative of common verb γινοσκω, what Gildersleeve called a negative aorist, refused or failed to recognize him, his world that he had created and that was held together by him (Col 1:16). Not only did the world fail to know the Pre-incarnate Logos, but it failed to recognize him when he became Incarnate (Joh 1:26). Two examples in this sentence of John's fondness for κα as in verses 1, 4, 5, 14, the paratactic rather than the hypotactic construction, like the common Hebrew use of wav.

Unto his own ( εις τα ιδια ). Neuter plural, "unto his own things," the very idiom used in 19:27 when the Beloved Disciple took the mother of Jesus "to his own home." The world was "the own home" of the Logos who had made it. See also 16:32; Ac 21:6.

They that were his own ( ο ιδιο ). In the narrower sense, "his intimates," "his own family," "his own friends" as in 13:1. Jesus later said that a prophet is not without honour save in his own country (Mr 6:4; Joh 4:44), and the town of Nazareth where he lived rejected him (Lu 4:28f.; Mt 13:58). Probably here ο ιδιο means the Jewish people, the chosen people to whom Christ was sent first (Mt 15:24), but in a wider sense the whole world is included in ο ιδιο. Conder's The Hebrew Tragedy emphasizes the pathos of the situation that the house of Israel refused to welcome the Messiah when he did come, like a larger and sadder Enoch Arden experience.

Received him not ( αυτον ου παρελαβον ). Second aorist active indicative of παραλαμβανω, old verb to take to one's side, common verb to welcome, the very verb used by Jesus in 14:3 of the welcome to his Father's house. Cf. κατελαβεν in verse 5. Israel slew the Heir (Heb 1:2) when he came, like the wicked husbandmen (Lu 20:14).