The people complain that the anointed was, according to their law should remain with them for an age/lifetime (not "forever, see this article). but Jesus says that he is being lifted high. They ask "who is this son of man?"
John 12:35 Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
John 12:35 You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
Still, a little while the light is in you. Walk around while you have the light because you don't want darkness to overtake you. The one walking around in darkness does not know where he goes.
The son of the man is the light that is in us.
This verse is a less humorous version of John 11:9 and John 11:10, but, as an answer to the question about the "anointed" asking "who is the son of the man," it is clearly a bit of a tease. Since "light" and "darkness" are metaphors for knowledge and ignorance, he may be teasing his questioners for not understanding the phrase, "the son of the man."
The "light is with you" phrase of the KJV is actually "the light is in you." This is completely missing from the NIV, but most English translations use "with" or "among." The preposition is the same that Jesus uses later in the verse to mean "in the dark" and uses to express ideas such as "the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Though this word can mean "with," but only "with" an instrument. Jesus uses another Greek word to mean "with" people.
The Greek word translated as "come upon you" in the KVJ is better translated as "overtakes you" in the NIV, but it can also mean "takes you over." The special negative used gives it the sense of "you don't want the darkness to take you over ."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "with" should be something more like "in."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "lest" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "comes" should be something more like "takes."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "for" should be something more like "and."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "walk" is not an active verb but a participle, "walking."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "darkness" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "yet" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "in" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "You" is not the subject of the verb but the object of the preposition.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "are going to" indicates the future tense, but that is not the tense here.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "have" should be something more like "is."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "just" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "longer" doesn't exist in the source.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "before" should be something more like "because you do not want."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "whoever" should be something more like "the one."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "walk" is not an active verb but a participle, "walking."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "dark" is the same word translated as "darkness" above.
- WN - Wrong Number- The word "they" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
Yet -- Yet" is an adverb that means "yet" and "still", "already", "longer", "no longer" (with a negative), "still" and "besides".
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
little - "Little" is a word that means "small" and "little" applied to anything, size, power, age, quantity, rank, or influence. Christ usually uses it to refer to children. This is an accusative acting as an adverb limiting the time of the verb's action.
while - The word translated as "while" means "time," "time," "period," "date," "lifetime," "age," "season," "delay," and "tense." Jesus often uses in the general sense of "interval." This is an accusative acting as an adverb limiting the time of the verb's action.
is -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
with -- (WW) The word translated as "with" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
you. -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.
Walk -- "Walk" is a Greek verb that means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." Jesus uses it somewhat humorously in the sense that we use "parade."
while "-- The word translated as "until" means "until" but it also means "till," "while," "as long as," "in order that." With the particle of possibility and the subjunctive form of the verb, the sense is until some unknown time.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
lest- (CW) This is from two Greek words that mean "because you don't want." The word translated as "because" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." - The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought. With the verb "to be," the sense is "doesn't seem." When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. Here, it precedes "darkness."
darkness - "Darkness" is a noun that means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world,. It was used as the opposite the Greek word meaning judgment, opinion, purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance."
come - (WW) The Greek word translated as "come upon" in the "darkness come upon you" primarily means "to seize," and literally means "get down" or "take down," though it has a lot of other uses as well. It indicates the used of force much more strongly than "comes upon" indicates.
upon -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "down" or "over."
you: -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action.
for -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "for" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
walketh -- (WF) "Walk" is a Greek verb that means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." Jesus uses it somewhat humorously in the sense that we use "parade." This is a participle, not an active verb.
in - The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
darkness - "Darkness" is a noun that means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world,. It was used as the opposite the Greek word meaning judgment, opinion, purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance."
knoweth-- -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present. Since the past perfect of "see" forms the present tense of "know" the pluperfect tense used here, which indicates an action completed before some other action in the past, is used as the simple past tense, "knew."
not - The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
whither -- The word translated as "whither" means as a pronoun "where", "at what point," and [of manner] "how."
he-- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
goeth. -- "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
missing "yet" -- (MW) The untranslated word means "yet" and "still" with the present tense.
missing "in " -- (MW) The untranslated word "in," means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
You. -- (WF) The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed. It is not the subject of the verb.
are going to -- (WT) This helping verb "are going to" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.
have -- (WW) The verb "have" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
just -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "just" in the Greek source.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
little - "Little" is a word that means "small" and "little" applied to anything, size, power, age, quantity, rank, or influence. Christ usually uses it to refer to children. This is an accusative acting as an adverb limiting the time of the verb's action.
while - The word translated as "while" means "time," "time," "period," "date," "lifetime," "age," "season," "delay," and "tense." Jesus often uses in the general sense of "interval." This is an accusative acting as an adverb limiting the time of the verb's action.
longer. -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "longer" in the Greek source.
Walk -- "Walk" is a Greek verb that means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." Jesus uses it somewhat humorously in the sense that we use "parade."
while "-- The word translated as "until" means "until" but it also means "till," "while," "as long as," "in order that." With the particle of possibility and the subjunctive form of the verb, the sense is until some unknown time.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "hold in," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English. Nor does it has the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
before - (WW) This is from two Greek words that mean "beforet." The word translated as "because" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." - The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought. With the verb "to be," the sense is "doesn't seem." When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. Here, it precedes "darkness."
darkness - "Darkness" is a noun that means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world,. It was used as the opposite the Greek word meaning judgment, opinion, purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance."
overtakes - The Greek word translated as "overtakes in the "darkness come upon you" primarily means "to seize," and literally means "get down" or "take down," though it has a lot of other uses as well. It indicates the used of force much more strongly than "comes upon" indicates.
you: -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action.
missing "and" -- (MW) The untranslated word "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
Whoever -- (WW) The word translated as "whoever" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
walks -- (WF) "Walk" is a Greek verb that means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." Jesus uses it somewhat humorously in the sense that we use "parade." This is a participle, not an active verb.
in - The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
dark - (CW) "Dark" is a noun that means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world,. It was used as the opposite the Greek word meaning judgment, opinion, and purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance." This word was translated as "darkness" above.
does -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek
not - The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
know-- -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present. Since the past perfect of "see" forms the present tense of "know" the pluperfect tense used here, which indicates an action completed before some other action in the past, is used as the simple past tense, "knew."
where -- The word translated as "where" means as a pronoun "where", "at what point," and [of manner] "how."
they -- (WN) This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
are -- This helping verb indicates the present tense of the verb. It is used here to form the present, progressive tense, which doesn't exist in Greek but which can smooth the flow of English sentences.
going. -- "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart."
Ἔτι [18 verses](adv) "Yet" is eti, which means "yet" and "still" (with the Present), "already" (with the Past), "yet" and "longer" (with the Future), "no longer" (with a negative), and"still" and "besides" (of degree).
μικρὸν [13 verses](adj sg masc acc) "Little" is mikros, which means "small," "little," and "young." It is one of several words Christ uses to refer to children (see this article).
χρόνον [9 verses](noun sg masc acc) "While" is chronos, which means "time," "a definite period of time," "period," "date," "term," "lifetime," "age," "season," "delay," and "tense."
τὸ [821 verses](article sg neut nom/acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
φῶς[21 verses](noun sg neut nom/acc)"The light" is phos, which means "light," "daylight [primarily], "illumination [of things and of the mind]," "light [of the eyes], "window," "opening," " public visibility," and "publicity." Christ uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge," but in Greek it is also a metaphor for "deliverance," "happiness," "victory," and "glory."
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during."
ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.
περιπατεῖτε [13 verses](2nd pl pres imperat act) "Walk"is peripateo, which means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching."
ἕως [63 verses](conj) "While" is heos which means "until," "till," "while," "as long as," and "in order that" and "up to the point that.
τὸ [821 verses](article sg neut nom/acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
φῶς[21 verses](noun sg neut nom/acc)"The light" is phos, which means "light," "daylight [primarily], "illumination [of things and of the mind]," "light [of the eyes], "window," "opening," " public visibility," and "publicity." Christ uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge," but in Greek it is also a metaphor for "deliverance," "happiness," "victory," and "glory." -
ἔχετε, [181 verses] (2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye have" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing.
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when," but when beginning a phrase "that," "in order that," "when," and "because."
μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. With pres. or aor. subj. used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care" It can be the conjunction "lest" or "for fear that." Used before tis with an imperative to express a will or wish for something in independent sentences and, with subjunctives, to express prohibitions.
σκοτία [5 verses](noun sg fem nom) "Darkness" is skotia, which means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world," and was used as the opposite the Greek word gnome, γνώμη, meaning judgment, opinion, purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance."
ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."
καταλάβῃ, [1 verse] (3rd sg aor subj) "Come upon" is from katalambano, which means "to seize", "to lay hold of," [later] "to arrive at a place", "to seize for oneself", "to be possessed [passive of persons]", "to overtake", "to seize with the mind", "to comprehend", "to catch", "to find on arrival", "to come up with", "to hold down", "to repress", "to get under", "to hold [breath", "to bind", "to compel", "to restrain", "to force", "to convict," and "to condemn."
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "For" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "He" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
περιπατῶν [13 verses](part sg pres act masc nom "Walketh" iis peripateo, which means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." -- "Walk" is a Greek verb that means "to walk up and down," "to walk about," and "to walk about while teaching." Jesus uses it somewhat humorously in the sense that we use "parade."
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here. With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
τῇ [821 verses](article sg fem dat) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
σκοτίᾳ [5 verses](noun sg fem dat) "Darkness" is skotia, which means "darkness," "dark," "gloomy," [of persons] "in the dark," "in secret," and "secret." It is a metaphor for "obscure,"and "the nether world," and was used as the opposite the Greek word gnome, γνώμη, meaning judgment, opinion, purpose and therefore also a metaphor for "ignorance."
οὐκ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
οἶδεν [38 verses](3rd sg perf ind act) "Know" is oida which has the sense of "to know." This listing is not a root word, but the past perfect tense of eido, which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know." That which "has been seen" is that which is "known." This is a somewhat legalistic idea because the truth can only be established by eyewitnesses.
ποῦ [12 verses] (pron or adv) "Wither" is pou, which means as a pronoun "where?", "at what point," and [of manner] "how." As an adverb. it means "somewhere", "anywhere", "doubtless," and "perhaps." The forms are the same.
ὑπάγει. [47 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "He goeth" is hypago, which means "to lead under," "to bring under," "to bring a person before judgment," "to lead on by degrees," "to take away from beneath," "to withdraw," "to go away," "to retire," "to draw off," and "off with you."
The double meaning of light and darkness as knowledge and ignorance and the double meaning of the Greek word meaning both "to see" [light and darkness] and "to know" [knowledge/ignorance]."