Jesus says a man is blind from birth to enable others to see. And then that no one has the power to work when night starts.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Whenever I might be in this society, A light I am belonging to this society.
Jesus's words enables us to see if we take the time to look.
This verse brings new meaning to the previous verse. The mention of "light" makes the "day" and "night" in the previous verse refer to "knowledge" and "ignorance." The last verse sets up the questions, "Are you saying that your power doesn't work at night?" This verse answers that question in a light-hearted way. The point is that he can work anytime because he is a "light." The "when" here indicates a span of time, not just a possibility that is likely to happening.
Though it is invisible in English translation, the two "I am" statements here are different. Notice that Jesus doesn't use the pronoun for "I" here in either emphasizing himself. The first one is in the form of possibility, something that "should" or "might" happen. This is appropriate with a "when" of possibility.
The second "I am" connects both to "a light" and to "of the world." The "of the world" doesn't follow "a light" so it doesn't modify it. The sense is "I am a light belonging to the world." The verb "to be" means "belonging to" with an noun in this form. There is no "the" before "light." Jesus doesn't claim here to be the only light. This comes close to saying that he is a prophet. The Greek word "prophet" is from a verb that means "to shine," which is from the some root as "light." The word has the sense of "luminary" or "enlightened." The word translated as "world" means the society and social order.
The larger context of knowledge here goes back to the first verse of this chapter. Christ says that the man's blindness is not a punishment but to be a visible sign of God's power. Jesus is also a he light by which that power can be seen and understood. Without his throwing light on the human condition, we might think that this blindness was some sort of divine punishment.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "as long as" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" or "might" needed from the form of the verb is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" before "light" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "as long as" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" or "might" needed from the form of the verb is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" before "light" doesn't exist in the source.
As long as -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "as long as" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the conditional "when" of possibility but the
"when" of a time. The Greek word translated as "while" in the previous verse is closer to "as long as."
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a conditional clause beginning with an "if" or a "when" indicating possibility.
am -- The verb "am" 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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
in -- 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."
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.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
am-- The verb "am" 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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge." This changes his previous verse about "day" and "night" into one referring to "knowledge" and "ignorance."
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession. However, it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. In
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.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
While -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "as long as" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is not the conditional "when" of possibility but the
"when" of a time. The Greek word translated as "while" in the previous verse is closer to "as long as."
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a conditional clause beginning with an "if" or a "when" indicating possibility.
am -- The verb "am" 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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
in -- 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."
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.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.
am-- The verb "am" 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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
light -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge." This changes his previous verse about "day" and "night" into one referring to "knowledge" and "ignorance."
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession. However, it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. In
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.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
ὅταν [70 verses](adv/conj) "As long as"is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."
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."
τῷ [821 verses](article sg masc dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κόσμῳ [63 verses](noun sg masc dat) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.
ὦ, [614 verses](verb 1st sg pres subj act) "I am" 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.
φῶς [21 verses](noun sg neut dat)" 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."
εἰμὶ [614 verses](verb 1st sg pres find act) "I am" 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." -- 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. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. -- When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). - missing "the" -- (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.
κόσμου. [63 verses](noun sg masc gen) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army. -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.