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 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.
John 12:36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”
While this light you have, trust the light, trust in the light so that you may become children of light.
We need to be bright to learn anything.
Light and darkness are the Greek metaphors for knowledge and ignorance. The Greek word translated as "believe" has more of a sense of "trust" and especially trusting words than the English word. Here, the sense is trusting in the knowledge one has. For Jesus, knowledge produces offspring, that is, more knowledge based on the old ones, in the same way that people produce offspring. Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation as surely as genes are.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "light" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "be" should be something more like "become."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
While -- The word translated as "while" 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.
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.
light, -- The Greek word translated as "light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much but trusting or relying upon other people, especially their words. Jesus usually uses it in contexts, such as the one here, that apply to trusting words.
in -- The word translated as "unto" means "into"
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 "light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
may -- This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility, the subjunctive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- (WW) The word translated as "be" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source.
children -- The word translated as "children" more generally means "son" or "sons." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
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.
light. -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
Believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much but trusting or relying upon other people, especially their words. Jesus usually uses it in contexts, such as the one here, that apply to trusting words.
in -- The word translated as "unto" means "into"
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 "light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
while -- The word translated as "while" 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 "light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
so that -- The word translated as so "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
may -- This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility, the subjunctive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
become -- The word translated as "become" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something.
children -- The word translated as "children" more generally means "son" or "sons." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
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.
light. -- The Greek word translated as "the light" means "light," "daylight [primarily], "opening," and "public visibility." Jesus uses it as a metaphor for "knowledge."
ὡς [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) Untranslated 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.
πιστεύετε [69 verses](2nd pl pres imperat/ind act) "Believe" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person," "to believe in someone's words," "to comply," "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
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."
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."
υἱοὶ [158 verses](noun pl masc nom) "Children" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.
φωτὸς [21 verses](noun sg masc gen)Llight" 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."
γένησθε. [117 verses](2nd pl aor subj mid) "Ye may be" is ginomai, which means "to become," "to come into being," "to happen," of things "to be produced," of events "happen," "take place," "come to pass," "to be engaged in," math "to be multiplied into," "become one of," "turn into."and "to be." It means changing into a new state of being. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi) which indicates existence in the same state.