John 11:10

But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”

BSB

But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”

KJV

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

ASV

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.

BBE

But if a man goes about in the night, he may have a fall because the light is not in him.

Original Greek

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ἐὰν ean if G1437 δέ de however G1161 τις tis anyone G5100 περιπατῇ peripatēa shall walk G4043 ἐν en in G1722 τῇ tēa the G3588 νυκτί nukti night G3571 προσκόπτει proskoptei he stumbles G4350 ὅτι hoti because G3754 τὸ to the G3588 φῶς phōs light G5457 οὐκ ouk not G3756 ἔστιν estin is G1510 ἐν en in G1722 αὐτῷ autō him G846

The early church

"Are there not twelve hours of the day?" He either saith this, that "he who is conscious to himself of no evil, shall suffer nothing dreadful; only he that doeth evil shall suffer, so that we need not fear, because we have done nothing worthy of death"; or else that, "he who seeth the light of this world is in safety; and if he that seeth the light of this world is in safety, much more he that is with Me, if he separate not himself from Me." Having encouraged them by these words, He addeth, that the cause of their going thither was pressing, and showeth them that they were about to go not unto Jerusalem, but unto Bethany.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John
(Tr. xlix. 8) When men presumed to give advice to God, disciples to their Master, our Lord rebuked them: Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? He showed Himself to be the day, by appointing twelve disciples: i. e. reckoning Matthias in the place of Judas, and passing over the latter altogether. The hours are lightened by the day; that by the preaching of the hours, the world may believe on the day. Follow Me then, saith our Lord, if ye wish not to stumble: If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world: But if a man walk in the night he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Some understand the day to be the time preceding the Passion, the night to be the Passion. In this sense, while it is day, would mean, before My Passion; Ye will not stumble before My Passion, because the Jews will not persecute you; but when the night, i. e. My Passion, cometh, then shall ye be beset with darkness and difficulties.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 7–10

Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.

Read Matthew Henry on John 11 →

Cross-references

6

Topics

Darkness

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.