Texts in Conversation
John 8:12 echoes Proverbs 6:23 by describing Jesus using the same imagery of light that Proverbs applies to the Torah, where instruction and wisdom are portrayed as a lamp guiding one’s path and leading to life. John adopts this language to present Jesus as that same guiding light, portraying him as the embodiment of divine wisdom.
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Proverbs 6:23
Hebrew Bible
22 When you walk about, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you. 23 For the commandments are like a lamp; instruction is like a light, and rebukes of discipline are like the road leading to life 24 by keeping you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the loose woman.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
John 8:12
New Testament
10 Jesus stood up straight and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] 12 Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees objected, “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!”
Date: 90-110 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In verse 12, Jesus proclaims that he is “the light of the world,” an image usually ascribed to God, as in Psalm 27:1. The light of life that his followers will have resonates with a passage in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls from Qumran (1QS 3:7) concerning God, as well as their self-description as “the sons of light.” This proclamation is in the context of the Sukkoth ceremony of light (m. Sukkah 5:1-4). Four huge menorah or candlesticks were placed in the Court of the Women, and it was said that the light was sufficient to illuminate all Jerusalem, calling to mind Zechariah 14:6. The Torah was described in terms of light for the world in Wisdom of Solomon 18:4; Proverbs 6:23; Psalm 119:105; and Baruch 4:2, as well as in the rabbinic tradition ..."
Durken, Daniel
The New Collegeville Bible Commentary: In One Volume
(p. 2063) Liturgical Press, 2017
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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