SEV Biblia, Chapter 3:20
Porque todo aquel que hace lo malo, aborrece a la luz y no viene a la luz, para que sus obras no sean redargidas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 3:20
Verse 20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light] He who doth vile or abominable things: alluding to the subject mentioned in the preceding verse. The word faulov, evil or vile, is supposed by some to come from the Hebrew slp phalas, to roll, and so cover oneself in dust or ashes, which was practised in token of humiliation and grief, not only by the more eastern nations, see Job xlii. 6, but also by the Greeks and Trojans, as appears from Homer, Iliad xviii. l. 26; xxii. l. 414; xxiv. l. 640; compare Virgil, AEn. x. l. 844; and Ovid, Metam. lib. viii. l. 528. From the above Hebrew word, it is likely that the Saxon ful, the English foul, the Latin vilis, and the English vile, are derived. See Parkhurst under faulov.
Lest his deeds should be reproved.] Or discovered. To manifest or discover, is one sense of the original word, elegcw, in the best Greek writers; and it is evidently its meaning in this place.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. For every one that doth evil, hateth the light , etc.] Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, cause they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them: neither cometh to the light ; to hear Christ preach, or preached; to attend on the Gospel ministration and means of grace: lest his deeds should be reproved ; or discovered, and made manifest, and he be brought to shame, and laid under blame, and advised to part with them, which he cares not to do; (see Ephesians 5:11-13).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Nicodemus was afraid, or ashamed to be seen with Christ, therefore cam in the night. When religion is out of fashion, there are man Nicodemites. But though he came by night, Jesus bid him welcome, an hereby taught us to encourage good beginnings, although weak. An though now he came by night, yet afterward he owned Christ publicly. He did not talk with Christ about state affairs, though he was a ruler but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and went a once to them. Our Saviour spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration or the new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of holiness of the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to begin to live anew, as those who have lived muc amiss, or to little purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles new affections, new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen i sin; therefore we must be made new creatures. No stronger expressio could have been chosen to signify a great and most remarkable change of state and character. We must be entirely different from what we wer before, as that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, ch 1:13, and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means tha something is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves Something is wrong, whereby such a life begins as shall last for ever We cannot otherwise expect any benefit by Christ; it is necessary to our happiness here and hereafter. What Christ speak, Nicodemu misunderstood, as if there had been no other way of regenerating an new-moulding an immortal soul, than by new-framing the body. But he acknowledged his ignorance, which shows a desire to be better informed It is then further explained by the Lord Jesus. He shows the Author of this blessed change. It is not wrought by any wisdom or power of ou own, but by the power of the blessed Spirit. We are shapen in iniquity which makes it necessary that our nature be changed. We are not to marvel at this; for, when we consider the holiness of God, the depravity of our nature, and the happiness set before us, we shall no think it strange that so much stress is laid upon this. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is compared to water. It is als probable that Christ had reference to the ordinance of baptism. No that all those, and those only, that are baptized, are saved; but without that new birth which is wrought by the Spirit, and signified by baptism, none shall be subjects of the kingdom of heaven. The same wor signifies both the wind and the Spirit. The wind bloweth where i listeth for us; God directs it. The Spirit sends his influences where and when, on whom, and in what measure and degree, he pleases. Thoug the causes are hidden, the effects are plain, when the soul is brough to mourn for sin, and to breathe after Christ. Christ's stating of the doctrine and the necessity of regeneration, it should seem, made it no clearer to Nicodemus. Thus the things of the Spirit of God ar foolishness to the natural man. Many think that cannot be proved, whic they cannot believe. Christ's discourse of gospel truths, very #(11-13), shows the folly of those who make these things strange unt them; and it recommends us to search them out. Jesus Christ is ever way able to reveal the will of God to us; for he came down from heaven and yet is in heaven. We have here a notice of Christ's two distinc natures in one person, so that while he is the Son of man, yet he is in heaven. God is the "HE THAT IS," and heaven is the dwelling-place of his holiness. The knowledge of this must be from above, and can be received by faith alone. Jesus Christ came to save us by healing us, a the children of Israel, stung with fiery serpents, were cured and live by looking up to the brazen serpent, Nu 21:6-9. In this observe the deadly and destructive nature of sin. Ask awakened consciences, as damned sinners, they will tell you, that how charming soever the allurements of sin may be, at the last it bites like a serpent. See the powerful remedy against this fatal malady. Christ is plainly set fort to us in the gospel. He whom we offended is our Peace, and the way of applying for a cure is by believing. If any so far slight either their disease by sin, or the method of cure by Christ, as not to receiv Christ upon his own terms, their ruin is upon their own heads. He ha said, Look and be saved, look and live; lift up the eyes of your fait to Christ crucified. And until we have grace to do this, we shall no be cured, but still are wounded with the stings of Satan, and in dying state. Jesus Christ came to save us by pardoning us, that we might not die by the sentence of the law. Here is gospel, good new indeed. Here is God's love in giving his Son for the world. God s loved the world; so really, so richly. Behold and wonder, that the great God should love such a worthless world! Here, also, is the grea gospel duty, to believe in Jesus Christ. God having given him to be ou Prophet, Priest, and King, we must give up ourselves to be ruled, an taught, and saved by him. And here is the great gospel benefit, tha whoever believes in Christ, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and so saving it. It could not be saved, but through him; there is n salvation in any other. From all this is shown the happiness of tru believers; he that believeth in Christ is not condemned. Though he ha been a great sinner, yet he is not dealt with according to what his sins deserve. How great is the sin of unbelievers! God sent One to sav us, that was dearest to himself; and shall he not be dearest to us? Ho great is the misery of unbelievers! they are condemned already; whic speaks a certain condemnation; a present condemnation. The wrath of God now fastens upon them; and their own hearts condemn them. There is als a condemnation grounded on their former guilt; they are open to the la for all their sins; because they are not by faith interested in the gospel pardon. Unbelief is a sin against the remedy. It springs from the enmity of the heart of man to God, from love of sin in some form Read also the doom of those that would not know Christ. Sinful work are works of darkness. The wicked world keep as far from this light a they can, lest their deeds should be reproved. Christ is hated, becaus sin is loved. If they had not hated saving knowledge, they would no sit down contentedly in condemning ignorance. On the other hand renewed hearts bid this light welcome. A good man acts truly an sincerely in all he does. He desires to know what the will of God is and to do it, though against his own worldly interest. A change in his whole character and conduct has taken place. The love of God is she abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost, and is become the commandin principle of his actions. So long as he continues under a load of unforgiven guilt, there can be little else than slavish fear of God but when his doubts are done away, when he sees the righteous groun whereon this forgiveness is built, he rests on it as his own, and i united to God by unfeigned love. Our works are good when the will of God is the rule of them, and the glory of God the end of them; when they are done in his strength, and for his sake; to him, and not to men. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a subject to which the world i very averse; it is, however, the grand concern, in comparison with which every thing else is but trifling. What does it signify though we have food to eat in plenty, and variety of raiment to put on, if we ar not born again? if after a few mornings and evenings spent i unthinking mirth, carnal pleasure, and riot, we die in our sins, an lie down in sorrow? What does it signify though we are well able to ac our parts in life, in every other respect, if at last we hear from the Supreme Judge, "Depart from me, I know you not, ye workers of iniquity?"
Greek Textus Receptus
πας 3956 A-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM φαυλα 5337 A-APN πρασσων 4238 5723 V-PAP-NSM μισει 3404 5719 V-PAI-3S το 3588 T-ASN φως 5457 N-ASN και 2532 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N ερχεται 2064 5736 V-PNI-3S προς 4314 PREP το 3588 T-ASN φως 5457 N-ASN ινα 2443 CONJ μη 3361 PRT-N ελεγχθη 1651 5686 V-APS-3S τα 3588 T-NPN εργα 2041 N-NPN αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. Doeth (prasswn). The present participle, indicating habit and general tendency.Evil (faula). Rev., ill. A different word from that in the previous verse. Originally, light, paltry, trivial, and so worthless. Evil, therefore, considered on the side of worthlessness. See on Jas. iii. 16.
Lest his works should be reproved (ina mh elegcqh ta erga autou). Rather, in order that his works may not be reproved. Elegcw, rendered reprove, has several phases of meaning. In earlier classical Greek it signifies to disgrace or put to shame. Thus Ulysses, having succeeded in the trial of the bow, says to Telemachus, "the stranger who sits in thy halls disgraces (elegcei) thee not" ("Odyssey, xxi. 424). Then, to cross-examine or question, for the purpose of convincing, convicting, or refuting; to censure, accuse. So Herodotus: "In his reply Alexander became confused, and diverged from the truth, whereon the slaves interposed, confuted his statements (hlegcon, cross-questioned and caught him in falsehood), and told the whole history of the crime" (i. 115). The messenger in the "Antigone" of Sophocles, describing the consternation of the watchmen at finding Polynices' body buried, says: "Evil words were bandied among them, guard accusing (elegcwn) guard" (260). Of arguments, to bring to the proof; prove; prove by a chain of reasoning. It occurs in Pindar in the general sense of to conquer or surpass. "Having descended into the naked race they surpassed (hlegxan) the Grecian band in speed ("Pythia," xi. 75).
In the New Testament it is found in the sense of reprove (Luke iii. 19; 1 Timothy v. 20, etc.). Convince of crime or fault (1 Cor. xiv. 24; Jas. ii. 9). To bring to light or expose by conviction (Jas. iii. 20; Eph. v. 11, 13; John viii. 46; see on that passage). So of the exposure of false teachers, and their refutation (Tit. i. 9, 13; ii. 15). To test and expose with a view to correction, and so, nearly equivalent to chasten (Hebrews xii. 5). The different meanings unite in the word convict. Conviction is the result of examination, testing, argument. The test exposes and demonstrates the error, and refutes it, thus convincing, convicting, and rebuking the subject of it. This conviction issues in chastening, by which the error is corrected and the erring one purified. If the conviction is rejected, it carries with it condemnation and punishment. The man is thus convicted of sin, of right, and of judgment (John xvi. 8). In this passage the evil-doer is represented as avoiding the light which tests, that light which is the offspring of love (Apoc. iii. 19) and the consequent exposure of his error. Compare Eph. v. 13; John i. 9-11. This idea of loving darkness rather than light is graphically treated in Job 24 and runs through vv. 13-17.
