And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

“(Hom. v. [iv.] c. 3) Or thus: throughout the whole foregoing passage he had been speaking of creation; then he mentions the spiritual benefits which the Word brought with it: and the life was the light of men. He saith not, the light of Jews, but of all men without exception; for not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also have come to this knowledge. The Angels he omits, for he is speaking of human nature, to whom the Word came bringing glad tidings.”

“(tr. 1. c. 19) Whereas that life is the light of men, but foolish hearts cannot receive that light, being so incumbered with sins that they cannot see it; for this cause lest any should think there is no light near them, because they cannot see it, he continues: And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. For suppose a blind man standing in the sun, the sun is present to him, but he is absent from the sun. In like manner every fool is blind, and wisdom is present to him; but, though present, absent from his sight, forasmuch as sight is gone: the truth being, not that she is absent from him, but that he is absent from her.”

“(in loc.) The other Evangelists describe Christ as born in time; John witnesseth that He was in the beginning, saying, In the beginning was the Word. The others describe His sudden appearance among men; he witnesseth that He was ever with God, saying, And the Word was with God. The others prove Him very man; he very God, saying, And the Word was God. The others exhibit Him as man conversing with men for a season; he pronounces Him God abiding with God in the beginning, saying, The Same was in the beginning with God. The others relate the great deeds which He did amongst men; he that God the Father made every creature through Him, saying, All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made.”

“The Evangelist above conveyed the power of the Word by which it produced all things in being; here he conveys its power as it stands in relation to men, saying that this Word is the light of men. Here he first introduces to us a certain light, when he says "and the life was the light of men"; second, the light's irradiation, when he says "and the light shines in the darkness"; third, the participation in the light, when he says "and the darkness did not comprehend it." Now the whole can be expounded in two ways: in one way according to the influx of natural knowledge, in another way according to the communication of grace. He says, then, as to the first, that "the life was the light of men." Here it must first be considered that, according to Augustine and many others, the name "light" is said more properly of spiritual things than of sensible things. Ambrose, however, holds that "splendor" is said of God metaphorically. But no great weight need be put on this: for of whatever thing the name "light" is said, it refers to manifestation, whether that manifestation be in intelligible things or in sensible things. If, then, intelligible and sensible manifestation are compared, by nature light is found first in spiritual things; but as regards us, who impose names on things from the properties known to us, it is found first in sensible things, because we first imposed this name to signify sensible light rather than intelligible light — although in its power it belongs first and more truly to spiritual things than to sensible ones. For the understanding of what is said, "and the life was the light of men," it must be known that there are many grades of life. For some things live, but without light, because they have no knowledge, as plants do; whence their life is not light. Others live and know; yet their knowledge, since it is only sense, is only of particular and material things, as in the brutes; and so these have both life and a certain light, but not "the light of men," who live and know not only true things themselves but the very rational ground of truth, as do rational creatures, to whom is manifested not only this or that but truth itself, which is manifestable and is that which manifests all things. And therefore the Evangelist, speaking of the Word, says it is not only life but also light, lest you understand life without knowing; and "of men," lest you suppose only sensible knowledge, such as is in the brutes. But why did he say "of men," since it is also the light of the angels? To this there is a twofold answer. For Chrysostom says that the Evangelist intended in this Gospel to hand down to us knowledge of the Word insofar as it is ordered to the salvation of men; and so, according to his intention, he refers it to men rather than to angels. But Origen says that participation in this light pertains to men insofar as they are of a rational nature; and so the Evangelist, saying "was the light of men," wished it to be understood of every rational nature. In this too is shown the perfection and dignity of this life, because it is intellectual, or rational. For since those things are called living which in some way move themselves, those are said to have perfect life which move themselves perfectly; but to move oneself perfectly and properly belongs, among the lower creatures, to man alone. For although other things are moved of themselves by some intrinsic principle, that principle nevertheless is not disposed toward opposites; and so they are moved of necessity, and not freely. Things moved by such a principle are therefore acted upon more than they act. But man, since he is master of his own act, freely moves himself to all that he wills; and so man has perfect life, and likewise every intellectual nature. The life of the Word, therefore, which is the light of men, is perfect life. A fitting order, too, is observed in the foregoing words: for in the natural order of things being is found first, and this the Evangelist first conveyed, saying "in the beginning was the Word"; second, to live, and this is what follows, "in him was life"; third, to understand, and this he added next, "the life was the light of men." Whence, according to Origen, he fittingly attributes light to life, because light can be attributed only to the living. It is to be noted, however, that light can be compared to the living in two ways: either as an object, or as participated — as is clear in exterior sight. For the eye knows exterior light as an object, but in order to see it, it must participate in some interior light by which the eye is fitted and disposed to see the exterior light. So then, what he here says, "and the life was the light of men," can be understood in two ways. It is called "the light of men" by way of object, as it were, as discernible by men alone: because the rational creature alone can behold it, since it alone is capable of the divine vision (Job 35:11: "He teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the air"); for although other animals know some things that are true, man alone knows the very rational ground of truth. It can also be called "the light of men" as participated. For we could never behold the Word itself and the Light itself except through a participation in it that is in man himself, namely the higher part of our soul, the intellective light, of which it is said in Psalm 4:7: "The light of your countenance is sealed upon us" — that is, of your Son, who is your face, by which you are made manifest. The Evangelist above introduced a certain light; now he treats of its irradiation when he says "the light shines in the darkness." This can be expounded in two ways, according to the twofold sense of "darkness." First, let us take "darkness" as the natural defect of the created mind. For the mind stands to that light of which the Evangelist here speaks as the air stands to the light of the sun: because, although the air is capable of the sun's light, nevertheless, considered in itself, it is darkness. And in this sense the meaning is: "the light" — that is, that life which is the light of men — "shines in the darkness," namely in created souls and minds, always irradiating all. Job 3:23: "To the man whose light is hidden." "But the darkness did not comprehend it" — that is, could not enclose it. For that is said to be comprehended whose bounds are enclosed and beheld. Because, as Augustine says, to reach God with the mind is great beatitude, but to comprehend him is impossible. "The darkness, therefore, did not comprehend it." Job 36:26: "Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge"; Jeremiah 32:19: "Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought." And this exposition is found in that homily which begins, "The spiritual voice of the eagle." In another way it can be expounded by taking "darkness," according to Augustine, for the natural foolishness of men, which is called darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:13: "I saw that wisdom excels folly as much as light differs from darkness." From this, then, is anyone foolish: that he is deprived of the light of divine wisdom. As, therefore, the minds of the wise are lucid by participation in that divine light and wisdom, so by its privation they are darkness. That some, then, are full of darkness is not from any defect of that light; for, so far as it is of itself, it "shines in the darkness" and irradiates all; but the foolish are deprived of that light because "the darkness did not comprehend it" — that is, did not apprehend it, their foolishness being unable to attain participation in it. Job 36:32: "From the monstrous" — that is, the proud — "he hides the light" — that is, the light of wisdom. Baruch 3:23: "They did not know the way of wisdom, nor did they remember its paths." Yet although some minds are dark — that is, deprived of savory and lucid wisdom — none is so dark that it does not participate in something of the divine light. Because whatever of truth is known by anyone, the whole is from participation in that light which shines in the darkness; for every truth, by whomever it is spoken, is from the Holy Spirit. And yet "the darkness" — that is, dark men — "did not comprehend it" according to truth. So this clause is expounded according to Origen and according to Augustine. In another way, the passage from "and the life was the light of men" is expounded according to the inflowing of grace, by which we are irradiated through Christ; and it is connected thus to what precedes. Above, the Evangelist treated of the creation of things through the Word; here he treats of the restoration of the rational creature accomplished through Christ, saying: "and the life" — of the Word — "was the light of men," in common, and not of the Jews only; because the Son of God came into the world to assume flesh, that he might enlighten all men with grace and truth. John 18:37: "For this I was born, and for this I came, that I might bear witness to the truth." Likewise below, 9:5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And so he does not say "the light of the Jews," because although once he was known only in Judea, afterward he became known to the whole world; Isaiah 49:6: "I have given you for a light to the nations, that you may be salvation to the world unto the end of the earth." Fittingly, too, he joins light and life, saying "and the life was the light of men," to show that these two — light and life — have come to us through Christ: life through participation in grace ("grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," below); light through the knowledge of truth and wisdom. Now what he says, "the light shines in the darkness," can in this exposition be taken in three ways, according as we can take "darkness" in three ways. In one way, for punishment: for any sadness and affliction of heart can be called a certain darkness, as any joy is called light; Micah 7:8: "When I sit in darkness and in affliction, the Lord is my light" — that is, my joy and consolation. Origen says, then: in this sense "the light shines in the darkness," that is, Christ coming into the world and having a passible body without sin, "in the likeness of flesh," according to Romans 8:3. The light in the flesh — namely, the flesh of Christ, insofar as it has in itself the likeness of sinful flesh — is called darkness. As if to say: the light, that is, the Word of God veiled about with the darkness of the flesh, shone into the world, according to Ezekiel 32:7: "I will cover the sun with a cloud." Second, taking "darkness" for the demons, according to Ephesians 6:12: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood only, but against the princes and powers, against the rulers of this darkness of the world." In this sense he says: "the light" — the Son of God — "shines in the darkness," that is, descended into the world where the darkness, the demons, held dominion. Below, 12:31: "The prince of this world shall be cast out." "And the darkness" — the demons — "did not comprehend it," that is, could not obscure him by tempting him, as is clear in Matthew 4. Third, taking "darkness" for the errors or ignorances of which the whole world was full before the coming of Christ, according to what the Apostle says: "you were once darkness." He says, then, that "the light" — the incarnate Word of God — "shines in the darkness," that is, in the men of the world, obscured by the darkness of error and ignorance. Luke 1:79: "To enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death"; Isaiah 9:2: "The people who sat in darkness saw a great light." "And the darkness did not comprehend it," that is, did not overcome it. For however much men — obscured by sins, blinded by envy, darkened by pride — fought against Christ, as is clear from the Gospel, by reproaching him, inflicting injuries and insults, and at last killing him, they nevertheless did not comprehend him, that is, did not overcome him by obscuring him, so as to keep his brightness from shining through the whole world. Wisdom 7:29-30: "Compared with the light, she is found before it: for night succeeds it, but malice does not overcome wisdom" — that is, the incarnate Son of God — namely the malice of the Jews and of heretics; because, as it is said in Wisdom 10:12, "she gave him a strong contest, that he might overcome, and might know that wisdom is mightier than all."”

“And the light shineth in darkness,.... Which, through sin, came upon the minds of men; who are naturally in the dark about the nature and perfections of God; about sin, and the consequences of it; about Christ, and salvation by him; about the Spirit of God, and his work upon the soul; and about the Scriptures of truth, and the doctrines of the Gospel. Man was created a knowing creature, but, not content with his knowledge, sins, and is banished from the presence of God, the fountain of light; which brought a darkness on him, and his posterity, and which is increased in them by personal iniquity, and in which Satan, the god of this world, has an hand; and sometimes they are left to judicial blindness, and which issues in worse darkness, if grace prevents not: now amidst this darkness there were some remains of the light of nature: with respect to the being of God, which shines in the works of creation and providence and to the worship of God, though very dimly; and to the knowledge of moral good and evil: and the darkness comprehended it not; or "perceived it not"; as the Syriac version renders it. By the light of nature, and the remains of it, men could not come to any clear and distinct knowledge of the above things; and much less to any knowledge of the true way of salvation: unless, rather by the light should be meant, the light of the Messiah, or of the Gospel shining in the figures, types, and shadows of the law, and in the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament: and yet, such was the darkness upon the minds of men, that they could not very distinctly apprehend it, and much less fully comprehend it, so that there was need of a fresh and fuller revelation; an account of which follows;”

“And the light shineth in darkness - By darkness here may be understood: 1. The heathen world, Eph 5:8. 2. The Jewish people. 3. The fallen spirit of man. Comprehended it not - Αυτο ου κατελαβεν, Prevented it not - hindered it not, says Mr. Wakefield, who adds the following judicious note: - "Even in the midst of that darkness of ignorance and idolatry which overspread the world, this light of Divine wisdom was not totally eclipsed: the Jewish nation was a lamp perpetually shining to the surrounding nations; and many bright luminaries, among the heathen, were never wanting in just and worthy notions of the attributes and providence of God's wisdom; which enabled them to shine in some degree, though but as lights in a dark place, Pe2 1:19. Compare Act 14:17; Act 17:28, Act 17:29."”

“And the light shineth, or did shine, in darkness. Many understand this, that the light of reason, which God gave to every one, might have brought them to the knowledge of God by the visible effects of his Providence in this world: but the darkness did not comprehend it, because men, blinded by their passions, would not attend to the light of reason. Or we may again understand it, with Maldonatus, of the lights of grace, against which obstinate sinners wilfully shut their eyes. (Witham)”

“shineth in darkness, &c.--in this dark, fallen world, or in mankind "sitting in darkness and the shadow of death," with no ability to find the way either of truth or of holiness. In this thick darkness, and consequent intellectual and moral obliquity, "the light of the Word" shineth--by all the rays whether of natural or revealed teaching which men (apart from the Incarnation of the Word) are favored with. the darkness comprehended it not--did not take it in, a brief summary of the effect of all the strivings of this unincarnate Word throughout this wide world from the beginning, and a hint of the necessity of His putting on flesh, if any recovery of men was to be effected (Co1 1:21).”