The Meaning of Luke 11:36 Explained

Luke 11:36

KJV: If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

YLT: if then thy whole body is lightened, not having any part darkened, the whole shall be lightened, as when the lamp by the brightness may give thee light.'

Darby: If therefore thy whole body is light, not having any part dark, it shall be all light as when the lamp lights thee with its brightness.

ASV: If therefore thy whole body be full of light, having no part dark, it shall be wholly full of light, as when the lamp with its bright shining doth give thee light.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If  thy  whole  body  therefore  [be] full of light,  having  no  part  dark,  the whole  shall be  full of light,  as  when  the bright shining  of a candle  doth give  thee  light. 

What does Luke 11:36 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse presents the alternative to the situation described in the preceding verse. It concludes Jesus" exhortation on a positive note. Jesus, of course, used the body to represent the whole inner person, the personality, in the parable. The person who believes all of Jesus" teaching will experience full illumination.

Context Summary

Luke 11:33-44 - Dark And Foul Within
"The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord," Proverbs 20:27. How many unlit candles there are! Will you not ask whether Christ has ever kindled you with His divine light and life? You have the capacity for God, but this is not enough: Christ must give you light, Ephesians 5:14. Seek the clear shining of the inner light, and remember that it will grow clearer and brighter just in proportion as it is obeyed and followed. What a glorious conception this is, that the Lord Jesus shall so fill us with the radiance and warmth of His love that there shall be no part dark!
Our Lord's denunciations of the religious leaders of His time reveal the wrath of infinite truth and purity against all that is inconsistent with either. Because He loved His sheep, the Good Shepherd must warn them against wolves. Notice Luke 11:41, r.v., which means that our faith, love and joy are to be shared with others. Let us be munificent and generous in self-giving. There is no law of the tithe here! Give all! [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 11

1  Jesus teaches us to pray, and that instantly;
11  assuring us that God will give all good things to those who ask him
14  He, casting out a demon, rebukes the blasphemous Pharisees;
27  and shows who are blessed;
29  preaches to the people;
37  and reprimands the outward show of holiness

Greek Commentary for Luke 11:36

With its bright shining [τηι αστραπηι]
Instrumental case, as if by a flash of lightning the light is revealed in him. See note on Luke 10:18. [source]
The bright shining of a candle [ὁ λύχνος τῇ ἀστραπῇ]
More correctly, as Rev., the lamp with its bright shining. Ἀστραπή means lightning: see Luke 10:18; and that is the usual meaning in classical Greek, though it occurs, rarely, of the light of a lamp. It is used here to emphasize the idea of moral illumination. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 11:36

Luke 24:4 Shining [ἀστραπτούσαις]
Only here and Luke 17:24, Akin to ἀστράπη , lightning. See on bright shining, Luke 11:36 and compare Luke 17:24. [source]
John 1:9 Lighteth [φωτίζει]
See on shineth, John 1:5, and compare Luke 11:35, Luke 11:36. [source]
Acts 9:3 There shined round about [περιήστραψεν]
Only here and Acts 22:6. Flashed. See on Luke 11:36; Luke 24:4. [source]
Hebrews 6:4 As touching those who were once enlightened [τους απαχ πωτιστεντας]
First aorist passive articular participle (the once for all enlightened) of ποτιζω — photizō old and common verb (from πως — phōs) as in Luke 11:36. The metaphorical sense here (cf. John 1:9; Ephesians 1:18; Hebrews 10:32) occurs in Polybius and Epictetus. The accusative case is due to ανακαινιζειν — anakainizein in Hebrews 6:6. απαχ — Hapax here is “once for all,” not once upon a time Tasted of the heavenly gift First aorist middle participle of γευω — geuō old verb once with accusative (Hebrews 6:5, καλον ρημα δυναμεις — kalon rēma class="normal greek">μετοχους πνευματος αγιου — dunameis), usually with genitive (Hebrews 2:9) as here. Partakers of the Holy Ghost (μετοχοι — metochous pneumatos hagiou). See Hebrews 3:14 for και παραπεσοντας — metochoi These are all given as actual spiritual experiences. And then fell away (παραπιπτω — kai parapesontas). No “then” here, though the second aorist (effective) active participle of της χαριτος εχεπεσατε — parapiptō old verb to fall beside (aside), means that. Only here in N.T. In Galatians 5:4 we have tēs charitos exepesate (ye fell out of grace, to law, Paul means). [source]
Revelation 21:23 Did lighten it [επωτισεν αυτην]
First aorist active indicative of πωτιζω — phōtizō to illumine, old verb from πως — phōs (Luke 11:36). If the sun and moon did shine, they would give no added light in the presence of the Shekinah Glory of God. See Revelation 21:11 for “the glory of God.” Cf. Revelation 18:1; Revelation 21:3. “Their splendour is simply put to shame by the glory of God Himself” (Charles).And the lamp thereof is the Lamb (και ο λυχνος αυτης το αρνιον — kai ho luchnos autēs to arnion). Charles takes ο λυχνος — ho luchnos as predicate, “and the Lamb is the lamp thereof.” Bousset thinks that John means to compare Christ to the moon the lesser light (Genesis 1:16), but that contrast is not necessary. Swete sees Christ as the one lamp for all in contrast with the many λυχνιαι — luchniai of the churches on earth (Revelation 1:12, Revelation 1:20). “No words could more clearly demonstrate the purely spiritual character of St. John‘s conception of the New Jerusalem” (Swete). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 11:36 mean?

If therefore the body of you [is] full of light not having part any dark it will be light all as when the lamp - shining might light you
εἰ οὖν τὸ σῶμά σου ὅλον φωτεινόν μὴ ἔχον μέρος τι σκοτεινόν ἔσται φωτεινὸν ὅλον ὡς ὅταν λύχνος τῇ ἀστραπῇ φωτίζῃ σε

σῶμά  body 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅλον  [is]  full 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅλος  
Sense: all, whole, completely.
φωτεινόν  of  light 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: φωτεινός  
Sense: light.
μέρος  part 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μέρος  
Sense: a part.
τι  any 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
σκοτεινόν  dark 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: σκοτεινός  
Sense: full of darkness, covered with darkness.
ἔσται  it  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
φωτεινὸν  light 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: φωτεινός  
Sense: light.
λύχνος  lamp 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λύχνος  
Sense: a lamp, candle, that is placed on a stand or candlestick.
τῇ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀστραπῇ  shining 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀστραπή  
Sense: lightning.
φωτίζῃ  might  light 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φωτίζω  
Sense: to give light, to shine.