John 3:20

20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, ^[a] so that his deeds may not be exposed.

John 3:20 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:20

For every one that doth evil, hateth the light
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 ) .

John 3:20 In-Context

18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

19 "This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

20 For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.

21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God."

22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit and does not come to the light