Lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight or a motor vehicle, the lighting device having a illuminant and an optical device assigned to the illuminant, the illuminant being set up to generate light and to radiate the generated light onto the optical device, and the optical device being set up to realize at least two different light functions from the light of the illuminant, wherein the optical device comprises an optically effective area which has an optical axis (x) and a main plane, wherein the optically effective area has a light entry surface and a light exit surface opposite the light entry surface, wherein light emitted by the illuminant enters the optically effective area of the optical device via the light entry surface, passes through the optically effective region of the optical device and emerges from the optically effective region of the optical device via the light exit surface, the optical device having an adjustment means which is set up to adjust operating states of the optical device, at least two different operating states of the optical device being provided, wherein in a first operating state the optical device forms a first light function with the light of the illuminant as it passes through the optically effective region, and in a second operating state the optical device forms a second light function, different from the first light function, with the light of the illuminant as it passes through the optically effective region, characterized in that the illuminant comprises a plurality of light sources which are spaced at a minimum distance from one another and are arranged in a light source surface, preferably uniformly distributed, on a light source carrier of the illuminant, wherein each light source emits a divergent light beam with an opening angle (a) which propagates along a main emission direction, wherein each light beam forms a light spot at the optically effective area of the optical device, wherein the optically effective region of the optical device has scattering elements which are arranged to scatter the light of the light sources about the main radiation direction as it passes through the optically effective region, wherein the adjusting means is arranged to adjust the optical device in such a way that in the first operating state the optically effective region of the optical device is at a first normal distance from the light source surface and in the second operating state the optically effective region of the optical device is at a second normal distance from the light source surface, wherein the first normal distance is such that light spots of light beams from two adjacent light sources at the optically effective area are non-overlapping, wherein the second normal distance is greater than the first normal distance so that light spots of light beams from two adjacent light sources at least partially overlap at the optically effective area. wherein the optical device comprises an optically effective area which has an optical axis (x) and a main plane, wherein the optically effective area has a light entry surface and a light exit surface opposite the light entry surface, wherein light emitted by the illuminant enters the optically effective area of the optical device via the light entry surface, passes through the optically effective region of the optical device and emerges from the optically effective region of the optical device via the light exit surface, the optical device having an adjustment means which is set up to adjust operating states of the optical device, at least two different operating states of the optical device being provided, wherein in a first operating state the optical device forms a first light function with the light of the illuminant as it passes through the optically effective region, and in a second operating state the optical device forms a second light function, different from the first light function, with the light of the illuminant as it passes through the optically effective region, characterized in that the illuminant comprises a plurality of light sources which are spaced at a minimum distance from one another and are arranged in a light source surface, preferably uniformly distributed, on a light source carrier of the illuminant, wherein each light source emits a divergent light beam with an opening angle (a) which propagates along a main emission direction, wherein each light beam forms a light spot at the optically effective area of the optical device, wherein the optically effective region of the optical device has scattering elements which are arranged to scatter the light of the light sources about the main radiation direction as it passes through the optically effective region, wherein the adjusting means is arranged to adjust the optical device in such a way that in the first operating state the optically effective region of the optical device is at a first normal distance from the light source surface and in the second operating state the optically effective region of the optical device is at a second normal distance from the light source surface, wherein the first normal distance is such that light spots of light beams from two adjacent light sources at the optically effective area are non-overlapping, wherein the second normal distance is greater than the first normal distance so that light spots of light beams from two adjacent light sources at least partially overlap at the optically effective area.