Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. They discuss the nature of man's origin. Nicodemus asked how anyone is able to know these things himself.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Because the Divine cared so much for this society. And so he gave this unique type, this son, in order that everyone trusting as much as him might not destroy himself. Instead, he might possess an on-going life.
Jesus was unique in the depth of his trust.
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν,
so much Because he cared , the Divine, for this society. and so this son, this unique one, he gave
ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν
in order that every one trusting as much as him
μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
not might destroy himself. Instead, he might have a life on-going
The most misleading thing here is that there is no "his" before the words translated as "only begotten" or "son." Jesus referred to himself as "only-begotten" and "one and only" with a word that means "only born" and more generally it means "unique" and "singular." This may be a reference to his earlier statement (John 3:14) about "the son of the man" being raised, describing his unique role in history. His saying that he is "unique" fits with the context here.
The "believes in him" phrase is a play on words hidden in mistranslation. Unlike John 3:15 where the phrase "in him" actually meant that. Here, the preposition changed from one meaning "in" to another preposition being "into" a place, but a person is not a place. In this context, it seems to mean "as much as him."
The "not" before "perish." The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, which is use with verbs that indicates something that "should" or "might" happen, which is the verb form here. It is not the future tense, indicating a prophecy, but a possibility.
For (MWthe) God so loved(CW) the world, that he gave his(IW) (MWthe) only begotten (MWthe) Son, that whosoever(CW) believeth(WF) in(WW) him should not perish(WV), but have everlasting life.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "loved" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "his" before "only begotten" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "only begotten" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "son" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "whosoever" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "believeth" is not an active verb but a participle, "trusting."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "in" should be something more like "as much as."
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb in the middle voice requires the concept of "himself" as its object.
For (MWthe) God so loved(CW) the world, that he gave his(IW) (MWthe) only begotten (MWthe) Son, that whosoever(CW) believeth(WF) in(WW) him should not perish(WV), but have everlasting life.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "his" before "only begotten" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "only begotten" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "son" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "loved" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "whoever" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "believes" is not an active verb but a participle, "trusting."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "in" should be something more like "as much as."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "himself" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "shall" should be something more like "should."
For --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why." However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
God -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
so -- The word translated in KJV as "so" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way." It also means "so much."
loved . -- (CW) The word translated as "love" expresses a lot of different ideas including "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," and "to be contented with." Jesus however, applies it to relationships where we have a duty to care for others: family, God, etc. Another word, also translated as "love" is used to for relationships of affectionate friendship that are more voluntary. To distinguish this word, translated it as "cares for" seems to work best. See this article on love for more information.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
that -- (CW) "That" is an adverb that marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing, "as being," "inasmuch as," expresses the actual or intended result of the action in the principal clause: "as," "for," implying " on condition that," at the beginning of a sentence, to mark a strong conclusion, "and so," "therefore," and with subj. " in order that." It is not the simple, much more common word simple meaning "that."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
gave -- The verb translated as "gave" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."
his -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "his" in the Greek source.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
only begotten - - The term translated as "only-begotten" more generally it means "unique" and "singular." It means literally "only born." In grammar, it also means a word having the same form in all genders, and it is kind of funny that the word itself a monogenic word, having the same form in all genders.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
Son, -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "children." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." This is the common word meaning "that," not the same word as the one above.
whosoever -- (CW) The word translated as "whosoever" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether." Here it is single, "every one."
believeth -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "believeth" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact. The word is not an active verb but an participle, "trusting."
in -- (WW) The word translated as "in" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. None of this fit that well, but it also means "as much as (of measure or limit)," and that meaning does fit with a person.
him - The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
should -- This helping verb in English comes from the form of the Greek verb that indicates a possibility. We would usually say "might" or "should" in English.
not - - The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. If it wasn't done or wasn't true, the objective negative of fact would be used. The sense here is that the person doesn't "want" to cease to exist.
perish, - - The word translated as ".perish" means "to cease to exist." The form is one of possibility not the future tense. With the negative used, the sense is "might not want to cease to exist." This seems in indicate that those who do not trust in him do not want to continue to exist. The sense is that not trusting in his promise equates to no trusting in a continued life and having access to it. The form is a word that acts on itself as we say "destroy himself."
missing "himself" -- (MV) The verb is the Greek middle voice that indicates that subjects act "for" or "on" themselves. Most English transitive verbs require a reflexive pronoun ("itself," "themselves" etc.) after the verb to capture this meaning.
but -- The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "rather." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, not doing something, with a positive one, "instead do this."
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English.
everlasting - "Everlasting" is an adjective based on the word that means "age" or "eon." It has the sense of "perpetual" or "ageless."
life. - The word translated as "life" means "living" but it also means "substance," "existence," and "property." Christ uses it to mean "existence" beyond physical life. See this article on the various Greek words that Jesus uses to describe various aspects of life.
For --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why." However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause."
missing "the" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
God -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
so -- The word translated in KJV as "so" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way." It also means "so much."
loved . -- (CW) The word translated as "love" expresses a lot of different ideas including "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," and "to be contented with." Jesus however, applies it to relationships where we have a duty to care for others: family, God, etc. Another word, also translated as "love" is used to for relationships of affectionate friendship that are more voluntary. To distinguish this word, translated it as "cares for" seems to work best. See this article on love for more information.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world, -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
that -- (CW) "That" is an adverb that marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing, "as being," "inasmuch as," expresses the actual or intended result of the action in the principal clause: "as," "for," implying " on condition that," at the beginning of a sentence, to mark a strong conclusion, "and so," "therefore," and with subj. " in order that." It is not the simple, much more common word simple meaning "that."
he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
gave -- The verb translated as "gave" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."
his -- (IW) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "his" in the Greek source.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
one and only - - The term translated as "one and only" more generally it means "unique" and "singular." It means literally "only born." In grammar, it also means a word having the same form in all genders, and it is kind of funny that the word itself a monogenic word, having the same form in all genders.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article,"the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
Son, -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "children." It can refer to all offspring in later generations, just like "father" refers to all previous generations. Jesus also used it metaphorically to describe those who follow a way of thought or set of beliefs that descend from an individual. More about it in this article.
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because." This is the common word meaning "that," not the same word as the one above.
whoever -- (CW) The word translated as "whoever" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether." Here it is single, "every one."
believes -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "believes" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact. The word is not an active verb but an participle, "trusting."
in -- (WW) The word translated as "in" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure. None of this fit that well, but it also means "as much as (of measure or limit)," and that meaning does fit with a person.
him - The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
shall -- (WW) This helping verb in English comes from the form of the Greek verb that indicates a possibility and is not the future tense. We would usually say "might" or "should" in English.
not - - The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. If it wasn't done or wasn't true, the objective negative of fact would be used. The sense here is that the person doesn't "want" to cease to exist.
perish, - - The word translated as ".perish" means "to cease to exist." The form is one of possibility not the future tense. With the negative used, the sense is "might not want to cease to exist." This seems in indicate that those who do not trust in him do not want to continue to exist. The sense is that not trusting in his promise equates to no trusting in a continued life and having access to it. The form is a word that acts on itself as we say "destroy himself."
missing "himself" -- (MW) The verb is the Greek middle voice that indicates that subjects act "for" or "on" themselves. Some English transitive verbs require a reflexive pronoun ("itself," "themselves" etc.) after the verb to capture this meaning.
but -- The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "rather." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, not doing something, with a positive one, "instead do this."
have -- The word translated as "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "keep close," "have means to do," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as it is in English.
everlasting - "Everlasting" is an adjective based on the word that means "age" or "eon." It has the sense of "perpetual" or "ageless."
life. - The word translated as "life" means "living" but it also means "substance," "existence," and "property." Christ uses it to mean "existence" beyond physical life. See this article on the various Greek words that Jesus uses to describe various aspects of life.
Οὕτως [137 verses](adv) "So" is houtos, as an adverb, it means "in this way," "therefore," "so much," "to such an extent," and "that is why."
γὰρ [205 verses](partic) "For" comes from gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for," "since," and "as." In an abrupt question, it means "why" and "what."
ἠγάπησεν [32 verses](3rd sg aor ind act) "Love" is agapao, which means "to be fond of," "to greet with affection," "to persuade," "to caress," "to prize," "to desire," "to be pleased with," and "to be contended with." This love is more associated with commitment in relationships where we are obligated.
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
θεὸς [144 verses](noun sg masc nom) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity."
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κόσμον [63 verses](noun sg masc acc) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.
ὥστε [9 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoste, which marks the power or virtue by which one does a thing, "as being," "inasmuch as," expresses the actual or intended result of the action in the principal clause: "as," "for," implying " on condition that," at the beginning of a sentence, to mark a strong conclusion, "and so," "therefore," and with subj. " in order that."
τὸν [821 verses] (article sg masc acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
υἱὸν [157 verses](noun sg masc acc) "The Son" is from huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child."
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc dat) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
μονογενῆ [2 verses](adj sg masc acc) "Only begotten" is monogenes, which means "the only member of a kin," "only," "single," "unique," "one and the same blood," [in grammar] "having the same form in all genders," and [of plants] "growing only in one place."
ἔδωκεν[147 verses] (3rd sg aor ind act) "Gave" is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe."
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place", "there", "where", "when", "that", "in order that", "when," and "because."
πᾶς [212 verses](adj sg masc nom) "Whosoever" is from pas (pas), which means "all", "the whole", "every", "anyone", "all kinds," and "anything."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
πιστεύων [69 verses](part sg pres act masc nom) "Believeth" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person," "to believe in someone's words," "to comply," "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing."
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "In" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
αὐτὸν [720 verses](adj sg masc acc) "Him" (adj sg masc acc) "Him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it means "just here" or "exactly there."
μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. With pres. or aor. subj. used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care" It can be the conjunction "lest" or "for fear that."
ἀπόληται [43 verses](3rd sg aor subj mid) "Should perish" is apollymi, which means "to demolish," "to lay waste," "to lose," "to perish," "to die," "to cease to exist," and "to be undone."
ἀλλὰ [154 verses](conj) "But" is alla, which means "otherwise," "but," "still," "at least," "except," "yet," nevertheless," "rather," "moreover," and "nay."
ἔχῃ [181 verses](3rd sg pres subj act) "Shall have" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."
ζωὴν [42 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Life" is zoe, which means "living," "substance," "property," "existence," and, incidentally, "the scum on milk." It has the sense of how we say "make a living" to mean property. Homer used it more to mean the opposite of death.
αἰώνιον [23 verses](adj sg fem acc) "Everlasting" is aionios, which means "lasting for an age," "perpetual," and "eternal." From "aion" which is used in the bible to mean an "age." -- "Everlasting" is an adjective based on the word that means "age" or "eon." It has the sense of "perpetual" or "ageless."