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OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 1:3

← YHN (JHN) 1:3 ↓ → ► ║ ≡ ©

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

    1. Greek word
    2. Greek lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. Παντᾶ
    2. pas
    3. All things
    4. -
    5. 39560
    6. S····NNP
    7. all ‹things›
    8. all ‹things›
    9. S
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62363
    1. διʼ
    2. dia
    3. through
    4. through
    5. 12230
    6. P·······
    7. through
    8. through
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62364
    1. αὐτοῦ
    2. autos
    3. him
    4. @the
    5. 8460
    6. R···3GMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y-4004; R62355
    11. 62365
    1. ἐγένετο
    2. ginomai
    3. became
    4. -
    5. 10960
    6. VIAM3··S
    7. became
    8. became
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62366
    1. καί
    2. kai
    3. and
    4. -
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62367
    1. χωρίς
    2. χōris
    3. without
    4. -
    5. 55650
    6. P·······
    7. without
    8. without
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62368
    1. αὐτοῦ
    2. autos
    3. him
    4. -
    5. 8460
    6. R···3GMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y-4004; R62355
    11. 62369
    1. ἐγένετο
    2. ginomai
    3. became
    4. -
    5. 10960
    6. VIAM3··S
    7. became
    8. became
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62370
    1. οὐδέν
    2. oudeis
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 37620
    6. R····NNS
    7. not_one
    8. not_one
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 62371
    1. οὐδέ
    2. oude
    3. not even
    4. not even
    5. 37610
    6. D·······
    7. not_even
    8. not_even
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62372
    1. ἕν
    2. heis
    3. one thing
    4. one
    5. 15200
    6. S····NNS
    7. one ‹thing›
    8. one ‹thing›
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62373
    1. ὅ
    2. hos
    3. that
    4. -
    5. 37390
    6. R····NNS
    7. that
    8. that
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62374
    1. γέγονεν
    2. ginomai
    3. has become
    4. -
    5. 10960
    6. VIEA3··S
    7. ˓has˒ become
    8. ˓has˒ become
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62375

OET (OET-LV) All things became through him, and without him not_even one thing became that has_become.

OET (OET-RV) Everything came into existence through the messenger[fn]—there’s not even one thing that came into existence that wasn’t made by him.

1:3 Lit. him.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:1–18: The Word became flesh

In this section the author introduces the subject of his book, Jesus Christ. However, he does not mention Jesus by name until near the end of this section, in 1:17. Instead, he uses figurative language, referring to him as the Word and the light.

Here are other possible section headings:

The Word brought life and light to all people

Jesus is the Word and the light

Paragraph 1:1–5

In this paragraph John introduced his Gospel by writing about a person whom he calls the Word. He emphasized that from the beginning the Word was with God and that the Word was God. God created everything through the Word. Read Genesis 1:1–5 before you translate this section. It is good to use the same words for “beginning,” “made/created,” and “light” that are used there.

This paragraph has a lot of images in it like a poem and may have been a song or hymn.

1:3a

Through Him all things were made,

Through Him all things were made: The clause that the BSB translates as Through Him all things were made is more literally “all things were/became.” This clause indicates that it was through the Word that the universe began. God created all things through the Word. This includes things that are alive and things that are not alive. It includes planets and stars, water and rocks, plants, animals, and humans. Here the author John continued to connect the Word with the story of creation in Genesis 1. See also 1 Corinthians 8:6, Hebrews 1:2, and Colossians 1:16–17.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Everything began to exist by means of him.

Through him God made all things. (GNT)

God created everything through him. (NLT)

God worked through the Word to cause everything to exist

Through Him: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Through here means “by means of.” It refers to the person who made something happen. Here it refers to the way or agent that God used to make everything. It was “by means of” or Through the Word that God created all things. For example:

By means of him.

With the Word as God’s agent

Him: This pronoun continues to refer to the Word. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

And with this Word, God created all things. (NET)

1:3b

and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

and without Him nothing was made that has been made: There are two ways to connect that has been made to the surrounding clauses:

  1. It is the end of the sentence that begins with 1:3a–b. It should be translated as “that was made” (RSV) or “that was created.” For example:

    3bwithout him nothing was made 3cthat has been made. 4aIn him was life (NIV) (BSB, NIV, KJV, NASB, ESV, RSV, GW, NET, NCV, GNT, NLT96, ESV)

  2. It is the beginning of a new sentence that continues in 1:4. It should be translated as “What has come into being” (NRSV) or “Everything that was created” (CEV). For example:

    3bNothing was made without the Word. 3cEverything that was created 4areceived its life from him (CEV) (NJB, CEV, NLT, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Interpretation (1) is more in agreement with John’s style and doctrine, and makes more sense in the context.For more information, see Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the New Testament, pp. 195–96. Metzger disagreed with the decision of the UBS Committee, which supported interpretation (2), and wrote about interpretation (1), “It is more consistent with the Johannine repetitive style, as well as with Johannine doctrine (cf. 5:26, 39; 6:53), to say nothing concerning the sense of the passage, to punctuate with a full stop after [that has been made].” Also, most English translations follow this interpretation. The NIV has therefore been used in the Display.

The meaning of interpretation (1) is that nothing that was made was made apart from the Word. It is a negative way of saying what 1:3a says in a positive way. No one else made anything that was made. The Word made everything that was made.

Here are other ways to translate these clauses:

not one thing in all creation was made without him (GNT)

Not one thing that exists was made without him. (GW)

and: The common Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as and here introduces a statement that repeats the idea of 1:3a. This restatement uses a negative instead of a positive verb. In some languages it may be natural to leave this conjunction untranslated, as the GNT has done.

without Him nothing was made that has been made: This clause means “only with/through the Word has anything begun to exist.” This is another way of saying “Through him all things were made” (1:3a). This restatement emphasizes the information.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

nothing was made without him (NCV)

God did not make anything without him (EE)

In some languages it may be natural to translate the double negative with a positive statement. For example:

only through him has anything come into being

without Him: This phrase means “without the Word,” meaning apart from the person or activity of the Word. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

apart from him (NET)

nothing was made that has been made: This expression is more literally “nothing came into being.” Here are other ways to translate this clause:

no created thing came into being (REB)

nothing that God made began to exist

General Comment on 1:3a-b

These clauses mean the same thing. 1:3a uses a positive statement and 1:3b uses a negative statement. This repetition emphasizes the idea. In some languages it is more natural to emphasize the idea with one strong statement. For example:

all things without exception were made through/by the Word

absolutely nothing was made except (lit. if not) through him (Kankanaey Back Translation)

God created absolutely everything with the Word.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Παντᾶ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καί χωρίς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδέ ἕν ὅ γέγονεν)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, John implies that God did it. Alternate translation: [God made all things through him]

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτοῦ

him

The pronoun him is referring to Jesus, the one who is called “the Word.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [Jesus] or [the Word]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Παντᾶ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καί χωρίς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδέ ἕν ὅ γέγονεν)

If this double negative would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: [with him came into being everything that came into being]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Παντᾶ διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καί χωρίς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδέ ἕν ὅ γέγονεν)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, John implies that God did it. Alternate translation: [God did not make one thing without him] or [with him, God made everything that God has made]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Greek word
    5. Greek lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. All things
    2. -
    3. 39560
    4. S
    5. pas
    6. S-····NNP
    7. all ‹things›
    8. all ‹things›
    9. S
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62363
    1. became
    2. -
    3. 10960
    5. ginomai
    6. V-IAM3··S
    7. became
    8. became
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62366
    1. through
    2. through
    3. 12230
    5. dia
    6. P-·······
    7. through
    8. through
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62364
    1. him
    2. @the
    3. 8460
    5. autos
    6. R-···3GMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y-4004; R62355
    11. 62365
    1. and
    2. -
    3. 25320
    5. kai
    6. C-·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62367
    1. without
    2. -
    3. 55650
    5. χōris
    6. P-·······
    7. without
    8. without
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62368
    1. him
    2. -
    3. 8460
    5. autos
    6. R-···3GMS
    7. him
    8. him
    9. -
    10. Y-4004; R62355
    11. 62369
    1. not even
    2. not even
    3. 37610
    5. oude
    6. D-·······
    7. not_even
    8. not_even
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62372
    1. one thing
    2. one
    3. 15200
    5. heis
    6. S-····NNS
    7. one ‹thing›
    8. one ‹thing›
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62373
    1. became
    2. -
    3. 10960
    5. ginomai
    6. V-IAM3··S
    7. became
    8. became
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62370
    1. that
    2. -
    3. 37390
    5. hos
    6. R-····NNS
    7. that
    8. that
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62374
    1. has become
    2. -
    3. 10960
    5. ginomai
    6. V-IEA3··S
    7. ˓has˒ become
    8. ˓has˒ become
    9. -
    10. Y-4004
    11. 62375

OET (OET-LV) All things became through him, and without him not_even one thing became that has_become.

OET (OET-RV) Everything came into existence through the messenger[fn]—there’s not even one thing that came into existence that wasn’t made by him.

1:3 Lit. him.

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

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← YHN (JHN) 1:3 ↑ → ► ║ ≡ ©