Open Bible Data Home  About  News  OET Key

OETOET-RVOET-LVULTUSTBSBMSBBLBAICNTOEBWEBBEWMBBNETLSVFBVTCNTT4TLEBBBEMoffJPSWymthASVDRAYLTDrbyRVSLTWbstrKJB-1769KJB-1611BshpsGnvaCvdlTNTWyclSR-GNTUHBBrLXXBrTrRelatedTopicsParallel Interlinear ReferenceDictionarySearch

InterlinearVerse GENEXOLEVNUMDEUJOBJOSJDGRUTH1 SAM2 SAMPSAAMOSHOS1 KI2 KI1 CHR2 CHRPROVECCSNGJOELMICISAZEPHABJERLAMYNA (JNA)NAHOBADANEZEEZRAESTNEHHAGZECMALLAOGESLESESGDNG2 PSTOBJDTWISSIRBARLJEPAZSUSBELMAN1 MAC2 MAC3 MAC4 MACYHNMARKMATLUKEACTsYAC (JAM)GAL1 TH2 TH1 COR2 CORROMCOLPHMEPHPHP1 TIMTIT1 PET2 PET2 TIMHEBYUD (JUD)1 YHN (1 JHN)2 YHN (2 JHN)3 YHN (3 JHN)REV

Yhn C1C2C3C4C5C6C7C8C9C10C11C12C13C14C15C16C17C18C19C20C21

Yhn 3 V1V2V3V4V5V6V7V8V9V10V11V12V14V15V16V17V18V19V20V21V22V23V24V25V26V27V28V29V30V31V32V33V34V35V36

OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 3:13

YHN (JHN) 3:13 ©

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. Καί
    2. kai
    3. And
    4. but
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. S
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64096
    1. οὐδείς
    2. oudeis
    3. no one
    4. -
    5. 37620
    6. R····NMS
    7. no_one
    8. no_one
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64097
    1. ἐστίν
    2. eimi
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 15100
    6. VIPA3··S
    7. is
    8. is
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64098
    1. ὅς
    2. hos
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 37390
    6. R····NMS
    7. who
    8. who
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64099
    1. ἀναβέβηκεν
    2. anabainō
    3. has gone up
    4. -
    5. 3050
    6. VIEA3··S
    7. ˓has˒ gone_up
    8. ˓has˒ gone_up
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64100
    1. ἀνέβη
    2. anabainō
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 3050
    6. VIAA3··S
    7. went_uphill
    8. went_up
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64101
    1. εἰς
    2. eis
    3. into
    4. -
    5. 15190
    6. P·······
    7. into
    8. into
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64102
    1. τόν
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····AMS
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64103
    1. οὐρανόν
    2. ouranos
    3. heaven
    4. -
    5. 37720
    6. N····AMS
    7. heaven
    8. heaven
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64104
    1. εἰ
    2. ei
    3. except
    4. -
    5. 14870
    6. C·······
    7. except
    8. except
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64105
    1. μή
    2. not/lest
    3. -
    4. 33610
    5. D·······
    6. ¬not/lest
    7. ¬not/lest
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64106
    1. ho
    2. the one
    3. -
    4. 35880
    5. R····NMS
    6. the ‹one›
    7. the ‹one›
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64107
    1. ἐκ
    2. ek
    3. out of
    4. -
    5. 15370
    6. P·······
    7. out_of
    8. out_of
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64108
    1. τοῦ
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····GMS
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64109
    1. οὐρανοῦ
    2. ouranos
    3. heaven
    4. -
    5. 37720
    6. N····GMS
    7. heaven
    8. heaven
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64110
    1. καταβάς
    2. katabainō
    3. having come down
    4. -
    5. 25970
    6. VPAA·NMS
    7. ˓having˒ come_downhill
    8. ˓having˒ come_down
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64111
    1. ho
    2. the
    3. -
    4. 35880
    5. E····NMS
    6. the
    7. the
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64112
    1. Υἱός
    2. huios
    3. son
    4. -
    5. 52070
    6. N····NMS
    7. son
    8. Son
    9. G
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus; Person=Jesus
    11. 64113
    1. τοῦ
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····GMS
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64114
    1. Ἀνθρώπου
    2. anthrōpos
    3. of Man
    4. -
    5. 4440
    6. N····GMS
    7. ˱of˲ Man
    8. ˱of˲ Man
    9. G
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64115
    1. ho
    2. -
    3. -
    4. 35880
    5. R····NMS
    6. ¬which
    7. ¬which
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 64116
    1. ὤν
    2. eimi
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 15100
    6. VPPA·NMS
    7. being
    8. being
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64117
    1. ἐν
    2. en
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 17220
    6. P·······
    7. in
    8. in
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64118
    1. τῷ
    2. ho
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····DMS
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64119
    1. οὐρανῷ
    2. ouranos
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 37720
    6. N····DMS
    7. heaven
    8. heaven
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 64120

OET (OET-LV)And no_one has_gone_up into the heaven, except not/lest the one having_come_down out_of the heaven, the son of_ the _Man.

OET (OET-RV)None of you have ever gone up into heaven, but I, humanity’s child, have come down from heaven.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–21: A Pharisee named Nicodemus questioned Jesus

This section tells about how a Pharisee called Nicodemus went to visit Jesus. Jesus told Nicodemus that all people need God to change them. Nicodemus could be sure that Jesus was speaking the truth because Jesus came from God.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus told a Pharisee that he needed to change

Everyone must be born again

All people need God to give them a new birth/life

Paragraph 3:9–15

In this paragraph, in verse 10, Jesus began to talk about his authority. He claimed that he had the right to teach about God because he had come from God. In ancient Greek, quotation marks were not used, so it is not always easy to tell where a quotation ends. Different translations end Jesus’ speech at different points. Here are the possibilities:

  1. Jesus’ own words end at the end of 3:21. (NASB, NRSV, ESV, NIV84, REB, NJB, NLT, NCV)

  2. Jesus’ own words end at the end of 3:15. (RSV, NET, GW, NIV11)

  3. Jesus’ own words end at the end of 3:13. (GNT)

It is not clear where the KJV and CEV end the quotation. It is recommended that you follow most English translations and end Jesus’ speech at the end of verse 21.

3:13a–b

No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man: This verse is a reference to Proverbs 30:4a, which reads “Who has ascended to heaven and come down?” The question in Proverbs is asking who has brought wisdom from God to earth. Here Jesus answered this question by saying that he himself had been in heaven and had come down from heaven. In that way he brought the knowledge of heavenly things to earth. See the notes on John 1:18. See also John 1:51, where the angels of God are said to “ascend” and “descend” on the Son of Man.

3:13a

No one has ascended into heaven

No one has ascended into heaven: This clause is difficult to understand. It probably indicates that no one (but Jesus) had ever been in heaven and come down to earth. As such he was the only one who could truly tell what he had seen and knew of God. The word ascended means “went up.”

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

no one has ever gone up to heaven (GNT)

no one has ever gone to heaven and returned (NLT)

heaven: The word heaven here refers to the place where God lives.

3:13b

except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.

except the One…the Son of Man: Jesus was referring to himself.There is a textual issue in this verse. (1) Some Greek manuscripts have just the Son of Man. For example: the Son of Man (NIV) (BSB, NIV, RSV. NRSV, CEV, REB, GNT, NLT, GW, NCV, NJB) (2) Other Greek manuscripts have the Son of Man who is in/from heaven. For example: [even] the Son of man which is in heaven. (KJV) (KJV, REB) You should follow option (1) because it has the best manuscript support. Also, most English translations follow this option. In some languages it may be more natural to use a form like “I” or “me” to make that clear. For example:

I, the Son of Man, am the only one

I who became man/human

me, the Son of Man

the Son of Man: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the Son of Man is more literally “the Son of the human/person.” Jesus used this title to imply two things:

  1. He was a true human being, and he represented all people

  2. He came from God and had authority from God

Try to use an expression that implies both meanings. Here are some possible translations:

the Human-born

the Man from God/Heaven

the Representative of Mankind

Translators have also used expressions that are more literal. These more literal expressions may be suitable where readers are familiar with a literal expression in another translation.

See how you translated this term in 1:51.

See Son of Man in KBT.

General Comment on 3:13a–b

“No one…except” is a double negative with a positive emphasis. It indicates that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the only person to have been in heaven and come down to earth. In some languages it is more natural to translate with a positive statement. For example:

The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the One who came down from heaven—the Son of Man. (NCV)

Who has gone to heaven? I, the true man from God, am the only one, because I came from heaven.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς

the_‹one› out_of ¬the heaven ˓having˒_come_down

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: [me, the one who descended from heaven]

Note 2 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples

ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου

the_‹one› the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί οὐδείς ἀναβέβηκεν εἰς τόν οὐρανόν εἰ μή ὁ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου)

The title Son of Man is equivalent to “Messiah.” Jesus uses it to claim that role subtly and implicitly. You may want to translate this title directly into your language. On the other hand, if you think it would be helpful to your readers, you could state what it means. See the discussion of this phrase in Part 3 of the General Introduction to the Gospel of John. Alternate translation: [the Messiah]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

3:13 There is great distance between this world and heaven (see 1:51; 3:31; 6:38, 42). Jesus bridged that distance, validating his divine status by defeating death and returning to heaven (16:5-11).

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. And
    2. but
    3. 25320
    4. S
    5. kai
    6. C-·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. S
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64096
    1. no one
    2. -
    3. 37620
    4. oudeis
    5. R-····NMS
    6. no_one
    7. no_one
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64097
    1. has gone up
    2. -
    3. 3050
    4. anabainō
    5. V-IEA3··S
    6. ˓has˒ gone_up
    7. ˓has˒ gone_up
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64100
    1. into
    2. -
    3. 15190
    4. eis
    5. P-·······
    6. into
    7. into
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64102
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    4. ho
    5. E-····AMS
    6. ¬the
    7. ¬the
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64103
    1. heaven
    2. -
    3. 37720
    4. ouranos
    5. N-····AMS
    6. heaven
    7. heaven
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64104
    1. except
    2. -
    3. 14870
    4. ei
    5. C-·······
    6. except
    7. except
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64105
    1. not/lest
    2. -
    3. 33610
    4. D-·······
    5. ¬not/lest
    6. ¬not/lest
    7. -
    8. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    9. 64106
    1. the one
    2. -
    3. 35880
    4. ho
    5. R-····NMS
    6. the ‹one›
    7. the ‹one›
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64107
    1. having come down
    2. -
    3. 25970
    4. katabainō
    5. V-PAA·NMS
    6. ˓having˒ come_downhill
    7. ˓having˒ come_down
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64111
    1. out of
    2. -
    3. 15370
    4. ek
    5. P-·······
    6. out_of
    7. out_of
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64108
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    4. ho
    5. E-····GMS
    6. ¬the
    7. ¬the
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64109
    1. heaven
    2. -
    3. 37720
    4. ouranos
    5. N-····GMS
    6. heaven
    7. heaven
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64110
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    4. ho
    5. E-····NMS
    6. the
    7. the
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64112
    1. son
    2. -
    3. 52070
    4. G
    5. huios
    6. N-····NMS
    7. son
    8. Son
    9. G
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus; Person=Jesus
    11. 64113
    1. of
    2. -
    3. 4440
    4. G
    5. anthrōpos
    6. N-····GMS
    7. ˱of˲ Man
    8. ˱of˲ Man
    9. G
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64115
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    4. ho
    5. E-····GMS
    6. ¬the
    7. ¬the
    8. -
    9. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    10. 64114
    1. Man
    2. -
    3. 4440
    4. G
    5. anthrōpos
    6. N-····GMS
    7. ˱of˲ Man
    8. ˱of˲ Man
    9. G
    10. Y30; TJesus_and_Nicodemus
    11. 64115

OET (OET-LV)And no_one has_gone_up into the heaven, except not/lest the one having_come_down out_of the heaven, the son of_ the _Man.

OET (OET-RV)None of you have ever gone up into heaven, but I, humanity’s child, have come down from heaven.

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.

OET logo mark

YHN (JHN) 3:13 ©