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Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=important (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) The true light which enlightens every person was coming into the world.![]()
OET-LV It_was the the true light, which is_enlightening every person, coming into the world.
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SR-GNT Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ‡
(Aʸn to fōs to alaʸthinon, ho fōtizei panta anthrōpon, erⱪomenon eis ton kosmon.)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT The true light, which gives light to all men, was coming into the world.
UST That true light was Jesus, who revealed God’s truth and goodness to everyone. He was that light that was coming into the world.
BSB The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
MSB (Same as BSB above)
BLB The true Light who enlightens every man was coming into the world.
AICNT The true light, which enlightens every person, was coming into the world.[fn]
1:9, world: The Greek word can mean (1) that which serves to beautify through decoration, adornment, adorning, (2) condition of orderliness, orderly arrangement, order, (3) the sum total of everything here and now, the world, the (orderly) universe, (4) the sum total of all beings above the level of the animals, the world, (5) planet earth as a place of inhabitation, the world, (6) humanity in general, the world, (7) the system of human existence in its many aspects, the world, or (8) collective aspect of an entity, totality, sum total. (BDAG, κόσμος)
OEB That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.
CSB The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
CEV The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.
LSB There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.
WEBBE The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
WMBB (Same as above)
NET The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
LSV He was the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming into the world;
FBV The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone.
TCNT The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
T4T While John was doing that, the one who was truly like a light was about to show himself to the world. He was the one who enables all people to know about God, as a light [MET] enables people to know what is in the darkness.
LEB The true light, who gives light to every person, was coming into the world.
BBE The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world.
Moff The real Light, which enlightens every man, was coming then into the world:
Wymth The true Light was that which illumines every man by its coming into the world.
ASV There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
DRA That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
YLT He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world;
Drby The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man.
RV There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world.
SLT The Light was true, which enlightens every man coming into the world.
Wbstr That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
KJB-1769 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
(That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh/comes into the world. )
KJB-1611 That was the true light, which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)
Bshps That lyght was the true lyght, which lyghteth euery man that commeth into the worlde.
(That light was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh/comes into the world.)
Gnva This was that true light, which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world.
(This was that true light, which lighteth every man that cometh/comes into the world. )
Cvdl That was the true light, which lighteth all men, that come in to this worlde.
(That was the true light, which lighteth all men, that come in to this world.)
TNT That was a true lyght which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde.
(That was a true light which lighteth all men that come into the world. )
Wycl There was a very liyt, which liytneth ech man that cometh in to this world.
(There was a very light, which lightneth each man that cometh/comes in to this world.)
Luth Das war das wahrhaftige Licht, welches alle Menschen erleuchtet die in diese Welt kommen.
(The what/which the truthfullye light(n), which all people illuminated the in this/these world coming.)
ClVg Erat lux vera, quæ illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum.[fn]
(It_was light true, which illuminates all man coming in/into/on this_one the_world. )
1.9 Erat lux vera. Omnis homo dicitur illa natura in homine, quæ ad imaginem et ad similitudinem Dei facta est. Alia omnia quæ sunt in homine inferiores partes hominis sunt, et quodammodo extra hominem sunt. In illa scilicet, anima velut in quodam mundo superiori vera lux lucet, et in illum mundum venientes, et per gratiam renascentes illuminat, quia quorum vita et conversatio in cœlis est, quasi in alio mundo sunt.
1.9 It_was light true. Everyone human it_is_said that nature/element in/into/on man, which to image and to similarity of_God facts it_is. Alia everything which are in/into/on man inferiores parts of_man are, and in_a_certain_way outside man are. In that namely, the_soul like/as in/into/on a_certain to_the_world superior true light shines, and in/into/on him the_world coming, and through grace renascentes illuminates, because whose life and conversation in/into/on heavens it_is, as_if in/into/on another to_the_world are.
UGNT ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
(aʸn to fōs to alaʸthinon, ho fōtizei panta anthrōpon, erⱪomenon eis ton kosmon.)
SBL-GNT ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
(aʸn to fōs to alaʸthinon ho fōtizei panta anthrōpon erⱪomenon eis ton kosmon.)
RP-GNT Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
(Aʸn to fōs to alaʸthinon, ho fōtizei panta anthrōpon erⱪomenon eis ton kosmon.)
TC-GNT Ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
(Aʸn to fōs to alaʸthinon, ho fōtizei panta anthrōpon erⱪomenon eis ton kosmon. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, orange:accents differ (from our SR-GNT base).
1:1-18 The beginning of this prologue (1:1-5) might be a poem or hymn sung by the earliest Christians. The prologue’s themes—the coming of the light into the world, the rejection of the light, and its gift of new life to believers—prepares readers for the story that follows.
The Word
John raises the curtain on his Gospel with a stunning description of Jesus Christ as “the Word” (Greek logos, John 1:1). Both Greek and Jewish listeners in the first century would immediately recognize the profound meaning of this title. Greeks would have thought of the seminal forces that sustain the universe. Jewish minds would have thought back to God creating the world with his word (Gen 1:3-28; Ps 33:6, 9). In Jesus’ day, the Word of God had taken on creative personal attributes. Jews viewed God’s Word as personifying divine Wisdom. Through Wisdom, God extended himself into the cosmos, creating the world (Prov 8:22-31).
John makes it clear that Jesus shares the same essence as God; the Son existed before time, and he was the agent of all creation. John anchors the divinity of Jesus in this ancient Jewish concept of Wisdom. The divine Wisdom that has existed with God from before time can now be known in Jesus Christ. In perhaps the most striking verse penned by an apostle, John writes that this Logos, this Wisdom, became flesh and lived among us as a human (John 1:14). What God is, the Logos is, and the Logos is Jesus Christ.
Passages for Further Study
Gen 1:3-28; Ps 33:6, 9; Prov 8:22-31; Isa 40:8; John 1:1-18; 1 Jn 1:1; Rev 19:13
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
This paragraph explains who John the Baptist was and why God sent him. John came to announce the coming of the one who was the light, Jesus Christ.
The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.
The real/genuine light that gives light to every person was about to enter the world.
For the true light was about to come upon the earth. This man would enable all people to know about God.
The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world: This refers to the Word, Jesus Christ, in contrast to John the Baptist. He was the true light, he gives light to everyone, and he was coming into the world. Here is another way to translate this clause:
The true light that gives light to all was coming into the world! (NCV)
The true Light: The Greek word that the BSB translates as true here means “real” or “genuine.” For example:
the real light (NJB)
Light: See the note on Light in 1:4b and how you translated this in 1:4b, 1:5a, and 1:8a–b.
who gives light to every man: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as gives light can be understood in two ways:
it means to give light to someone so that they can see. For example:
which gives light to everyone (ESV) (BSB, NASB, NRSV, ESV, NIV, REB, NET, NLT)
it means to shine on someone so that they can be seen. For example:
which shines on everyone (GW) (GW, GNT, CEV)
The KJV is ambiguous. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most English translations. However, it is good if people can understand that the light enables them to see themselves as well as other things. The true light allows everyone to see that they themselves are sinful. The true light also allows everyone to understand something of God and his greatness and goodness.
In some languages you may need to explain the metaphor of light by translating gives light in this way:
who reveals true things to all people
was coming into the world: This refers to Jesus Christ’s public ministry. Jesus had already been born, and was in fact only a few months younger than John the Baptist. However, he had not yet begun preaching to the people.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν, ὃ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἦν τό φῶς τό ἀληθινόν ὅ φωτίζει παντᾶ ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τόν κόσμον)
John uses light to refer to Jesus as the one who both reveals the truth about God and is himself that truth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Jesus, who truly embodied God’s truth, who]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἦν τό φῶς τό ἀληθινόν ὅ φωτίζει παντᾶ ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τόν κόσμον)
John uses light to refer to God’s truth and goodness. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [which reveals the true and good things of God to all men]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
ἄνθρωπον
person
Although the term men is masculine, John is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. Alternate translation: [people]