John 1:18
ContextNETBible | No one has ever seen God. The only one, 1 himself God, who is in closest fellowship with 2 the Father, has made God 3 known. 4 |
XREF | Ge 16:13; Ge 18:33; Ge 32:28-30; Ge 48:15,16; Ex 3:4-6; Ex 23:21; Ex 33:18-23; Ex 33:20; Ex 34:5-7; Nu 12:8; De 4:12; Jos 5:13-15; Jos 6:1,2; Jud 6:12-26; Jud 13:20-23; Pr 8:30; Isa 6:1-3; Isa 40:11; La 2:12; Eze 1:26-28; Ho 12:3-5; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22; Lu 16:22,23; Joh 1:14; Joh 3:16-18; Joh 6:46; Joh 12:41; Joh 13:23; Joh 14:9; Joh 17:6,26; Col 1:15; 1Ti 1:17; 1Ti 6:16; 1Jo 4:9; 1Jo 4:12,20; 1Jo 5:20 |
NET © Notes |
1 tc The textual problem μονογενὴς θεός (monogenh" qeo", “the only God”) versus ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός (Jo monogenh" Juio", “the only son”) is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the tn Or “The unique one.” For the meaning of μονογενής (monogenh") see the note on “one and only” in 1:14. 2 tn Grk “in the bosom of” (an idiom for closeness or nearness; cf. L&N 34.18; BDAG 556 s.v. κόλπος 1). 3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 4 sn Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.” |