1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
In the beginning the Word was. And the Word was toward God, and what God was, the Word was.
Why this rendering
John.1.1 · 1c Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
θεός has no article. And it stands before the verb. The τὸν θεόν immediately preceding in 1:1b does have one — within a single sentence the author drew a distinction. The articular ὁ λόγος is the subject; the anarthrous θεός is the predicate.
Rendering options · 4
the Word was God
Basis The traditional reading: the missing article is mere omission, and the definite sense is retained. Colwell (1933) has long been cited in this direction.
Rejected Colwell's rule states that a definite predicate nominative preceding the verb lacks the article — not the converse. Reasoning backwards from it is a logical misuse, and Colwell himself made no such claim.
Adopted what God was, the Word was
Basis Harner (1973): a pre-verbal anarthrous predicate nominative signals quality, not identity. It says neither that the λόγος is the same person as the πατήρ nor that he is one god among several, but that he fully possesses what it is to be God.
the Word was divine
Basis The qualitative reading rendered as an adjective.
Rejected Greek has a separate adjective for 'divine' — θεῖος — and John did not use it. There is no warrant for weakening the noun θεός into an adjective.
the Word was a god
Basis Mechanical mapping of the missing article onto an English indefinite article.
Rejected Greek has no indefinite article; rendering its absence as 'a' assumes a correspondence between the languages that does not exist. Applying the same rule to the anarthrous θεοῦ/θεόν in 1:6, 1:12 and 1:13 yields nonsense.
Lost in translation
관사 대조 The contrast between τὸν θεόν (with article) in 1:1b and θεός (without) in 1:1c vanishes in nearly every translation. Neither English nor Korean has the means to mark it.
Survives in · 원문 / 행간역
어순 θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος — Greek fronts θεός for emphasis. Neutral order would have been ὁ λόγος ἦν θεός.
Survives in · 원문
미완료 시제 ἦν All three instances of ἦν in 1:1 are imperfect — continuous state. They stand against ἐγένετο in v3 (aorist, 'came to be'). John marks the difference grammatically; translations flatten both into a past tense.
Survives in · 원문
2
οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
He was in the beginning toward God.
3
πάντα δι’ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. ὃ γέγονεν
All things came to be through him, and apart from him not one thing came to be.
Why this rendering
John.1.3 · 3d-4a Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
Whether ὃ γέγονεν ('that which has come to be') closes v3 or opens v4 changes the sense entirely. Ancient manuscripts carried no punctuation, so this is not a manuscript question but purely an editorial judgment.
Rendering options · 2
…nothing was made that has been made. // In him was life
Basis The traditional punctuation, attaching ὃ γέγονεν to v3.
Rejected It produces a tautology ('nothing that was made was made'). And most ante-Nicene fathers did not read it this way.
Adopted …not one thing came to be. // That which has come to be — in him was life
Basis Attaching ὃ γέγονεν to v4 — the punctuation adopted by SBLGNT and the NA critical text, supported by citations in the ante-Nicene fathers (Irenaeus, Clement, Origen and others).
Lost in translation
편집 판단의 불가시성 The punctuation in the reader's Bible is an editorial decision, not a translation. Yet no translation marks it as one.
Survives in · 비평본 각주
4
ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων·
That which has come to be — in him was life, and the life was the light of humankind.
5
καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
And the light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not seize it.
Why this rendering
John.1.5 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
καταλαμβάνω means 'seize' at root, and from there branches into (1) grasping mentally = understand and (2) grasping physically = overpower. John narrowed it to neither.
Rendering options · 3
the darkness did not comprehend it
Basis The cognitive sense, continuous with the 'did not know him' theme of 1:10-11.
Rejected It excludes the sense of overpowering, narrowing the range beyond the original.
the darkness has not overcome it
Basis The sense of overpowering. The same verb at John 12:35 (so that darkness may not overtake you) points this way.
Rejected It excludes the cognitive sense.
Adopted the darkness did not seize it
Basis Choose a superordinate term that preserves both. John's Gospel uses deliberate double meaning repeatedly (ἄνωθεν 3:3, ὑψόω 3:14); reading an intended ambiguity here is consistent with the author's manner.
Lost in translation
의도된 중의 Neither English nor Korean has a word meaning both 'understand' and 'overpower'. The translator must discard one, and that a choice was made is invisible to the reader.
Survives in · 원문 / 각주
6
Ἐγένετο ἄνθρωπος ἀπεσταλμένος παρὰ θεοῦ, ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ἰωάννης·
There came a man, sent from God; his name was John.
7
οὗτος ἦλθεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός, ἵνα πάντες πιστεύσωσιν δι’ αὐτοῦ.
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, so that all might believe through him.
8
οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖνος τὸ φῶς, ἀλλ’ ἵνα μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ φωτός.
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9
ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10
Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος δι’ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω.
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, yet the world did not recognize him.
11
εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθεν, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12
ὅσοι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτόν, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ,
But to all who did receive him, who believe in his name, he gave authority to become children of God —
13
οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς ἀλλ’ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν.
who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.
14
Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·
And the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us. We beheld his glory, glory as of the only one from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Why this rendering
John.1.14 · 14a Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
ἐσκήνωσεν derives from σκηνή (tent); literally 'pitched a tent'. In the Septuagint σκηνή is the standard word for the wilderness tabernacle. John could have used the ordinary verbs for dwelling — οἰκέω or μένω — and did not.
Rendering options · 2
dwelt among us
Basis Generalising the sense. It reads easily.
Rejected The tabernacle echo is lost entirely, erasing the reason John chose a marked word.
Adopted pitched his tent among us
Basis Literal rendering. It puts the reader immediately in Exodus 40 — God pitching his tent among his people in the wilderness, now re-enacted.
Lost in translation
70인역 성막 반향 σκηνόω → σκηνή → the tabernacle of Exodus 40:34. That chain disappears in 'dwelt among us'. It is the first signal of a structure running through the whole Gospel — Jesus as the new temple (2:19-21) — and the first signal is what translation erases.
Survives in · 원문 / YLT
μονογενής의 어근 μονογενής later in v14 derives from γένος (kind), not γεννάω (beget). 'Only begotten' arrived through the Latin unigenitus; etymologically it is closer to 'one of a kind'.
Survives in · 원문
15
(Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων· Οὗτος ἦν ⸂ὃν εἶπον⸃· Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν·)
John bears witness about him and has cried out: “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me has ranked ahead of me, because he was before me.’”
16
⸀ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος·
For from his fullness we have all received — grace upon grace.
17
ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came to be through Jesus Christ.
18
θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· ⸂μονογενὴς θεὸς⸃ ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.
No one has ever seen God. The unique one, himself God, in the bosom of the Father — he has expounded him.
Why this rendering
John.1.18 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
The point SBLGNT marks with ⸂ ⸃ as a variant. And the final verb ἐξηγήσατο means 'to expound' — it is the root of the English word exegesis.
Rendering options · 2
the only begotten God ... has made him known
Basis Follows the critical reading but generalises ἐξηγήσατο to 'made known'.
Rejected The specificity of ἐξηγέομαι — to unfold, to set out in detail — is lost.
Adopted the unique one, himself God, at the Father's side — he has expounded him
Basis Follow the early manuscripts for the variant, render μονογενής according to its root, and keep the concreteness of ἐξηγήσατο.
Lost in translation
ἐξηγήσατο This verb, meaning 'to expound', is used with no object. That Jesus expounds God — that the closing word of the prologue is an act of exegesis — is flattened to 'made him known' in most translations.
Survives in · 원문 / NASB(explained)
KJV와 현대역의 분기 A reader of the KJV and a reader of a critical-text translation are reading different words here: 'Son' against 'God'. Neither Bible tells them so.
Survives in · 비평본 각주
19
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Ἰωάννου ὅτε ⸀ἀπέστειλαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐξ Ἱεροσολύμων ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας ἵνα ἐρωτήσωσιν αὐτόν· Σὺ τίς εἶ;
And this is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20
καὶ ὡμολόγησεν καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσατο, καὶ ὡμολόγησεν ὅτι ⸂Ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ⸃ ὁ χριστός.
He confessed and did not deny; he confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”
21
καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτόν· Τί οὖν; ⸂σὺ Ἠλίας εἶ⸃; καὶ λέγει· Οὐκ εἰμί. Ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ; καὶ ἀπεκρίθη· Οὔ.
So they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He says, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
22
εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ· Τίς εἶ; ἵνα ἀπόκρισιν δῶμεν τοῖς πέμψασιν ἡμᾶς· τί λέγεις περὶ σεαυτοῦ;
So they said to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23
ἔφη· Ἐγὼ φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Εὐθύνατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, καθὼς εἶπεν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης.
He said, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’ — just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24
⸀Καὶ ἀπεσταλμένοι ἦσαν ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων.
Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
25
καὶ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Τί οὖν βαπτίζεις εἰ σὺ οὐκ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ⸂οὐδὲ Ἠλίας οὐδὲ⸃ ὁ προφήτης;
And they asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰωάννης λέγων· Ἐγὼ βαπτίζω ἐν ὕδατι· ⸀μέσος ὑμῶν ⸀ἕστηκεν ὃν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε,
John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one you do not know,
27
⸀ὁ ὀπίσω μου ⸀ἐρχόμενος, οὗ ⸂οὐκ εἰμὶ⸃ ἄξιος ἵνα λύσω αὐτοῦ τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑποδήματος.
the one coming after me. I am not worthy even to untie the strap of his sandal.”
28
ταῦτα ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐγένετο πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ὅπου ἦν ⸀ὁ Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων.
This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29
Τῇ ἐπαύριον βλέπει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ λέγει· Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου.
The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, “Look — the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
30
οὗτός ἐστιν ⸀ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον· Ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν·
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has ranked ahead of me, because he was before me.’
31
κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ’ ἵνα φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον ἐγὼ ⸀ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζων.
I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32
καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν Ἰωάννης λέγων ὅτι Τεθέαμαι τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ⸀ὡς περιστερὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐπ’ αὐτόν·
And John testified: “I have seen the Spirit coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
33
κἀγὼ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν, ἀλλ’ ὁ πέμψας με βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν· Ἐφ’ ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ’ αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ·
I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain — he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34
κἀγὼ ἑώρακα, καὶ μεμαρτύρηκα ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ⸀ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.
And I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Chosen One of God.”
35
Τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν εἱστήκει ⸀ὁ Ἰωάννης καὶ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο,
The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples.
36
καὶ ἐμβλέψας τῷ Ἰησοῦ περιπατοῦντι λέγει· Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.
Watching Jesus walk by, he says, “Look — the Lamb of God.”
37
καὶ ἤκουσαν ⸂οἱ δύο μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ⸃ λαλοῦντος καὶ ἠκολούθησαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ.
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38
στραφεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τί ζητεῖτε; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Ῥαββί (ὃ λέγεται ⸀μεθερμηνευόμενον Διδάσκαλε), ποῦ μένεις;
Jesus turned and saw them following and says to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher — “where are you staying?”
39
λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἔρχεσθε καὶ ⸂ὄψεσθε. ἦλθαν οὖν⸃ καὶ εἶδαν ποῦ μένει, καὶ παρ’ αὐτῷ ἔμειναν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην· ὥρα ἦν ὡς δεκάτη.
He says to them, “Come and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
40
ἦν Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου εἷς ἐκ τῶν δύο τῶν ἀκουσάντων παρὰ Ἰωάννου καὶ ἀκολουθησάντων αὐτῷ·
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him.
41
εὑρίσκει οὗτος ⸀πρῶτον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τὸν ἴδιον Σίμωνα καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Εὑρήκαμεν τὸν Μεσσίαν (ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον χριστός).
He first finds his own brother Simon and says to him, “We have found the Messiah” — which translated is Christ.
42
⸀ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ἐμβλέψας αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Σὺ εἶ Σίμων ὁ υἱὸς ⸀Ἰωάννου, σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς (ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται Πέτρος).
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.
43
Τῇ ἐπαύριον ἠθέλησεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλιππον καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀκολούθει μοι.
The next day he wanted to leave for Galilee, and he finds Philip. And Jesus says to him, “Follow me.”
44
ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδά, ἐκ τῆς πόλεως Ἀνδρέου καὶ Πέτρου.
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
45
εὑρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὴλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ὃν ἔγραψεν Μωϋσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ οἱ προφῆται εὑρήκαμεν, ⸀Ἰησοῦν υἱὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ.
Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also — Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
46
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· Ἐκ Ναζαρὲτ δύναταί τι ἀγαθὸν εἶναι; λέγει αὐτῷ ⸀ὁ Φίλιππος· Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε.
And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip says to him, “Come and see.”
47
εἶδεν ⸀ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· Ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and says of him, “Look — truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
48
λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· Πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε.
Nathanael says to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49
ἀπεκρίθη ⸂αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ⸃· Ῥαββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, σὺ ⸂βασιλεὺς εἶ⸃ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ.
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
50
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ὅτι εἶπόν σοι ⸀ὅτι εἶδόν σε ὑποκάτω τῆς συκῆς πιστεύεις; μείζω τούτων ⸀ὄψῃ.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
51
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ⸀ὑμῖν, ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναβαίνοντας καὶ καταβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
And he says to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you — you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”