John 1

overtake
The Greek word for “overtake” (καταλαμβάνω; katalambanō) has varied usage in the New Testament. Its usage in this verse parallels Jesus’ words later in 12:35, where καταλαμβάνω (katalambanō) is best translated as “overtake.” The parallel shows that John here uses an intensive version of “grasping” something, which leads to the translation with the language of “overtaking.” Here, the darkness does not overtake the Light of the world, but in 12:35–36 the darkness will overtake those who do not believe in Jesus, the Light.

was
The word “was” translates the Greek verb γίνομαι (ginomai), which is often used simply to communicate being or existence. While the translation as “came” works in a context like verse 17 below (because it communicates the sense of something “coming about”), such a translation here would communicate the idea of movement from one place to another, which is not the intent in this verse. The translation as “was” here rather than “came” here also differentiates γίνομαι (ginomai) from ἔρχομαι (erchomai), which is the common word for “came” (cf. 1:7).

having been sent
This translation reflects the passive form of the verb ἀπεσταλμένος (apestalmenos). The active form, ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), only occurs with Jesus (e.g., 3:17; 5:36), distinguishing Him from all other ones sent.

witness…bear witness
The phrase “bear witness” translates the verb μαρτυρέω (martyreō), which shares the same root with the word μαρτυρία (martyria; “witness”) used just prior. The consistent translation of this root shows that John came to do exactly what he was appointed to do—to act as a witness to bear witness about the Light. The doubling up of “witness” also emphasizes the importance of John the Baptist’s role as the last prophet of the Old Testament administration, one who would prepare the way and point directly to the expected Messiah.

bear witness
Refer to the discussion on verse 7 above. John (the author) is heavily emphasizing John the Baptist’s role here so that this forerunner’s witness about Jesus as the Messiah would be believed, and so that, as influential as John the Baptist was, he would not be wrongly mistaken to be the Messiah. Though he is a true witness, he is merely a witness.

everyone
The word “everyone” translates the phrase πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anthrōpon; lit. “every man”). The translation “everyone” is to portray that John’s intent here is to show the effects of the true Light upon every person. This Light is the “true Light”—the exclusive revelation of the way of salvation to every person who will be saved. His coming into the world is pivotal in revealing God’s way of salvation to every person.

what was His own…those who were His own
The phrases “what was His own” and “those who were His own” are translated as such to bring out the difference between the neuter plural and masculine plural constructions in the Greek (τὰ ἴδια…οἱ ἴδιοι; ta idia…hoi idioi). The difference is that the first (neuter) construction indicates the ‘things’ that were His own (i.e., the created world in general), while the second (masculine) construction indicates the ‘people’ that were His own (i.e., the Jews, whose promised Messiah He was). He is the Creator and Owner of both His world and His people (cf. Ps 24:1), and yet when He entered His own world, His own people rejected Him.

only begotten
While some have disputed the translation of μονογενής (monogenēs) as “only begotten” in favor of something like “unique” or “one and only,” the most faithful rendering of the term in this context is indeed “only begotten.” John uses μονογενής (monogenēs) in a way that is distinct from the usage of other biblical authors (e.g., Luke 7:12; Heb 11:17). Thus, it is more accurate to translate according to authorial intent rather than simply providing uniform gloss across the entire New Testament. John emphasizes the concept of “birth” in his writing (e.g., the use of γεννάω [gennaō; “bear/give birth”] in 3:3–8). Here, he is playing on the similarity of γεννάω (gennoō) and μονογενής (monogenēs), that is, the idea of “begetting” and of “only begotten.” People may only become children of God (v. 12), “born” (ἐγεννήθησαν; egennēthēsan) of the will of God (v. 13), through union with the One who is eternally the “only begotten” of the Father (v. 14) who shares the unique, divine nature with God Himself as His Son. This is John’s point by his use of the word in his gospel, and thus, “only begotten” is the correct translation here. Further support for the legitimacy of this understanding is found in the universal attestation of the early church fathers, and also in recent scholarship (e.g., Charles Lee Iron’s book, Retrieving Eternal Generation and Wayne Grudem’s 2nd ed. of his Systematic Theology), as many scholars are moving back towards this more traditional view (cf. KJV) of μονογενής (monogenēs) in John’s writings.

beheld
The word translated “behold” here is θεάομαι (theaomai), which usually has the idea of looking closely, contemplating, or taking in with a sense of wonder. While sometimes translated “see,” the translation “behold” here better communicates the nuance of the verb and distinguishes it from a different word for “see” in verse 18 (ὁράω; horaō). As such, “beheld” is a fitting translation for describing how God’s people see His glory manifested in His incarnate Son (see also Luke 7:24 and John 1:32).

bore witness
Refer to the discussion on verses 7–8 above.

has been ahead of me
This translation literally represents the Greek wording (ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν; emprosthen mou gegonen), which brings out the contrast of behind versus ahead. The perfect tense of the verb (“has been”) is significant here because John is not speaking about what happened, but what has always been. In other words, John the Baptist is referring to the pre-existence of Christ as a reason why Christ is superior to, or ahead of, him.

came
Here the English verb “came” provides a better translation of the verb γίνομαι (ginomai) than something like “was realized.” Although γίνομαι (ginomai) is a verb often used to communicate being or existence, and thus can be translated as “came about” or “came into existence,” “came” is simple and clear enough to communicate John’s idea here. “Came” also stands parallel to “was given” earlier in the verse. While the Law “was given” through Moses, grace and truth “came” through Jesus Christ. These two statements are meant not to contrast, but to complement one another. The Law was given through Moses (as though it were a gift) in order to point to the One through whom grace and truth came (cf. v. 16). And grace and truth came when Christ came into the world to fulfill the Law.

witness
The translation of μαρτυρία (martyria) as “witness” rather than “testimony” here keeps a consistent rendering of the word’s root throughout the book of John (refer also to the discussion on vv. 7–8 above). John the Baptist is constantly referred to as the “witness” who “bears witness” to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, the Son of God.

Therefore
“Therefore” is the typical translation of the conjunction οὖν (oun). The conjunction serves to signal a logical connection between distinct ideas, rather than a temporal connection, which “then” would signify. Here the priests and the Levites questioned John twice, but since he denied being both Elijah and the Prophet, they “therefore” turned to ask him about his identity in a direct manner.

of whom I am not worthy
The word order and structure of the translation here better reflects the Greek text, which places the emphasis on Jesus Himself. John the Baptist’s unworthiness is seen not in relation to the sandal strap, but in relation to Jesus, whose greatness and majesty is rightly comprehended by John.

strap
The term “strap” translates the term ἱμάς (himas) which in this context refers to the binding or fastening component of a sandal. In general, it refers to a tying device (cf. Acts 22:25), and due to the versatility of the word, the English term “strap” allows for a more consistent translation than the nuanced alternative “lace,” and a clearer translation than the more archaic terminology picturing a leather “thong.” John goes farther here than referring to Jesus’ foot, or even sandal, for that matter. He considers even the purely practical strap of Jesus’ sandal too holy for his touch.

On the next day
The translation as specifically “on the next day” rather than simply “the next day” better communicates the use of the dative case in the construction Τῇ ἐπαύριον (Tē epaurion). The dative is usually translated into English using a word like “in,” “to,” or “with.” Here, “on” best serves the expression in context (see also 6:22; 12:12).

of whom
The preposition ὑπὲρ (hyper) often means “on behalf of,” but here, the construction (ὑπὲρ οὗ; hyper hou) has a genitival meaning that communicates something “towards” or “for” someone (cf. “for whom” in Rom 14:15; “for that” in 1 Cor 10:30; “for which” in Eph 6:20). In other words, John the Baptist is simply speaking about Jesus.

has been ahead of me
Refer to the discussion on verse 15 above.

know
Though some translations have “recognize” here, this is not the best choice for the Greek word οἶδα (oida), as the sense of “recognition” would have been better communicated by γινώσκω (ginōskō), and as it is unlikely that John the Baptist would not have recognized Jesus since the two were relatives, humanly speaking. Thus, the term is translated in a straightforward manner here as “know.” What John likely means here is that he did not know Jesus to be the promised and expected Messiah until the Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism (cf. v. 33). John is bearing witness here that, though he did not know himself who the Messiah was, God revealed Him through John’s baptism—the very purpose for which John was appointed to baptize (“so that He might be manifested…”).

bore witness
Refer to the discussion on verses 7–8 above.

beheld
Refer to the discussion on verse 14 above.

abided
The Greek word μένω (menō) here can mean “remain” or “stay,” but is translated with “abide” here for consistency. This helps to bring out John’s intention to connect certain passages together with this word (e.g., 14:17). Thus, “abide” is used as the consistent gloss. As the Spirit abided on Jesus (1:32), He abided with the disciples (14:17).

know
Refer to the discussion on verse 31 above.

with
Both water and the Holy Spirit in this verse are pictured as the instruments of baptism. Thus, the Greek preposition ἐν (en) is best translated as “with.” John’s baptism “with water” is contrasted with Jesus’ baptism “with the Holy Spirit” using the same terminology. While both John and Jesus baptize, Jesus’ baptism is far superior because He baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

abiding
Refer to the discussion on verse 32 above.

have borne witness
Refer to the discussion on verses 7–8 above.

On the next day, John again was standing
The word order of this sentence accurately reflects the order of the Greek text. The fact that John is in a similar place recalls the previous day, and yet the story progresses, shifting the focus from John to his disciples.

It was about the tenth hour.
This final sentence has been translated on its own as there is no conjunction (e.g., “for”) connecting the statements in Greek. As it now appears, the phrase helps to bring out just how emphatically John is referring to the time of day.

first
While πρώτος (prōtos; “first”) technically comes after the verb εὑρίσκω (heuriskō; “found”) in the original word order, the translation “He first found” provides a natural wording in English, and still accurately communicates the idea that the first person Andrew wanted to tell about Jesus was his brother Simon.

desired
The verb translated “desired” here is θέλω (thelō), which expresses a wish, want, or desire. Its noun form θέλημα (thelēma) is often used in the New Testament to describe God’s “will” (e.g., John 1:13; 4:34; 5:30; etc.). John is communicating here that it was Jesus’ will or desire to go into Galilee. In other words, it was what He wanted to do, demonstrating that His travels and actions were not random, but willing and intentional, as He desired to fulfill everything the Father had sent Him to accomplish.

about
“About” reflects the preposition περί (peri), which indeed primarily communicates the idea of “about” or “concerning.” It is slightly more specific than the use of a simple genitive construction like “of him,” as Jesus is describing an important observation about Nathanael.

truly
While some translations say “an Israelite indeed,” the Greek has the adverb “truly” (ἀληθῶς; alēthōs) prior to the noun “Israelite.” As such, the translation “truly an Israelite” better captures the Greek and serves to emphasize the fact that Nathaniel is truly who Jesus says he is.

From where
Many translations provide a smooth rendering of the question in English: “How do you know me?” But the Greek interrogative adverb πόθεν (pothen) provides a greater nuance, literally speaking to the location from which something comes (e. g., “from where?”). With the present translation, then, readers can see that Nathaniel is quite literally asking from where Jesus would have known him. This translation also helps to make sense of why Jesus answers his question by identifying a place where He saw Nathaniel.

THE HEAVENS OPENED…
These and the following words have been formatted in caps to show the Old Testament texts alluded to here—Genesis 28:12 (which recounts Jacob’s dream at Bethel of a ladder standing on the ground and reaching into the heavens, connecting heaven to earth) and Ezekiel 1:1, which introduces Ezekiel’s “visions of God” as the heavens were opened. Both Jacob’s ladder and Ezekiel’s vision pictured God making His presence visibly known on earth. Jacob renamed the location of his dream “Bethel,” meaning “House of God,” and Ezekiel focuses on theology of the temple—God’s dwelling place. With the synthesis of these two passages here, Jesus points to Himself as the very manifestation of God’s presence dwelling on earth, as He, God the Word, became flesh and dwelt among us (v. 14).