John 1:1–5
John begins before creation: the Word was with God and was God
Study it word by word1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2He was in the beginning with God.
3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being
4in him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.
5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
In its context
…
6There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7He came for testimony, to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.
Its words in the original
- ἀρχῇarchēi· beginning
Beginning, start; also authority, rule.
- ἦνēn· be
Be, exist.
- λόγοςlogos· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- θεόνtheon· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ἐγένετοegeneto· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- χωρὶςchōris· without, apart from
Without, apart from.
- ἕνhen· one
One.
- ζωὴzōē· life
Life; the true life that God gives.
- φῶςphōs· light
Light.
- ἀνθρώπωνanthrōpōn· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- σκοτίᾳskotiai· darkness
Darkness.
- φαίνειphainei· shine, appear
Appear, become visible; shine.
- κατέλαβενkatelaben· overtake, seize
Seize; overtake; grasp, understand.