John 3:16

This verse comes in the middle of Jesus' night-time conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1-2). Jesus has just told him that a person must be "born again" or "born from above" (3:3-8). He then compares Himself to the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the wilderness (3:14-15, recalling Numbers 21:8-9).

Verse 16 explains why the Son must be lifted up: because God loves the world and gives His Son so that people may live. The next verses add that the Son was sent to save, not to condemn (3:17-18).

God's love starts it. The giving begins with God, before any human response (3:16; compare 1 John 4:9-10).

Faith receives it. "Everyone who believes" makes trust in the Son the way the gift is received (3:15-16, 3:18).

Two outcomes. "Perish" and "eternal life" are set against each other. In John, eternal life begins now for the believer and is not only a future hope (3:36; 5:24).

• ἠγάπησεν (ēgapēsen): to love
  Greek · Verb, aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G0025 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  God's love is expressed here through the giving of His Son.

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 3

• κόσμον (kosmon): world
  Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · Strong's G2889 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  In John, often humanity turned away from God (compare John 1:10).

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 7

• μονογενῆ (monogenē): unique
  Greek · Adjective, accusative, singular, masculine · Strong's G3439 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  Older English Bibles say "only begotten"; many modern ones say "one and only".

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 12

• ἔδωκεν (edōken): to give
  Greek · Verb, aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G1325 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  God is the one who gives.

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 13

• πιστεύων (pisteuōn): to trust (in)
  Greek · Verb, present, active, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G4100 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  The phrase identifies the person who believes in the Son. Questions about continuing faith require consideration of the wider context.

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 17

• ἀπόληται (apolētai): to destroy
  Greek · Verb, 2nd aorist, middle, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · Strong's G0622 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  Here, "perish" or "be lost".

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 21

• ζωὴν (zōēn): life
  Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G2222 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

  With the next word, "eternal life": in John it begins now for the believer (3:36; 5:24).

  Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:16, word 24

The conversation takes place during Jesus' ministry, while He was in Jerusalem for the Passover (John 2:23).

Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisees, a Jewish group known for careful keeping of the Law, and a "ruler of the Jews" (3:1). He appears again in 7:50-51 and 19:39.

• Jerusalem
  From the surrounding passage · Location: unknown

  Setting inferred from John 2:23-3:2; exact location unknown.

• Numbers 21:8-9 · Background

  The bronze snake that Jesus compares Himself to in 3:14.

• John 3:17-18 · Surrounding passage

  The next verses: the Son came to save, not to condemn.

• John 1:14 · Same theme

  Uses the same word for the "one and only" Son.

• Romans 5:8 · Same theme

  God shows His love by Christ dying for sinners.

• 1 John 4:9-10 · Same theme

  A closely related passage connects God's love with sending His Son so that we might live.

• John 12:32-33 · Related verse

  Jesus says being "lifted up" points to the kind of death He would die.

• Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
  This verse is part of it · Jerusalem

  This verse is part of the conversation.

  John 3:1-21

• Moses lifts up the bronze snake
  A connection in theme

  Background, named in John 3:14.

  Numbers 21:4-9

• The crucifixion of Jesus
  A connection in theme

  John links being "lifted up" to Jesus' death (12:32-33).

  John 19:16-30

• STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament
  Dataset · STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8 · Licence: CC BY 4.0 · Used for: Original language