John 1:18

John 1:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
• New International Version (NIV)No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
• English Standard Version (ESV)No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
• New King James Version (NKJV)No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Context of John 1:18

16The Word is full of everything that we need. We have all received one good thing after another good thing. 17God gave his Law to us through Moses. But Jesus Christ brought God's grace and his truth to us. Nobody has ever seen God. But God's only Son has shown God to us. He is very near to the Father, and he himself is God. 19The Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John, ‘Who are you?’ 20John did not refuse to answer. He said, ‘I am not the Messiah.’

John 1:18 word by word

Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• No manοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762
• hath seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• at any timeπώποτεpōpote · everG4455
• the only begottenμονογενήςmonogenēs · uniqueG3439
• Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• whichὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the bosomκόλποςkolpos · bosomG2859
• of the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• hath declaredἐξηγέομαιexēgeomai · to tellG1834

Cross-references for John 1:18

• John 6:46I came from God and I am the only one who has seen the Father. Nobody else has seen him.
• Exodus 33:20But you will never see my face. Nobody can see my face and still be alive.’
• Deuteronomy 4:12Then the Lord spoke to you from the middle of the fire. You heard him as he spoke, but you did not see him. You only heard a voice.
• Matthew 11:27My Father has given me authority over all things. Only the Father really knows me, his Son. Only I really know my Father, because I am his Son. I also choose to tell some people about him. Then they also know him.
• Luke 10:22Jesus then said, ‘My Father has given me authority over all things. Only the Father knows who I am, his Son. Only I know who the Father is, because I am his Son. I also choose to tell some people about him. Then they also know him.’
• Colossians 1:15We cannot see God. But Jesus Christ shows us completely who God is. Even before God made anything, Jesus was already there as God's Son who rules everything.
• 1 Timothy 1:17Praise God, the King who rules for ever! He can never die. He lives where we cannot see him. He is the only God. So praise him and say how great he is! That is true always and for ever! Amen! This is true.
• 1 Timothy 6:16God alone lives for ever. He lives in very bright light that nobody can come near. Nobody has ever seen God. Nobody is able to see him. So we praise him! He will rule for ever with great authority! Amen! This is true.
• 1 John 4:12Nobody has ever seen God. But, if we love each other, it shows that God lives in us. As a result, we can love people completely, in the same way that God loves us.
• John 1:14The Word became a man. He lived among us. We saw his great glory. He has the glory of the Father's one true Son. He is full of God's grace and truth.
• John 3:16God loved the people in the world so much that he gave his one and only Son to save them. As a result, everyone who believes in the Son will not die. Instead, they will live for ever with God.’
• 1 John 4:9This is how God showed that he loves us: He sent his only Son to come and live in the world. He did that so that we could have true life with God because of his Son.
• John 13:23The disciple that Jesus loved was sitting very near to Jesus.
• Proverbs 8:30When the Lord made all that happen, I was beside him as his faithful helper. I pleased him every day, and I was happy to be with him.
• Isaiah 40:11He takes care of his people, like a shepherd who takes care of his sheep. He picks up the young lambs and he carries them near to his heart. He carefully leads the mother sheep that have lambs.
• Lamentations 2:12‘Where has all the food and drink gone?’ the hungry children ask their mothers. Then they fall down in pain on the streets of the city. They die in their mothers' arms.

Commentaries on John 1:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18No man hath seen God at any time - Moses and others heard his voice, and saw the cloud and the fire, which were the symbols of his presence; but such a manifestation of God as had now taken place, in the person of Jesus Christ, had never before been exhibited to the world. It is likely that the word seen, here, is put for known, as in John 3:32; 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:6, and 3 John 1:11; and this sense the latter clause of the verse seems to require: - No…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18No man hath seen God at any time - This declaration is probably made to show the superiority of the revelation of Jesus above that of any previous dispensation. It is said, therefore, that Jesus “had an intimate knowledge of God,” which neither Moses nor any of the ancient prophets had possessed. God is invisible: no human eyes have seen him; but Christ had a knowledge of God which might be expressed to our apprehension by saying that he saw him. He knew…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18God would not allow Moses to see him directly (Exodus 33:18–20). Only Jesus has seen the Father, so he alone completely knows him and can tell us about him (John 3:32–35; 14:9–10). but the one and only Son: The Son, who sees the Father, is himself God. The Son is not simply a messenger who knows something about God. John explicitly affirms Christ’s deity. Jesus shares the substance of God’s being.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. No man--"No one," in the widest sense. hath seen God--by immediate gaze, or direct intuition. in the bosom of the Father--A remarkable expression, used only here, presupposing the Son's conscious existence distinct from the Father, and expressing His immediate and most endeared access to, and absolute acquaintance with, Him. he--emphatic; As if he should say, "He and He only hath declared Him," because He only can.Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:18

• Confession
• God
• God Continued...
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Only Begotten
• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Bosom
• Dwell
• Face
• Flesh

Commentaries on John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings