John 3:17

John 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
• New International Version (NIV)For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Context of John 3:17

15As a result, everyone who believes him will be able to live for ever with God. 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.’ God did not send his Son into the world because he wanted to punish people. He sent his Son to save the people in the world from punishment. 18God will not punish anyone who believes in his Son. But if people refuse to believe in the Son, God has already decided that he must punish them. They have not believed in God's one and only Son. 19God's Son has brought light into the world. But some people did not love the light. They loved the dark instead. That was because they were doing evil things. That is why God has decided to punish those people.

John 3:17 word by word

οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
• notοὐou · noG3756
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• condemnκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• might be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982

Cross-references for John 3:17

• John 5:45But I will not have to tell the Father that you are guilty. No, it is Moses who will do that. You think that Moses is the one who will show that you are right. But he is the one who will show that you are guilty.
• John 8:15You judge in the way that people think. I do not judge anyone.
• John 12:47Not everyone who hears my words will obey them. I will not judge anyone who is like that. I did not come to judge the people in the world. I came to save them.
• Luke 9:56Then they all went on to another village.
• John 1:29The next day, John saw Jesus, who was coming towards him. John said, ‘Look! Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of people in the world.
• John 6:40These are the people who will have life for ever with God: everyone who sees the Son and believes in him. I will raise them all up on the last day. That is what my Father wants.’
• Isaiah 45:21Now decide together what you will say in court! Tell me what you think! Who said a long time ago what would happen? Who spoke about it long before it happened? It was I, the Lord! There is nobody else like me. There is no other God, except me. I am a righteous God and I save my people. There is no other God.
• Isaiah 49:6‘As my servant, I have a greater job for you to do. It will not only be to make Jacob's tribes strong again. It will not only be to bring back Israel's people that I have kept safe. It will also be your job to bring light to the other nations. You will show people all over the world that I have the power to save them.’
• Isaiah 53:10But it was the Lord who chose to hurt his servant. He caused his servant to receive much pain. His servant died to remove people's guilt. As a result, God will bless him with many descendants, and he will have a long life. What the Lord wants will happen, because of what his servant does.
• Zechariah 9:9Sing loudly, people in Zion. Shout, people in Jerusalem. Look! Your king comes to you. He will save you because he does everything well. But he is quiet and he is riding on a donkey. He will ride on a young animal. Its mother is a donkey.
• Matthew 1:23The prophet had said, ‘A young woman who has never had sex will have a baby boy. People will call her son Immanuel.’ This name means ‘God is with us’.
• Matthew 18:11[I, the Son of Man, came to look for those who are far away from God.]
• Luke 2:10The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen! I bring you good news. This news will make everyone very happy.
• Luke 19:10I, the Son of Man, came to look for people who are far away from God. They are in danger and I have come to save them.’
• 1 Timothy 2:5There is only one God. There is also only one person who brings God and people together. That person is Christ Jesus, who became a man himself.
• 1 John 2:2Jesus died as a sacrifice to take the punishment for our sin. Then God could forgive us. Jesus did that not only for us. He did it for all people in the world, so that God could forgive them for their sins.

Commentaries on John 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17For God sent not, etc. - It was the opinion of the Jews that the Gentiles, whom they often term the world, עלמה olmah, and העולם אומות omoth haolam, nations of the world, were to be destroyed in the days of the Messiah. Christ corrects this false opinion; and teaches here a contrary doctrine. God, by giving his Son, and publishing his design in giving him, shows that he purposes the salvation, not the destruction, of the world - the Gentile people…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17To condemn the world - Not to judge, or pronounce sentence on mankind. God might justly have sent him for this. Man deserved condemnation, and it would have been right to have pronounced it; but God was willing that there should be an offer of pardon, and the sentence of condemnation was delayed. But, although Jesus did not come then to condemn mankind, yet the time is coming when he will return to judge the living and the dead, Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-21The original Greek text does not include quotation marks. Because of this, translators must decide where the words of Jesus end and where John's explanation begins. John 3:16–21 might be John’s explanation of what Jesus said.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. not to condemn, &c.--A statement of vast importance. Though "condemnation" is to many the issue of Christ's mission (Joh 3:19), it is not the object of His mission, which is purely a saving one.Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:17

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Righteous
• Salvation
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Born
• Call
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Faith
• Increase

Commentaries on John 3

• 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