John 1:17

John 1:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
• New International Version (NIV)For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
• New Living Translation (NLT)For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

Context of John 1:17

15John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. 19Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John 1:17 word by word

ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• was givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• cameγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for John 1:17

• John 5:45Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.
• John 9:29We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
• Exodus 20:1And God spoke all these words, saying:
• Deuteronomy 4:44Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.
• Deuteronomy 5:1And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them.
• Deuteronomy 33:4Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
• Acts 7:38“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,
• Acts 28:23So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
• Romans 3:19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
• Romans 5:20Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
• 2 Corinthians 3:7But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,
• Galatians 3:10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”
• Hebrews 3:5And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,
• Hebrews 8:8Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—
• John 8:32And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
• John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Commentaries on John 1:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The law was given by Moses - Moses received the law from God, and through him it was given to the Jews, Acts 7:38. But grace and truth - Which he had already mentioned, and which were to be the subject of the book which he was now writing, came to all mankind through Jesus Christ, who is the mediator of the new covenant, as Moses was of the old: Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:15; Galatians 3:19. See a fine discourse on this text by Mr. Claude, "Essay on the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17The law was given - The Old Testament economy. The institutions under which the Jews lived. By Moses - By Moses, as the servant of God. He was the great legislator of the Jews, by whom, under God, their polity was formed. The law worketh wrath Romans 4:15; it was attended with many burdensome rites and ceremonies Acts 15:10; it was preparatory to another state of things. The gospel succeeded that and took its place, and thus showed the greatness of the…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. 17the law: This refers to the Torah, the body of instruction given to Moses at Mount Sinai. The Torah taught Israel how to live in faithful relationship with God and with one another. God's grace and truth are present in the Torah, but Jesus fully reveals these qualities in his person and power (3:16; 13:1).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. For, &c.--The Law elicits the consciousness of sin and the need of redemption; it only typifies the reality. The Gospel, on the contrary, actually communicates reality and power from above (compare Ro 6:14). Hence Paul terms the Old Testament "shadow," while he calls the New Testament "substance" (Col 2:17) [Olshausen].Read the comment

Topics related to John 1:17

• Confession
• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Law
• Truth
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Moses
• Behold
• Believe
• Blood
• Dwell
• Flesh
• Grace
• Guile

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