New King James Version
John 17:3
3And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- New International Version (NIV)Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
Context of John 17:3
1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Read all of John 17John 17:3 word by word
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- they might knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- theeσύsu · youG4771
- the onlyμόνοςmonos · aloneG3441
- trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- thou hast sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
Cross-references for John 17:3
- John 17:25O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
- John 8:19Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
- 1 Chronicles 28:9“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
- Psalms 9:10And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
- Isaiah 53:11He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
- Jeremiah 9:23Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
- Jeremiah 31:33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
- Hosea 6:3Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
- 1 Corinthians 15:34Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 8:11None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.
- 1 John 4:6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
- 1 John 5:11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
- John 14:9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
- 2 Chronicles 15:3For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law;
Commentaries on John 17:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3This is life eternal - The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe, is called life: Because the life of man was forfeited to Divine justice; and the sacrifice of Christ redeemed him from that death to which he was exposed. Because the souls of men were dead in trespasses and sins; and Christ quickens them by his word and Spirit. Because men who are not saved by the grace of Christ do not live, they only exist, no good purpose of life…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3This is life eternal - This is the source of eternal life; or it is in this manner that it is to be obtained. The knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ is itself a source of unspeakable and eternal joy. Compare John 11:25; John 6:63; John 12:50. Might know thee - The word “know” here, as in other places, expresses more than a mere speculative acquaintance with the character and perfections of God. “It includes all the impressions on the mind and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3that they may know you: In the Hebrew language, "knowing" includes experience and intimacy. For Christians, this means loving God and obeying him. whom You have sent: Jesus came from heaven and was returning (John 17:5). So he has divine authority as God's agent.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-26(See on Joh 14:1). Had this prayer not been recorded, what reverential reader would not have exclaimed, Oh, to have been within hearing of such a prayer as that must have been, which wound up the whole of His past ministry and formed the point of transition to the dark scenes which immediately followed! But here it is, and with such signature of the Lips that uttered it that we seem rather to hear it from Himself than read it from the pen of His faithful…Read the comment
Topics related to John 17:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 17
- 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
- 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries