John 17:3

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 King James Version (NKJV)And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Context of John 17:3

1After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 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. 4I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

John 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 17:25“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me.
• John 8:19“Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.”
• 1 Chronicles 28:9“And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
• Psalms 9:10Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.
• Isaiah 53:11When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
• Jeremiah 9:23This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches.
• Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
• Hosea 6:3Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
• 1 Corinthians 15:34Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.
• 2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.
• Hebrews 8:11And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.
• 1 John 4:6But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
• 1 John 5:11And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
• John 14:9Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you?
• 2 Chronicles 15:3For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.

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

• God Continued...
• Immortality
• Jesus Continued
• Life
• Prayer
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Jesus Christ
• Fellowship
• Perseverance of the saints
• Sanctify

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