John 1:18
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
- 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.
- WEB
- No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
- ASV
- No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].
- DARBY
- No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, *he* hath declared [him].
- BLB
- No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made [Him] known.
- ÅB
- Ingen har nogensinne sett Gud; den enbårne Sønn, som er i Farens skjød, han har forklaret ham.
- OTB
- Ingen har noensinne sett Gud, men den enbårne Sønn, som selv er Gud og er i nærmeste forhold til Faderen, har gjort ham kjent.
- B1930
- Ingen har nogensinne sett Gud; den enbårne Sønn, som er i Faderens skjød, han har forklaret ham.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Colossians 1:15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Read in contextJohn 6:46
Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.
Read in contextMatthew 11:27
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Read in contextLuke 10:22
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Read in context1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Read in context1 Timothy 6:16
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Read in context1 John 4:9
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Read in contextExodus 33:18–23
And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Read in context