John 3:16

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
KJV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
WEB
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
ASV
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
DARBY
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.
BLB
For God so loved the world that He gave the Son, the only begotten, so that everyone believing in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.
ÅB
For så har Gud elsket verden at han gav sin Sønn, den enbårne, for at hver den som tror på ham, ikke skal fortapes, men ha evig liv;
OTB
For Gud elsket verden så høyt at han ga sin enbårne Sønn, for at hver den som tror på ham, ikke skal gå fortapt, men ha evig liv.
B1930
For så har Gud elsket verden at han gav sin Sønn, den enbårne, forat hver den som tror på ham, ikke skal fortapes, men ha evig liv;

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Short explanation

The verse says that God's love is what sets everything in motion: God gives his Son, and whoever believes in him has eternal life. “The world” is the whole of humanity, not just a few. “Eternal life” is a life with God that begins now and never ends.

Context: Jesus says this to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to him by night, in a conversation about being born again.

See also: John 3:17, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9

The explanation was written by an AI and has not yet been reviewed by a person. All explanations

Cross references