1:14 Now 1 the Word became flesh 2 and took up residence 3 among us. We 4 saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, 5 full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.
22:1 Then 15 the angel 16 showed me the river of the water of life – water as clear as crystal – pouring out 17 from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic, the incarnation of the Word. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.
2 tn This looks at the Word incarnate in humility and weakness; the word σάρξ (sarx) does not carry overtones of sinfulness here as it frequently does in Pauline usage. See also John 3:6.
3 tn Grk “and tabernacled.”
4 tn Grk “and we saw.”
5 tn Or “of the unique one.” Although this word is often translated “only begotten,” such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clem. 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant., 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham’s only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means “one-of-a-kind” and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).
6 tc A number of early
7 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
8 sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
9 tn Grk And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
10 tn Or “received.”
11 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
12 tn Or “truly.”
13 tn Or have come to know.”
14 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more general term like “people” because the use of the aorist verb ἔγνωσαν (egnwsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
16 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel mentioned in 21:9, 15) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Grk “proceeding.” Water is more naturally thought to pour out or flow out in English idiom.