John 1 · Verse 17

John 1:17

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
John 1:17, King James Version

John 1:17 in other translations

BSBFor the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
WEBFor the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
ASVFor the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
YLTfor the law through Moses was given, the grace and the truth through Jesus Christ did come;
DARBYFor the law was given by Moses: grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ.
BBEFor the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ.
WebsterFor the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

What does John 1:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. For, &c.--The Law elicits the consciousness of sin and the need of redemption; it only typifies the reality. The Gospel, on the contrary, actually communicates reality and power from above (compare Ro 6:14). Hence Paul terms the Old Testament "shadow," while he calls the New Testament "substance" (Col 2:17) [Olshausen].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. The law was given. The Old Testament economy. The institutions under which the Jews lived.

By Moses. By Moses, as the servant of God. He was the great legislator of the Jews, by whom, under God, their polity was formed. The law worketh wrath (Rom 4:15); it was attended with many burdensome rites and ceremonies (Acts 15:10); it was preparatory to another state of things. The gospel succeeded that and took its place, and thus showed the greatness of the gospel economy, as well as its grace and truth.

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. A system of religion full of favours, and the true system, was revealed by him. The old system was one of law, and shadows, and burdensome rites; this was full of mercy to mankind, and was true in all things. We may learn from these verses--

1st. That all our mercies come from Jesus Christ.

2nd. "All true believers receive from Christ's fulness the best and greatest saints cannot live without him, the meanest and weakest may live by him. This excludes proud boasting that we have nothing but we have received it, and silenceth perplexing fears that we want nothing but we may receive it."

(x) "grace and truth" Ps 85:10, Rom 5:21

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The law was given by Moses - Moses received the law from God, and through him it was given to the Jews, Act 7:38. But grace and truth - Which he had already mentioned, and which were to be the subject of the book which he was now writing, came to all mankind through Jesus Christ, who is the mediator of the new covenant, as Moses was of the old: Heb 8:6; Heb 9:15; Gal 3:19. See a fine discourse on this text by Mr. Claude, "Essay on the Composition of a Sermon," vol. i. p. 119, etc. edit. Lond. 1788. The law of Moses, however excellent in itself, was little in comparison of the Gospel: as it proceeded from the justice and holiness of God, and was intended to convict men of sin, that the way of the Gospel might be the better prepared, it was a law of rigour, condemnation, and death: Rom 4:15; 2Cor 3:7, 2Cor 3:8. It was a law of shadows, types, and figures: Heb 10:1, and incapable of expiating sin by its sacrifices: Rom 8:3; Heb 7:18, Heb 7:19; Heb 10:1, Heb 10:11. But Christ has brought that grace which is opposed to condemnation: Rom 5:15, Rom 5:20, Rom 5:21; Rom 8:1; Gal 3:10; and he is himself the spirit and substance of all those shadows: Col 2:19; Heb 10:1. Jesus Christ - Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, or anointed prophet, priest, and king, sent from heaven. To what has already been said on the important name Jesus, (See Mat 1:21 (note), and the places there referred to), I shall add the following explanation, chiefly taken from Professor Schultens, who has given a better view of the ideal meaning of the root ישע yasha, than any other divine or critic. He observes that this root, in its true force, meaning, and majesty, both in Hebrew and Arabic, includes the ideas of amplitude, expansion, and space, and should be translated, he was spacious-open-ample; and, particularly, he possessed a spacious or extensive degree or rank: and is applied, 1. To a person possessing abundance of riches. 2. To one possessing abundant power. 3. To one possessing abundant or extensive knowledge. 4. To one possessing abundance of happiness, beatitude, and glory. Hence we may learn the true meaning of Zac 9:9 : Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion - behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is Just, and having Salvation: - הושיע - he is possessed of all power to enrich, strengthen, teach, enlarge, and raise to glory and happiness, them who trust in him. Man by nature is in want and poverty: in abjectness and weakness: in darkness and ignorance: in straits and captivity: in wretchedness and infamy. His Redeemer is called ישועה Jesus - he who looses, enlarges, and endows with salvation. 1. He enriches man's poverty: 2. strengthens his weakness: 3. teaches his ignorance: 4. brings him out of straits and difficulties: and 5. raises him to happiness, beatitude, and glory. And the aggregate of these is Salvation. Hence that saying, His name shall be called Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. See Schultens Origines Hebraeae, p. 15.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 1:15-18

As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one…

Read the full comment on John 1:15-18 →

John 1:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὅτιhotiForG3754
ὁhotheG3588
νόμοςnomoslawG3551
διὰdiathroughG1223
ΜωϋσέωςMōuseōsMosesG3475
ἐδόθη,edothēwas given,G1325
ἡhē<the>G3588
χάριςcharisgraceG5485
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡhē<the>G3588
ἀλήθειαalētheiatruthG225
διὰdiathroughG1223
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
ΧριστοῦChristouChristG5547
ἐγένετο.¶egenetocame.G1096

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 1:17

  • Romans 6:14

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

  • John 14:6

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

  • Romans 3:19-26

    Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: …

  • Romans 5:20-21

    Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • John 1:14

    And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

  • Hebrews 9:22

    And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

  • John 8:32

    And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

  • John 7:19

    Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

  • 2 Corinthians 3:7-10

    But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

  • Hebrews 3:5-6

    And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

  • Galatians 3:10-13

    For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

  • Hebrews 10:4-10

    For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the law.
5:45; 9:29; Ex 20:1-17
De 4:44; 5:1; 33:4; Ac 7:38; 28:23; Ro 3:19,20; 5:20,21; 2Co 3:7-10
Ga 3:10-13,17; Heb 3:5,6; 8:8-12
grace.
8:32; 14:6; Ge 3:15; 22:18; Ps 85:10; 89:1,2; 98:3; Mic 7:20
Lu 1:54,55,68-79; Ac 13:34-39; Ro 3:21-26; 5:21; 6:14; 15:8-12
2Co 1:20; Heb 9:22; 10:4-10; 11:39,40; Re 5:8-10; 7:9-17

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 1:16

    And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

  • John 1:17

    For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

  • John 1:18

    No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Read all of John 1

John 1:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque la ley por Moisés fué dada: mas la gracia y la verdad por Jesucristo fué hecha.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car la loi a été donnée par Moïse; la grâce et la vérité vinrent par Jésus Christ.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn das Gesetz wurde durch Moses gegeben; die Gnade und die Wahrheit ist durch Jesum Christum geworden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		quia lex per Moysen data est, gratia et veritas per Jesum Christum facta est.