John 1 · Verse 18

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.
John 1:18, King James Version

John 1:18 in other translations

BSBNo 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.
WEBNo one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
ASVNo man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
YLTGod no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father--he did declare.
DARBYNo one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
BBENo man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.
WebsterNo man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

What does John 1:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. No man--"No one," in the widest sense. hath seen God--by immediate gaze, or direct intuition. in the bosom of the Father--A remarkable expression, used only here, presupposing the Son's conscious existence distinct from the Father, and expressing His immediate and most endeared access to, and absolute acquaintance with, Him. he--emphatic; As if he should say, "He and He only hath declared Him," because He only can.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 18. No man hath seen God at any time. This declaration is probably made to show the superiority of the revelation of Jesus above that of any previous dispensation. It is said, therefore, that Jesus had an intimate knowledge of God, which neither Moses nor any of the ancient prophets had possessed. God is invisible; no human eyes have seen him; but Christ had a knowledge of God which might be expressed to our apprehension by saying that he saw him intimately and completely, and was therefore fitted to make a fuller manifestation of him. See Jn 5:37, 6:46, 1Jn 4:12, Ex 33:20, Jn 14:9. This passage is not meant to deny that men had witnessed manifestations of God, as when he appeared to Moses and the prophets (comp. Nu 12:8, Is 6:1-13); but it is meant that no one has seen the essence of God, or has fully known God. The prophets delivered what they heard God speak; Jesus what he knew of God as his equal, and as understanding fully his nature.

The only-begotten Son. Jn 1:14. This verse shows John's sense of the meaning of that phrase, as denoting an intimate and full knowledge of God.

In the bosom of the Father. This expression is taken from the custom among the Orientals of reclining at their meals. Mt 23:6. It denotes intimacy, friendship, affection. Here it means that Jesus had a knowledge of God such as one friend has of another-- knowledge of his character, designs, and nature which no other one possesses, and which renders him, therefore, qualified above all others to make him known.

Hath declared him. Hath fully revealed him or made him known. Comp. Heb 1:1,4. This verse proves that, Jesus had a knowledge of God above that which any of the ancient prophets had, and that the fullest revelations of his character are to be expected in the gospel. By his Word and Spirit he can enlighten and guide us, and lead us to the true knowledge of God; and there is no true and full knowledge of God which is not obtained through his Son. Comp. Jn 14:6, 1Jn 2:22,23.

(y) "No man hath seen" Ex 33:20, 1Timm 6:16 (z) "The only-begotten" 1Jn 4:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 No man hath seen God at any time - Moses and others heard his voice, and saw the cloud and the fire, which were the symbols of his presence; but such a manifestation of God as had now taken place, in the person of Jesus Christ, had never before been exhibited to the world. It is likely that the word seen, here, is put for known, as in Joh 3:32; 1Jn 3:2, 1Jn 3:6, and 3Jn 1:11; and this sense the latter clause of the verse seems to require: - No man, how highly soever favored, hath fully known God, at any time, in any nation or age; the only begotten Son, (see on Joh 1:14 (note)), who is in the bosom of the Father, who was intimately acquainted with all the counsels of the Most High, he hath declared him, εξηγησατο, hath announced the Divine oracles unto men; for in this sense the word is used by the best Greek writers. See Kypke in loco. Lying in the bosom, is spoken of in reference to the Asiatic custom of reclining while at meals; the person who was next the other was said to lie in his bosom; and he who had this place in reference to the master of the feast was supposed to share his peculiar regards, and so be in a state of the utmost favor and intimacy with him.

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 1:18 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.

ΘεὸνTheonGodG2316
οὐδεὶςoudeisno [one]G3762
ἑώρακενhe'ōrakenhas seenG3708
πώποτε·pōpoteever yet;G4455
μονογενὴςmonogenēsonly begottenG3439
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
ὁhowhoG3588
ὢνōnis beingG1510
εἰςeisinG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
κόλπονkolponbosomG2859
τοῦtouof theG3588
πατρός,patrosFather,G3962
ἐκεῖνοςekeinosHeG1565
ἐξηγήσατο.exēgēsatohas made [Him] known.G1834

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

Cross references for John 1:18

  • Colossians 1:15

    Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

  • John 6:46

    Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

  • Matthew 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.

  • Luke 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.

  • 1 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.

  • 1 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.

  • 1 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.

  • Exodus 33:18-23

    And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: …

  • 1 John 4:20

    If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

  • 1 John 5:20

    And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

  • John 17:26

    And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

  • 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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
seen.
6:46; Ex 33:20; De 4:12; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22; Col 1:15; 1Ti 1:17
1Ti 6:16; 1Jo 4:12,20
the only.
14; 3:16-18; 1Jo 4:9
in the.
13:23; Pr 8:30; Isa 40:11; La 2:12; Lu 16:22,23
he hath.
12:41; 14:9; 17:6,26; Ge 16:13; 18:33; 32:28-30; 48:15,16; Ex 3:4-6
Ex 23:21; 33:18-23; 34:5-7; Nu 12:8; Jos 5:13-15; 6:1,2; Jud 6:12-26
Jud 13:20-23; Isa 6:1-3; Eze 1:26-28; Ho 12:3-5; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22
1Jo 5:20

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

Context

  • 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.

  • John 1:19

    And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

Read all of John 1

John 1:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		A Dios nadie le vió jamás: el unigénito Hijo, que está en el seno del Padre, él le declaró.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Personne ne vit jamais Dieu; le Fils unique, qui est dans le sein du Père, lui, l’a fait connaître.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Niemand hat Gott jemals gesehen; der eingeborene Sohn, der in des Vaters Schoß ist, der hat ihn kundgemacht.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Deum nemo vidit umquam: unigenitus Filius, qui est in sinu Patris, ipse enarravit.