John 17 · Verse 3

John 17:3

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3, King James Version

John 17:3 in other translations

BSB	Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
WEB	This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
ASV	And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.
YLT	and this is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send--Jesus Christ;
DARBY	And this is the eternal life, that they should know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
BBE	And this is eternal life: to have knowledge of you, the only true God, and of him whom you have sent, even Jesus Christ.
Webster	And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

What does John 17:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 17:1-3

Joh 17:1-26. The Intercessory Prayer. (See on Joh 14:1). Had this prayer not been recorded, what reverential reader would not have exclaimed, Oh, to have been within hearing of such a prayer as that must have been, which wound up the whole of His past ministry and formed the point of transition to the dark scenes which immediately followed! But here it is, and with such signature of the Lips that uttered it that we…

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Barnes' Notes

Verse 3. This is life eternal. This is the source of eternal life; or it is in this manner that it is to be obtained. The knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ is itself a source of unspeakable and eternal joy. Comp. Jn 11:25, 6:63, 12:50.

Might know thee. The word know here, as in other places, expresses more than a mere speculative acquaintance with the character and perfections of God. It includes all the impressions on the mind and life which a just view of God and of the Saviour is fitted to produce. It includes, of course, love, reverence, obedience, honour, gratitude, supreme affection. To know God as he is is to know and regard him as a lawgiver, a sovereign, a parent, a friend. It is to yield the whole soul to him, and strive to obey his law.

The only true God. The only God, in opposition to all false gods. What is said here is in opposition to idols, not to Jesus himself, who, in 1Jn 5:20, is called "the true God and eternal life."

And Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ is to have a practical impression of him as he is that is, to suffer his character and work to make their due impression on the heart and life. Simply to have heard that there is a Saviour is not to know it. To have been taught in childhood and trained up in the belief of it is not to know it. To know him is to have a just, practical view of him in all his perfections--as God and man; as a mediator; as a prophet, a priest, and a king. It is to feel our need of such a Saviour, to see that we are sinners, and to yield the whole soul to him, knowing that he is a Saviour fitted to our wants, and that in his hands our souls are safe. Comp. Eph 3:19, Tit 1:16, Php 3:10, 1Jn 5:20. In this verse is contained the sum and essence of the Christian religion, as it is distinguished from all the schemes of idolatry and philosophy, and all the false plans on which men have sought to obtain eternal life. The Gentiles worshipped many gods; the Christian worships one --the living and the true God; the Jew, the Deist, the Mohammedan, the Socinian, profess to acknowledge one God, without any atoning sacrifice and Mediator; the true Christian approaches him through the great Mediator, equal with the Father, who for us became incarnate, and died that he might reconcile us to God.

(c) "this is life eternal" 1Jn 5:11 (d) "know thee" Jer 9:23,24 (e) "the only true God" 1Thes 1:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 This is life eternal - The salvation purchased by Christ, and given to them who believe, is called life: 1. Because the life of man was forfeited to Divine justice; and the sacrifice of Christ redeemed him from that death to which he was exposed. 2. Because the souls of men were dead in trespasses and sins; and Christ quickens them by his word and Spirit. 3. Because men who are not saved by the grace of Christ do not live, they only exist, no good purpose of life being answered by them. But when they receive this salvation they live - answer all the Divine purposes, are happy in themselves, useful to each other, and bring glory to God. 4. It is called eternal life to show that it reaches beyond the limits of time, and that it necessarily implies - 1. The immortality of the soul; 2. the resurrection of the body; and 3. that it is never to end, hence called αιωνιος ζωη, a life ever living; from αει, always, and ων, being or existence. And indeed no words can more forcibly convey the idea of eternity than these. It is called ἡ αιωνιος ζωη, That eternal life, by way of eminence. There may be an eternal existence without blessedness; but this is that eternal life with which infinite happiness is inseparably connected. The only true God - The way to attain this eternal life is to acknowledge, worship, and obey, the one only true God, and to accept as teacher, sacrifice, and Savior, the Lord Jesus, the one and only true Messiah. Bishop Pearce's remark here is well worthy the reader's attention: - "What is said here of the only true God seems said in opposition to the gods whom the heathens worshipped; not in opposition to Jesus Christ himself, who is called the true God by John, in 1Jn 5:20." The words in this verse have been variously translated: 1. That they might acknowledge thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, to be the only true God. 2. That they might acknowledge thee, the only true God, and Jesus, whom thou hast sent, to be the Christ or Messiah. 3. That they might acknowledge thee to be the only true God, and Jesus Christ to be him whom thou hast sent. And all these translations the original will bear. From all this we learn that the only way in which eternal life is to be attained is by acknowledging the true God, and the Divine mission of Jesus Christ, he being sent of God to redeem men by his blood, being the author of eternal salvation to all them that thus believe, and conscientiously keep his commandments. A saying similar to this is found in the Institutes of Menu. Brigoo, the first emanated being who was produced from the mind of the supreme God, and who revealed the knowledge of his will to mankind, is represented as addressing the human race and saying: "Of all duties, the principal is to acquire from the Upanishads (their sacred writings) a true knowledge of one supreme God; that is the most exalted of sciences, because it ensures eternal life. For in the knowledge and adoration of one God all the rules of good conduct are fully comprised." See Institutes of Menu, chap. xii. Inst. 85, 87.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 17:1-5

Our Lord prayed as a man, and as the Mediator of his people; yet he spoke with majesty and authority, as one with and equal to the Father. Eternal life could not be given to believers, unless Christ, their Surety, both glorified the Father, and was glorified of him. This is the sinner's way to eternal life, and when this knowledge shall be made perfect, holiness and happiness will be fully enjoyed. The holiness and…

Read the full comment on John 17:1-5 →

John 17:3 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.

αὕτηhautēThisG3778

δέdenowG1161

ἐστινestinisG1510

ἡhē<the>G3588

αἰώνιοςaiōnioseternalG166

ζωὴzōēlifeG2222

ἵναinathatG2443

γινώσκωσινginōskōsinthey may knowG1097

σὲseYouG4771

τὸνtontheG3588

μόνονmonononlyG3441

ἀληθινὸνalēthinontrueG228

θεὸνtheonGodG2316

καὶkaiandG2532

ὃνhonwhomG3739

ἀπέστειλαςapesteilasYou have sentG649

ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424

Χριστόν.ChristonChrist.G5547

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

Cross references for John 17:3

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.
1 John 5:11-12
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 17:25
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Hosea 6:3
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
John 14:9-10
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Hebrews 8:11-12
And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
1 John 4:6
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
John 3:34
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

this.
25; 8:19,54,55; 1Ch 28:9; Ps 9:10; Isa 53:11; Jer 9:23,24; 31:33,34
Ho 6:3; 1Co 15:34; 2Co 4:6; 2Th 1:8; Heb 8:11,12; 1Jo 4:6; 5:11,20
the only.
14:9,10; 2Ch 15:3; Jer 10:10; 1Co 8:4; 1Th 1:9; 1Ti 6:15,16
1Jo 5:20
and Jesus.
3:17,34; 5:36,37; 6:27-29,57; 7:29; 10:36; 11:42; 12:49,50; 14:26
Isa 48:16; 61:1; Mr 9:37; Lu 9:48; 1Jo 4:14,15; 5:11,12

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

Context

John 17:2
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
John 17:4
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

Read all of John 17

John 17:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Esta empero es la vida eterna: que te conozcan el solo Dios verdadero, y á Jesucristo, al cual has enviado.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Et c’est ici la vie éternelle, qu’ils te connaissent seul vrai Dieu, et celui que tu as envoyé, Jésus Christ.
German Elberfelder 1871	Dies aber ist das ewige Leben, daß sie dich, den allein wahren Gott, und den du gesandt hast, Jesum Christum, erkennen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Hæc est autem vita æterna: ut cognoscant te, solum Deum verum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum.