John 3 · Verse 16

John 3:16

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.

John 3:16, King James Version

John 3:16 in other translations

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.
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.
YLT	for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.
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.
BBE	For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life.
Webster	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

What does John 3:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 3:14-16

14-16. And as Moses, &c.--Here now we have the "heavenly things," as before the "earthly," but under a veil, for the reason mentioned in Joh 3:12. The crucifixion of Messiah is twice after this veiled under the same lively term--"uplifting," Joh 8:28; 12:32, 33. Here it is still further veiled--though to us who know what it means, rendered vastly more instructive--by reference to the brazen serpent. The venom of the…

Read the full comment on John 3:14-16 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 16. For God so loved. This does not mean that God approved the conduct of men, but that he had benevolent feelings toward them, or was earnestly desirous of their happiness. God hates wickedness, but he still desires the happiness of those who are sinful. He hates the sin, but loves the sinner. A parent may love his child and desire his welfare, and yet be strongly opposed to the conduct of that child. When we approve the conduct of another, this is the love of complacency; when we desire simply their happiness, this is the love of benevolence.

The world. All mankind. It does not mean any particular part of the world, but man as man--the race that had rebelled and that deserved to die. See Jn 6:33, 17:21. His love for the world, or for all mankind, in giving his Son, was shown by these circumstances:

1st. All the world was in ruin, and exposed to the wrath of God.

2nd. All men were in a hopeless condition.

3rd. God gave his Son. Man had no claim on him; it was a gift--an undeserved gift.

4th. He gave him up to extreme sufferings, even the bitter pains of death on the cross.

5th. It was for all the world. He tasted "death for every man," He 2:9. He "died for all," 2Cor 5:15. "He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world," 1Jn 2:2.

That he gave. It was a free and unmerited gift. Man had no claim; and when there was no eye to pity or arm to save, it pleased God to give his Son into the hands of men to die in their stead, Gal 1:4; Rom 8:32, Lk 22:19. It was the mere movement of love; the expression of eternal compassion, and of a desire that sinners should not perish forever.

His only-begotten Son. Jn 1:14. This is the highest expression of love of which we can conceive. A parent who should give up his only son to die for others who are guilty--if this could or might be done--would show higher love than could be manifested in any other way. So it shows the depth of the love of God, that he was willing to give his only Son into the hands of sinful men that he might be slain, and thus redeem them from eternal sorrow.

(n) "For God" 1Jn 4:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 For God so loved the world - Such a love as that which induced God to give his only begotten son to die for the world could not be described: Jesus Christ does not attempt it. He has put an eternity of meaning in the particle οὑτω, so, and left a subject for everlasting contemplation, wonder, and praise, to angels and to men. The same evangelist uses a similar mode of expression, 1Jn 3:1 : Behold, What Manner of love, ποταπην αγαπην, the Father hath bestowed upon us. From the subject before him, let the reader attend to the following particulars. First, The world was in a ruinous, condemned state, about to perish everlastingly; and was utterly without power to rescue itself from destruction. Secondly, That God, through the impulse of his eternal love, provided for its rescue and salvation, by giving his Son to die for it. Thirdly, That the sacrifice of Jesus was the only mean by which the redemption of man could be effected, and that it is absolutely sufficient to accomplish this gracious design: for it would have been inconsistent with the wisdom of God, to have appointed a sacrifice greater in itself, or less in its merit, than what the urgent necessities of the case required. Fourthly, That sin must be an indescribable evil, when it required no less a sacrifice, to make atonement for it, than God manifested in the flesh. Fifthly, That no man is saved through this sacrifice, but he that believes, i.e. who credits what God has spoken concerning Christ, his sacrifice, the end for which it was offered, and the way in which it is to be applied in order to become effectual. Sixthly, That those who believe receive a double benefit: 1. They are exempted from eternal perdition - that they may not perish. 2. They are brought to eternal glory - that they may have everlasting life. These two benefits point out tacitly the state of man: he is guilty, and therefore exposed to punishment: he is impure, and therefore unfit for glory. They point out also the two grand operations of grace, by which the salvation of man is effected. 1. Justification, by which the guilt of sin is removed, and consequently the person is no longer obnoxious to perdition. 2. Sanctification, or the purification of his nature, by which he is properly fitted for the kingdom of glory.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

John 3:16 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.

οὕτωςhoutōsThusG3779

γὰρgarforG1063

ἠγάπησενēgapēsenlovedG25

ὁho<the>G3588

θεὸςtheosGodG2316

τὸνtontheG3588

κόσμον,kosmonworld,G2889

ὥστεhōstethatG5620

τὸνtontheG3588

υἱὸνhuionSonG5207

τὸνtontheG3588

μονογενῆmonogenēonly begottenG3439

ἔδωκεν,edōkenHe gave,G1325

ἵναinaso thatG2443

πᾶςpaseveryoneG3956

ὁhowhoG3588

πιστεύωνpisteuōnis believingG4100

εἰςeisinG1519

αὐτὸνautonHimG846

μὴmēnotG3361

ἀπόληταιapolētaimay perishG622

ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235

ἔχῃechēmay haveG2192

ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222

αἰώνιον.aiōnioneternal.G166

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

Cross references for John 3:16

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:9-10
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. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 6:40
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
1 Timothy 1:15-16
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Romans 5:10
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

God.
Lu 2:14; Ro 5:8; 2Co 5:19-21; Tit 3:4; 1Jo 4:9,10,19
gave.
1:14,18; Ge 22:12; Mr 12:6; Ro 5:10; 8:32
that whosoever.
15; Mt 9:13; 1Ti 1:15,16

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

Context

John 3:15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16
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.
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.

Read all of John 3

John 3:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde, qu’il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse pas, mais qu’il ait la vie éternelle.
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab, auf daß jeder, der an ihn glaubt, nicht verloren gehe, sondern ewiges Leben habe.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret: ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.