Article August 21, 1937 Issue

Bible Notes

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9)—There is some ambiguity in the original Greek of this passage, for the phrase translated "that cometh [literally 'coming'] into the world" may refer either to "every man" (as in the Authorized Version) or to the coming of the Light. Thus Moffatt has: "The real Light, which enlightens every man, was coming then into the world;" and Goodspeed: "The real light, which sheds light upon everyone, was just coming into the world." Weymouth translates: "There was the true Light, which lightens every man, coming into the world."

"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13)—Modern translators have made various attempts to clarify the sense of this passage. Thus Moffatt has: "Who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man;" Goodspeed: "Owing their birth not to nature nor to any human or physical impulse, but to God;" and the Twentieth Century New Testament: "Not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to the will of man did they owe the new Life, but to God." Weymouth suggests: "Who were begotten not by human descent, nor through an impulse of the flesh, nor through the will of a human father, but from God."

"He was before me" (John 1:15)—The phrase found in the Greek (protos mou en) has been characterized as a very remarkable one, "expressing not only relative, but (so to speak) absolute priority. He was first altogether in regard to me, and not merely former as compared with me" (Westcott: Gospel According to St. John, Vol. I, p. 25); the point being that "protos" does not ordinarily mean "before" at all, but simply "first" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 554f.). The Twentieth Century New Testament well suggests the peculiar Greek idiom by rendering: "He was ever First." Goodspeed and Weymouth have simply: "He existed before me."

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