John 1

Io 1.1"In prīncipiō erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Note. The opening verses (1.1–18, the 'prologue') are printed in quotation marks because the edition brackets them. Verbum translates the Greek Logos, 'word, reason'. Notice how each clause picks up the last word of the one before (Verbum … Verbum … Deus): John loves this chain-like repetition. In Deus erat Verbum, Deus is the predicate placed first for emphasis: 'the Word was God'.

Io 1.2Hoc erat in prīncipiō apud Deum.

This was in the beginning with God.

Io 1.3Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipsō factum est nihil, quod factum est.

All things through him were made, and without him was made nothing that has been made.

Note. Omnia … facta sunt: 'all things were made'. factum est nihil, quod factum est: 'nothing was made that has been made'; the relative clause quod factum est can also be read with the next verse, and ancient readers divided it both ways.

Io 1.4In ipsō vīta erat, et vīta erat lūx hominum:

In him life was, and the life was the light of men;

Io 1.5et lūx in tenebrīs lūcet, et tenebrae eam nōn comprehendērunt.

and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

Note. comprehendērunt can mean 'grasp, understand' or 'seize, overcome'; the Greek is just as ambiguous, so translations differ.

Io 1.6Fuit homō missus ā Deō, cui nōmen erat Iōannēs.

There was a man sent from God, to whom the name was John.

Note. Fuit homō … cui nōmen erat Iōannēs: the dative of possession, 'to whom the name was John', i.e. 'whose name was John'. This is John the Baptist, not the evangelist.

Io 1.7Hic vēnit in testimōnium ut testimōnium perhibēret dē lūmine, ut omnēs crēderent per illum.

This man came for testimony, so that he might bear witness about the light, so that all might believe through him.

Note. ut testimōnium perhibēret: purpose clause. testimōnium perhibēre, 'to bear witness', is a favourite phrase of John's Gospel and recurs constantly in these chapters.

Io 1.8Nōn erat ille lūx, sed ut testimōnium perhibēret dē lūmine.

He was not the light, but came so that he might bear witness about the light.

Note. The sentence leaves out a verb: sed (vēnit) ut … 'but (he came) so that …'. Biblical Latin often follows the compressed Greek closely.

Io 1.9Erat lūx vēra, quae illūminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum.

There was the true light, which lights up every man coming into this world.

Note. venientem agrees with hominem: 'every man coming into the world'. Grammatically it could also go with lūx (the light coming into the world); the Greek allows both.

Io 1.10In mundō erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum nōn cognōvit.

In the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him.

Io 1.11In propria vēnit, et suī eum nōn recēpērunt.

Into his own things he came, and his own did not receive him.

Note. In propria … suī: propria is neuter plural ('his own things, his own home'), suī masculine plural ('his own people').

Io 1.12Quotquot autem recēpērunt eum, dedit eīs potestātem fīliōs Deī fierī, hīs quī crēdunt in nōmine eius:

But as many as received him, he gave to them power to become sons of God, to these who believe in his name;

Note. Quotquot … eīs: 'as many as … to them'. Quotquot is indeclinable. potestātem fīliōs Deī fierī: the infinitive explains the noun, 'the power to become sons of God'.

Io 1.13quī nōn ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntāte carnis, neque ex voluntāte virī, sed ex Deō nātī sunt.

who not from bloods, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of a man, but from God were born.

Note. ex sanguinibus: literally 'from bloods', a Hebrew-flavoured plural for physical descent. The three ex-phrases build up to the contrast sed ex Deō.

Io 1.14Et Verbum carō factum est, et habitāvit in nōbīs: et vīdimus glōriam eius, glōriam quasi ūnigenitī ā Patre plēnum grātiae et vēritātis.

And the Word flesh was made, and dwelt among us; and we saw his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth.

Note. Verbum carō factum est: 'the Word became flesh'; carō is the predicate. habitāvit in nōbīs: 'dwelt among us' (in + ablative, 'among'). plēnum agrees with Verbum, though it stands after Patre.

Io 1.15Iōannēs testimōnium perhibet dē ipsō, et clāmat dīcēns: Hic erat quem dīxī: Quī post mē ventūrus est, ante mē factus est: quia prior mē erat.

John bears witness about him, and cries out, saying: This was the one of whom I said: He who is going to come after me has been made before me, because he was earlier than I.

Note. Hic erat quem dīxī: 'this was the one of whom I spoke'. ventūrus est: the future participle with est expresses what is going to happen. prior mē: comparative with an ablative of comparison, 'earlier than I'.

Io 1.16Et dē plēnitūdine eius nōs omnēs accēpimus, et grātiam prō grātiā:

And from his fullness we all have received, and grace in return for grace;

Note. grātiam prō grātiā: 'grace in place of grace' or 'grace upon grace'; prō here means 'in return for, instead of'.

Io 1.17quia lēx per Mōysēn data est, grātia et vēritās per Iēsum Chrīstum facta est.

because the law through Moses was given, grace and truth through Jesus Christ was made.

Note. Mōysēn is a Greek-style accusative of Mōysēs. Note the balance: lēx … data est / grātia et vēritās … facta est.

Io 1.18Deum nēmō vīdit umquam: ūnigenitus Fīlius, quī est in sinū Patris, ipse ēnarrāvit."

God no one has seen ever; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has told of him.

Note. Deum nēmō vīdit umquam: the object Deum is put first for emphasis. ēnarrāvit has no object; supply 'him' (God).

Io 1.19Et hoc est testimōnium Iōannis, quandō mīsērunt Iūdaeī ab Ierosolymīs sacerdōtēs et Lēvītās ad eum ut interrogārent eum: Tū quis es?

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him so that they might ask him: You, who are you?

Note. Iūdaeī in John usually means the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Lēvītae were members of the tribe of Levi who assisted the priests at the temple. Tū quis es?: the pronoun tū is placed first for emphasis.

Io 1.20Et cōnfessus est, et nōn negāvit, et cōnfessus est: Quia nōn sum ego Chrīstus.

And he confessed, and did not deny, and confessed: I am not the Christ.

Note. Quia nōn sum ego Chrīstus: quia here simply introduces direct speech, like a colon or quotation marks (the 'recitative' quia, imitating Greek hoti). Do not translate it as 'because'.

Io 1.21Et interrogāvērunt eum: Quid ergō? Ēliās es tū? Et dīxit: Nōn sum. Prophēta es tū? Et respondit: Nōn.

And they asked him: What then? Are you Elijah? And he said: I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered: No.

Note. Ēliās es tū? Many expected the prophet Elijah to return before the end (Malachi 4:5). Prophēta: 'the Prophet' promised in Deuteronomy 18:15. Questions here have no question particle; the voice alone shows them.

Io 1.22Dīxērunt ergō eī: Quis es ut respōnsum dēmus hīs quī mīsērunt nōs? quid dīcis dē tēipsō?

They said therefore to him: Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?

Note. ut respōnsum dēmus: purpose clause. dē tēipsō, 'about yourself': tē + the intensive -ipse fused into one word.

Io 1.23Ait: Ego vōx clāmantis in dēsertō: Dīrigite viam Dominī, sīcut dīxit Isaiās prophēta.

He says: I am a voice of one crying out in the desert: Make straight the way of the Lord, just as Isaiah the prophet said.

Note. Ait is present tense of the defective verb aiō, 'he says'. The quotation is Isaiah 40:3.

Io 1.24Et quī missī fuerant, erant ex pharisaeīs.

And those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

Io 1.25Et interrogāvērunt eum, et dīxērunt eī: Quid ergō baptizās, sī tū nōn es Chrīstus, neque Ēliās, neque prophēta?

And they asked him, and said to him: Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?

Note. Quid ergō baptizās: quid here means 'why'.

Io 1.26Respondit eīs Iōannēs, dīcēns: Ego baptizō in aquā: medius autem vestrum stetit, quem vōs nescītis.

John answered them, saying: I baptize in water; but in the middle of you has stood one whom you do not know.

Note. medius vestrum stetit: 'in the middle of you has stood'. medius agrees with the subject, and vestrum is the partitive genitive of vōs.

Io 1.27Ipse est quī post mē ventūrus est, quī ante mē factus est: cuius ego nōn sum dignus ut solvam eius corrigiam calceāmentī.

He it is who is going to come after me, who has been made before me, of whom I am not worthy that I should untie the strap of his sandal.

Note. cuius … ut solvam eius corrigiam: a relative pronoun cuius picked up again by eius, a Hebrew-style redundancy ('whose … his strap'). dignus ut + subjunctive replaces the classical dignus quī.

Io 1.28Haec in Bēthaniā facta sunt trāns Iordānem, ubi erat Iōannēs baptizāns.

These things were done in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Note. Bēthania trāns Iordānem: not the Bethany near Jerusalem, but a place east of the Jordan.

Io 1.29Alterā diē vīdit Iōannēs Iēsum venientem ad sē, et ait: Ecce agnus Deī, ecce quī tollit peccātum mundī.

On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and says: Look, the lamb of God; look, the one who takes away the sin of the world.

Note. Altera diē: 'on the next day', ablative of time when. diēs is often feminine in the Vulgate. Ecce agnus Deī: the lamb recalls the Passover lamb and sacrificial lambs; tollit, 'takes away'.

Io 1.30Hic est dē quō dīxī: Post mē venit vir quī ante mē factus est: quia prior mē erat:

This is he of whom I said: After me comes a man who has been made before me, because he was earlier than I;

Io 1.31et ego nesciēbam eum, sed ut manifestētur in Isrāël, proptereā vēnī ego in aquā baptizāns.

and I did not know him, but so that he may be made manifest in Israel, for that reason I came baptizing in water.

Note. propterea vēnī: 'for that reason I came'; the ut clause before it gives the reason in advance. manifēstētur: present subjunctive passive of manifēstō, 'make plain'.

Io 1.32Et testimōnium perhibuit Iōannēs, dīcēns: Quia vīdī Spīritum dēscendentem quasi columbam dē caelō, et mānsit super eum.

And John bore witness, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down like a dove from heaven, and it remained upon him.

Note. quasi columbam: 'like a dove'. Spīritum … descendentem: accusative and participle after vīdī, 'I saw the Spirit coming down'.

Io 1.33Et ego nesciēbam eum: sed quī mīsit mē baptizāre in aquā, ille mihi dīxit: Super quem vīderis Spīritum dēscendentem, et manentem super eum, hic est quī baptizat in Spīritū Sānctō.

And I did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize in water, that one said to me: Upon whom you see the Spirit coming down and remaining upon him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.

Note. Super quem vīderis …, hic est: 'upon whomever you see …, this is the one'. vīderis is future perfect: Latin is exact about time ('will have seen').

Io 1.34Et ego vīdī: et testimōnium perhibuī quia hic est Fīlius Deī.

And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.

Io 1.35Alterā diē iterum stābat Iōannēs, et ex discipulīs eius duo.

On the next day again John was standing, and two from his disciples.

Io 1.36Et respiciēns Iēsum ambulantem, dīcit: Ecce agnus Deī.

And looking at Jesus walking, he says: Look, the lamb of God.

Io 1.37Et audiērunt eum duo discipulī loquentem, et secūtī sunt Iēsum.

And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.

Note. loquentem: present participle of the deponent loquor, agreeing with eum. secūtī sunt: perfect of the deponent sequor, 'they followed'.

Io 1.38Conversus autem Iēsus, et vidēns eōs sequentēs sē, dīcit eīs: Quid quaeritis? Quī dīxērunt eī: Rabbi (quod dīcitur interpretātum Magister), ubi habitās?

But Jesus, having turned, and seeing them following him, says to them: What are you seeking? They said to him: Rabbi (which is said, when translated, Teacher), where do you live?

Note. Rabbi is Hebrew 'my master'; John translates it for his readers: quod dīcitur interpretātum, 'which, translated, is said …'. interpretātum is the perfect participle of the deponent interpretor used with passive meaning, common in later Latin.

Io 1.39Dīcit eīs: Venīte et vidēte. Vēnērunt, et vīdērunt ubi manēret, et apud eum mānsērunt diē illō: hōra autem erat quasi decima.

He says to them: Come and see. They came, and saw where he was staying, and stayed with him that day; and the hour was about the tenth.

Note. hōra … quasi decima: hours were counted from sunrise, so 'the tenth hour' is about 4 p.m.

Io 1.40Erat autem Andreās, frāter Simōnis Petrī, ūnus ex duōbus quī audierant ā Iōanne, et secūtī fuerant eum.

Now Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard from John and had followed him.

Io 1.41Invenit hic prīmum frātrem suum Simōnem, et dīcit eī: Invēnimus Messīam (quod est interpretātum Chrīstus).

This man first finds his brother Simon, and says to him: We have found the Messiah (which is, when translated, Christ).

Note. Invenit … dīcit: historic presents, vivid narrative tense, mixed with perfects. Messīās is Hebrew/Aramaic for 'anointed', Chrīstus the Greek translation.

Io 1.42Et addūxit eum ad Iēsum. Intuitus autem eum Iēsus, dīxit: Tū es Simōn, fīlius Iōna; tū vocāberis Cēphās, quod interpretātur Petrus.

And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, having looked at him, said: You are Simon, son of Jonah; you will be called Cephas, which is translated Peter.

Note. Intuitus: perfect participle of the deponent intueor, 'having looked at'. Cēphās is Aramaic for 'rock', Petrus the Greek; the renaming points ahead to Peter's role.

Io 1.43In crāstinum voluit exīre in Galilaeam, et invēnit Philippum. Et dīcit eī Iēsus: Sequere mē.

On the next day he wished to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus says to him: Follow me.

Note. In crāstinum (diem): 'on the next day'. Sequere is the imperative of the deponent sequor, which looks like a passive infinitive.

Io 1.44Erat autem Philippus ā Bēthsaidā, cīvitāte Andreae et Petrī.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Io 1.45Invenit Philippus Nathanaël, et dīcit eī: Quem scrīpsit Mōysēs in lēge, et prophētae, invēnimus Iēsum fīlium Iōsēph ā Nazareth.

Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him: Him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets, we have found: Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.

Note. Quem scrīpsit Mōysēs … invēnimus Iēsum: the relative clause comes first, and its antecedent Iēsum follows: 'we have found the one of whom Moses wrote, Jesus …'. Iōsēph is indeclinable; here genitive.

Io 1.46Et dīxit eī Nathanaël: Ā Nazareth potest aliquid bonī esse? Dīcit eī Philippus: Venī et vidē.

And Nathanael said to him: From Nazareth can anything of good be? Philip says to him: Come and see.

Note. aliquid bonī: partitive genitive, 'anything (of) good'. Nazareth was an obscure village.

Io 1.47Vīdit Iēsus Nathanaël venientem ad sē, et dīcit dē eō: Ecce vērē Isrāëlīta, in quō dolus nōn est.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and says about him: Look, truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.

Io 1.48Dīcit eī Nathanaël: Unde mē nōstī? Respondit Iēsus, et dīxit eī: Priusquam tē Philippus vocāvit, cum essēs sub fīcū, vīdī tē.

Nathanael says to him: From where do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

Io 1.49Respondit eī Nathanaël, et ait: Rabbi, tū es Fīlius Deī, tū es rēx Isrāël.

Nathanael answered him and says: Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel.

Io 1.50Respondit Iēsus, et dīxit eī: Quia dīxī tibi: Vīdī tē sub fīcū, crēdis; maius hīs vidēbis.

Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe; greater things than these you will see.

Note. Quia dīxī tibi …, crēdis: here quia is causal, 'because'. maius hīs: 'greater things than these', with hīs as ablative of comparison. A statement like crēdis may be read as a question.

Io 1.51Et dīcit eī: Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs, vidēbitis caelum apertum, et angelōs Deī ascendentēs, et dēscendentēs suprā Fīlium hominis.

And he says to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God going up and coming down upon the Son of man.

Note. Āmēn, āmēn dīcō vōbīs: a Hebrew word meaning 'truly', doubled only in John's Gospel. It always introduces a solemn saying. Fīlium hominis, 'the Son of man', is Jesus' usual way of referring to himself.