John 1-1
The Word in the beginning — life and light
John 1:1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος
In the beginning was the Word
Ἐν ἀρχῇ“in the beginning”
After ἐν (“in”) the noun takes the ῇ ending here (the “in/at” form) — it tells when.ἦν“was”
He already was, continuing in the past.ὁ λόγος“the Word”
The ending -ος is the subject form — it tells who.Greek shows “who” and “when” by word endings, so the order can change; here “in the beginning” comes first.
1:1 · WORD 1
en
Ἐν
Preposition (+dat.)
Lexical form — this word never changes form
“In,” taking the dative: with ἀρχῇ, “in the beginning.”
1:1 · WORD 2
archē
ἀρχῇ
Noun · dat. · fem. · sing.
ἀρχή → ἀρχ (stem) + ῇ (dative sg. ending)
“Beginning.” The small iota under ῇ marks the dative. No article — the Greek Genesis 1:1 (Septuagint) opens with the same words, en archē.
1:1 · WORD 3
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s — irregular form)
Eimi “to be,” imperfect → “was.” The imperfect describes an ongoing past state: in the beginning he already was. Contrast ἐγένετο, “came into being,” in verse 3.
1:1 · WORD 4
ho
ὁ
Article · nom. · masc. · sing.
ὁ → ὁ (nom. masc. sg., unchanged)
“The.” The rough breathing (῾) gives the h sound: ho. It marks logos as the subject.
1:1 · WORD 5
logos
λόγος
Noun · nom. · masc. · sing.
λόγος → λόγ (stem) + ος (nom. sg. ending)
“Word.” The ending -ος marks the nominative (subject). A masculine noun — the Word who in verse 14 becomes flesh.
καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν
and the Word was toward-together-with God
καὶ“and”
ὁ λόγος“the Word”
Subject form (-ος).ἦν“was”
πρὸς τὸν θεόν“toward-together-with God”
After πρός (“toward”) the noun takes the -ον ending here (the “to” form) — the one he faces.1:1 · WORD 6
kai
καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes; the final accent ί becomes ὶ before another word
“And.”
1:1 · WORD 7
ho
ὁ
Article · nom. · masc. · sing.
ὁ → ὁ (nom. masc. sg., unchanged)
“The,” as before.
1:1 · WORD 8
logos
λόγος
Noun · nom. · masc. · sing.
λόγος → λόγ + ος (nom. sg.)
“Word,” the same subject.
1:1 · WORD 9
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s)
“Was,” the same imperfect.
1:1 · WORD 10
pros
πρὸς
Preposition (+acc.)
πρός — never changes; ό becomes ὸ before another word
“Toward, with.” With the accusative it expresses facing nearness — YLV “toward-together-with God.”
1:1 · WORD 11
ton
τὸν
Article · acc. · masc. · sing.
ὁ → τ + όν (acc. masc. sg.) → τὸν before another word
“The”; the -ν marks the accusative.
1:1 · WORD 12
theon
θεόν
Noun · acc. · masc. · sing.
θεός → θε (stem) + όν (acc. sg. ending)
“God.” The ending -ον is accusative, the object of pros. With the article: “the God.”
καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
and the Word was God
καὶ“and”
θεὸς“God”
Tells what he was — no article (ὁ).ἦν“was”
ὁ λόγος“the Word”
The article ὁ marks this as the subject.Both are in subject form, but ὁ λόγος, with the article, is the subject → “the Word was God.” “God” comes first for emphasis.
1:1 · WORD 13
kai
καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes
“And.”
1:1 · WORD 14
theos
θεὸς
Noun · nom. · masc. · sing.
θεός → θε + ός (nom. sg.) → θεὸς before another word
“God.” No article, placed before the verb: ὁ λόγος (with article) is the subject, θεὸς the predicate, put first for emphasis → “the Word was God.”
1:1 · WORD 15
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s)
“Was” — here as the linking verb “to be.”
1:1 · WORD 16
ho
ὁ
Article · nom. · masc. · sing.
ὁ → ὁ (nom. masc. sg.)
“The,” marking the subject.
1:1 · WORD 17
logos
λόγος
Noun · nom. · masc. · sing.
λόγος → λόγ + ος (nom. sg.)
“Word” — three times in verse 1: he was, he was with God, he was God.
John 1:1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was toward-together-with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2
Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν
He was in the beginning toward-together-with God
Οὗτος“He” (this one)
Masculine — pointing to the Word (λόγος).ἦν“was”
ἐν ἀρχῇ“in the beginning”
As at the start of verse 1.πρὸς τὸν θεόν“toward-together-with God”
As in verse 1.Verse 1’s two phrases, gathered into one sentence.
1:2 · WORD 1
houtos
Οὗτος
Demonstrative · nom. · masc. · sing.
οὗτος → οὗτος (nom. masc. sg., unchanged)
“This one.” Rough breathing: hou-. Masculine, pointing back to the Logos.
1:2 · WORD 2
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s)
“Was,” the imperfect of verse 1.
1:2 · WORD 3
en
ἐν
Preposition (+dat.)
Lexical form — this word never changes form
“In.”
1:2 · WORD 4
archē
ἀρχῇ
Noun · dat. · fem. · sing.
ἀρχή → ἀρχ + ῇ (dative sg.)
“Beginning,” repeating the opening of verse 1.
1:2 · WORD 5
pros
πρὸς
Preposition (+acc.)
πρός — never changes
“Toward-together-with,” as in verse 1.
1:2 · WORD 6
ton
τὸν
Article · acc. · masc. · sing.
ὁ → τ + όν (acc. masc. sg.)
“The.”
1:2 · WORD 7
theon
θεόν
Noun · acc. · masc. · sing.
θεός → θε + όν (acc. sg.)
“God.” Verse 2 gathers “in the beginning he was” and “with God” from verse 1.
John 1:2
Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
He was in the beginning toward-together-with God.
John 1:3
Πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο
All things came into being through Him
Πάντα“all things”
Neuter plural — subject form.δι᾽ αὐτοῦ“through him”
διά (“through”) loses its α; αὐτοῦ ends in -οῦ (the “of” form).ἐγένετο“came into being”
The prefix ἐ- marks the past — a single event.The subject is plural (πάντα) but the verb singular (ἐγένετο) — Greek uses a singular verb with a neuter plural subject.
1:3 · WORD 1
panta
Πάντα
Adjective · nom. · neut. · pl.
πᾶς → παντ (stem) + α (neut. pl. nom. ending)
“All things.” In Greek a neuter plural subject takes a singular verb (ἐγένετο).
1:3 · WORD 2
di'
δι᾽
Preposition (+gen.)
διά → δι᾽ (final α dropped before a vowel, marked ᾽)
Dia with its final α dropped before a vowel (marked ᾽). With the genitive: “through.”
1:3 · WORD 3
autou
αὐτοῦ
Pronoun · gen. · masc. · sing.
αὐτός → αὐτ (stem) + οῦ (gen. sg. ending)
“Him.” The ending -οῦ is genitive → “through him.”
1:3 · WORD 4
egeneto
ἐγένετο
Verb · 2nd aorist · middle (deponent) · indicative · 3s
γίνομαι → ἐ (augment) + γεν (aorist stem) + ε (connecting vowel) + το (middle 3s ending)
Ginomai “to come into being.” The prefix ἐ- (augment) marks past time → “came into being”: an event, in contrast to ἦν, “was,” in verse 1.
καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν
and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being
καὶ“and”
χωρὶς αὐτοῦ“apart from him”
After χωρίς (“apart from”), the “of” form (-οῦ).ἐγένετο“came into being”
οὐδὲ ἕν“not even one”
ἕν = “one” (neuter).ὃ γέγονεν“that has come into being”
ὃ (“which”) + γέγονεν (came to be and still is).1:3 · WORD 5
kai
καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes
“And.”
1:3 · WORD 6
chōris
χωρὶς
Adverb (as prep. · +gen.)
χωρίς — never changes; ί becomes ὶ before another word
“Apart from,” with the genitive.
1:3 · WORD 7
autou
αὐτοῦ
Pronoun · gen. · masc. · sing.
αὐτός → αὐτ + οῦ (gen. sg.)
“Him,” genitive → “apart from him.”
1:3 · WORD 8
egeneto
ἐγένετο
Verb · 2nd aorist · middle (deponent) · indicative · 3s
γίνομαι → ἐ + γεν + ε + το (aorist middle 3s)
“Came into being,” the same form.
1:3 · WORD 9
oude
οὐδὲ
Negative conjunction
οὐδέ = οὐ (not) + δέ (and, also) → οὐδὲ before another word
“Not even.”
1:3 · WORD 10
hen
ἕν
Adjective (numeral) · nom. · neut. · sing.
εἷς (one) → ἕν (neut. nom. sg.)
The neuter of heis, “one”: “not even one thing.” The rough breathing makes it hen, distinct from ἐν, “in.”
1:3 · WORD 11
ho
ὃ
Relative pronoun · nom. · neut. · sing.
ὅς → ὅ (neut. nom. sg.) → ὃ before another word
“That which.” The same letter as the article ὁ, but it carries an accent (ὃ).
1:3 · WORD 12
gegonen
γέγονεν
Verb · 2nd perfect · active · indicative · 3s
γίνομαι → γε (reduplication) + γον (perfect stem) + ε(ν) (3s; the final ν is the movable nu)
Perfect of ginomai. The doubled γε- marks the perfect: it came into being and still stands → “has come into being.”
John 1:3
Πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 1:4
Ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν
In Him was life
Ἐν αὐτῷ“in him”
After ἐν (“in”) the word takes the ῷ ending here (the “in” form).ζωὴ“life”
Subject form — no article.ἦν“was”
“In him” comes first: where the life was.
1:4 · WORD 1
en
Ἐν
Preposition (+dat.)
Lexical form — this word never changes form
“In.”
1:4 · WORD 2
autō
αὐτῷ
Pronoun · dat. · masc. · sing.
αὐτός → αὐτ + ῷ (dative sg. ending)
“Him.” The iota under ῷ marks the dative → “in him.”
1:4 · WORD 3
zōē
ζωὴ
Noun · nom. · fem. · sing.
ζωή → ζωή (nom. sg., unchanged) → ζωὴ before another word
“Life,” without the article.
1:4 · WORD 4
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s)
“Was.”
καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων
and the life was the light of men
καὶ“and”
ἡ ζωὴ“the life”
The article ἡ: the life just mentioned.ἦν“was”
τὸ φῶς“the light”
Tells what the life was.τῶν ἀνθρώπων“of men”
The ending -ων means “of …s.”1:4 · WORD 5
kai
καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes
“And.”
1:4 · WORD 6
hē
ἡ
Article · nom. · fem. · sing.
ὁ → ἡ (nom. fem. sg.)
“The.” Rough breathing: hē. It points to the life just mentioned.
1:4 · WORD 7
zōē
ζωὴ
Noun · nom. · fem. · sing.
ζωή → ζωή (nom. sg.) → ζωὴ before another word
“Life,” now with the article: “the life.”
1:4 · WORD 8
ēn
ἦν
Verb · imperfect · active · indicative · 3s
εἰμί → ἦν (imperfect 3s)
“Was.”
1:4 · WORD 9
to
τὸ
Article · nom. · neut. · sing.
ὁ → τό (nom. neut. sg.) → τὸ before another word
“The” (neuter).
1:4 · WORD 10
phōs
φῶς
Noun · nom. · neut. · sing.
φῶς → φῶς (nom. sg., unchanged; the stem is φωτ-)
“Light,” echoing “let there be light” in Genesis 1:3.
1:4 · WORD 11
tōn
τῶν
Article · gen. · masc. · pl.
ὁ → τ + ῶν (gen. pl. ending)
“Of the”; -ων is genitive plural.
1:4 · WORD 12
anthrōpōn
ἀνθρώπων
Noun · gen. · masc. · pl.
ἄνθρωπος → ἀνθρώπ (stem) + ων (gen. pl. ending)
“Of men”: anthrōpos + the genitive plural -ων.
John 1:4
Ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:5
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει
The light shines in the darkness
Καὶ“and”
τὸ φῶς“the light”
Subject form.ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ“in the darkness”
After ἐν, the “in” form — marked by the small iota under ᾳ.φαίνει“shines”
The ending -ει: “it does” — now.Verses 1–4 speak of the past (was, came into being); here it turns to the present (shines).
1:5 · WORD 1
kai
Καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes
“And.”
1:5 · WORD 2
to
τὸ
Article · nom. · neut. · sing.
ὁ → τό (nom. neut. sg.) → τὸ before another word
“The.”
1:5 · WORD 3
phōs
φῶς
Noun · nom. · neut. · sing.
φῶς → φῶς (nom. sg.)
“Light” — the light of verse 4.
1:5 · WORD 4
en
ἐν
Preposition (+dat.)
Lexical form — this word never changes form
“In.”
1:5 · WORD 5
tē
τῇ
Article · dat. · fem. · sing.
ὁ → τ + ῇ (dat. fem. sg.)
“The,” dative: the iota under ῇ.
1:5 · WORD 6
skotia
σκοτίᾳ
Noun · dat. · fem. · sing.
σκοτία → σκοτί (stem) + ᾳ (dative sg. ending)
“Darkness.” The iota under ᾳ marks the dative → “in the darkness.”
1:5 · WORD 7
phainei
φαίνει
Verb · present · active · indicative · 3s
φαίνω → φαίν (stem) + ει (present 3s ending)
Phainō “to shine.” The ending -ει is third singular. Present tense, unlike verses 1–4: it shines now.
καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν
and the darkness did not overcome it
καὶ“and (yet)”
ἡ σκοτία“the darkness”
Subject form — no iota under the α.αὐτὸ“it”
The object form, neuter — the light (φῶς).οὐ“not”
κατέλαβεν“overcame”
κατ + ε (past marker) + λαβ + εν.Though “it” comes before the verb, the endings make clear who did what to whom.
1:5 · WORD 8
kai
καὶ
Conjunction
καί — never changes
“And, yet.”
1:5 · WORD 9
hē
ἡ
Article · nom. · fem. · sing.
ὁ → ἡ (nom. fem. sg.)
“The.”
1:5 · WORD 10
skotia
σκοτία
Noun · nom. · fem. · sing.
σκοτία → σκοτί + α (nom. sg. ending)
“Darkness,” now nominative: no iota under the α.
1:5 · WORD 11
auto
αὐτὸ
Pronoun · acc. · neut. · sing.
αὐτός → αὐτ + ό (acc. neut. sg. ending) → αὐτὸ before another word
“It”: neuter, pointing to φῶς, “light.”
1:5 · WORD 12
ou
οὐ
Negative
οὐ — never changes
“Not.”
1:5 · WORD 13
katelaben
κατέλαβεν
Verb · 2nd aorist · active · indicative · 3s
καταλαμβάνω → κατ (prefix κατά, final α dropped) + έ (augment) + λαβ (aorist stem) + ε(ν) (3s)
Katalambanō “to seize, overcome” (also “to grasp”). The augment ε sits after the prefix: κατ-έ-λαβεν. With οὐ: “did not overcome.”
John 1:5
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Read it once more
1:1
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was toward-together-with God, and the Word was God.
1:2
Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
He was in the beginning toward-together-with God.
1:3
Πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
1:4
Ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
1:5
Καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.