The opening line of John's Gospel — among the most-quoted verses in all of scripture
In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.
English (KJV)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Ω
In the original Greek
Greek: Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος (En archē ēn ho Logos). The first three words deliberately echo the Septuagint of Genesis 1:1. The Greek Logos carried wider meaning than "word" — reason, principle, ordering thought. John claims for Christ both the Greek-philosophical Logos and the Hebrew creating-Word of Genesis 1.
Why this verse matters
The most deliberate cross-reference in the New Testament. "In principio" — the same Latin phrase the Vulgate uses for Genesis 1:1 — is now applied to the eternal Word. John is claiming for Christ the place Genesis 1:1 gave to God on the first morning of creation.
Verse 2
Verse 2John 1:2
Hoc erat in principio apud Deum.
Verse 3
Verse 3John 1:3
Omnia per ipsum facta sunt: et sine ipso factum est nihil, quod factum est.
Verse 4
Verse 4John 1:4
In ipso vita erat, et vita erat lux hominum.
Verse 5
Verse 5John 1:5
The thesis of John's whole Gospel in a single line
Et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt.
Verse 6
Verse 6John 1:6
Fuit homo missus a Deo, cui nomen erat Joannes.
Verse 7
Verse 7John 1:7
Hic venit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ut omnes crederent per illum.
Verse 8
Verse 8John 1:8
Non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine.
Verse 9
Verse 9John 1:9
Erat lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum.
Verse 10
Verse 10John 1:10
In mundo erat, et mundus per ipsum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit.
Verse 11
Verse 11John 1:11
In propria venit, et sui eum non receperunt.
Verse 12
Verse 12John 1:12
The pivot of the Prologue — rejection turns to adoption
Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri, his qui credunt in nomine ejus.
Verse 13
Verse 13John 1:13
Qui non ex sanguinibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt.
Verse 14
Verse 14
Ω
Omega
John 1:14
The climax of the Prologue — Verbum caro factum est
Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis: et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre, plenum gratiae et veritatis.
English (KJV)
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Ω
In the original Greek
Greek eskēnōsen — pitched His tent, tabernacled. The verb deliberately echoes the Old Testament TABERNACLE (Exodus 25:8) where God dwelt among Israel in a tent. The Word now tabernacles in human flesh. CHARIS (grace) and ALĒTHEIA (truth) become Pauline-and-Johannine signature words.
Why this verse matters
The climax of the Prologue. The eternal Word who was with God in the beginning, by whom all things were made, who is the light and life of men — became FLESH. He pitched His tent among us. He was visible enough that John (the apostle, writing this Gospel) could say WE BEHELD His glory. The doctrine of the Incarnation, in fewer Latin words than will fit on most book covers, is the answer to everything Genesis 3 broke. The Maker has come to His own creation, and dwelt with us, full of grace and truth.
The Prologue is complete — from In principio erat Verbumthrough the Baptist's witness to Verbum caro factum est, the Word made flesh full of grace and truth. The rest of John's Gospel continues from here.
Latin from the Vulgate (Biblia Sacra Vulgata), translated by St. Jerome circa 382 AD. KJV English alongside. Greek footnotes for the theologically loaded words.
