Limitless Word
And the Word became 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.
John 1:14 · New King James Version · underlined terms are tappable
Parallel translations
  • WEB The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • 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.
  • BSB The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • NASB And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  • NLT So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The eternal Word "became flesh and lived among us" — God did not stay distant but took on humanity in Jesus, full of grace and truth.

Overview

The verb behind "lived among us" evokes the tabernacle — God "pitched his tent" with us. The glory once veiled in the wilderness tent is now seen in a human face. "Grace and truth" deliberately recalls the covenant character of God revealed to Moses (Exod 34:6).

Cross-references & the web

Theme

Cross-references · 40

  • 1 Jn 4:9By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
  • 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
  • Gal 4:4But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
  • John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  • Isa 40:5Yahweh’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
  • Heb 1:3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
  • 1 Jn 1:1–2That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
  • Phil 2:6–8who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
  • John 6:51I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
  • Col 1:19For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him;
  • 1 Cor 15:47The first man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven.
  • Rom 8:3For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
  • Isa 7:14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
  • Ps 2:7I will tell of the decree. Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your father.
  • 1 Jn 4:14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
  • Col 2:9For in him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily,
  • 1 Jn 4:2–3By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
  • 2 Jn 1:7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
  • Isa 53:2For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
  • John 1:16–18From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
  • 1 Tim 1:14–16The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
  • John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
  • Luke 1:31–35Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
  • Rev 21:3I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
  • Heb 5:5So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.”
  • John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
  • John 2:11This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
  • John 11:40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
  • Heb 1:5For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”
  • 1 Pet 2:4–7coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
  • Heb 10:5Therefore when he comes into the world, he says, “Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire, but you prepared a body for me.
  • John 3:18He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
  • John 14:9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
  • John 12:40–41“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
  • Heb 2:14–17Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in the same way partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
  • Luke 9:32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him.
  • Isa 60:1–2“Arise, shine; for your light has come, and Yahweh’s glory has risen on you.
  • Matt 17:1–5After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
  • Luke 2:11For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
  • Rom 9:5of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Pastoral

  • CommentaryCommentary on John 1Matthew Henry · Free

    Henry on the prologue — rich on the Word and the incarnation.

Seminary

  • ★ Start hereCommentaryThe Gospel According to John (Pillar NT Commentary)D. A. Carson · ~720 pp · Paid · reformed

    The go-to mid-level exegetical commentary on John — rigorous and readable.

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 1:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 1:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.