VERSE STUDY • BSB

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WHAT IT MEANS

God’s Love and the Gospel

God’s love is shown in giving His Son so that believing in Christ leads to eternal life, not condemnation.

CONTEXT

What is happening here?

Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus about the new birth. The verse sits inside a conversation about humanity’s need for spiritual rebirth and God’s saving initiative.

APPLY IT

For today

Receive the verse as an invitation to trust Christ, not merely as a slogan. Let God’s love reshape how you view Him and how you love others.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WEB World English Bible

For 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.

ASV American Standard Version

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

Surrounding context — John 3

13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

Read the whole chapter → · About John →

Topics connected to this verse

Original-language word links

These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.

Cross-references

Romans 5:8But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.1 John 4:9-10This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.Romans 8:32He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?John 3:15that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.John 6:40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”John 3:36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”1 John 4:19We love because He first loved us.John 10:28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.1 Timothy 1:15-16This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.Romans 5:10For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!2 Thessalonians 2:16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,2 Corinthians 5:19-21that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.Ephesians 2:4But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,Matthew 9:13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood,John 1:14The 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.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on John 3:16

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →

CLASSIC COMMENTARY & PREACHING

Spurgeon on John 3:16

Read Charles H. Spurgeon material whose primary Scripture is this verse or passage.

See all indexed Spurgeon material for this passage →