VERSE STUDY • YLT

John 3:16

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.

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 and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down—the Son of Man who is in the heaven.

14 ‘And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up,

15 that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during,

16 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.

17 For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;

18 he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 ‘And this is the judgment, that the light hath come to the world, and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil;

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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 5:8and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us;1 John 4:9-10In this was manifested the love of God in us, because His Son—the only begotten—hath God sent to the world, that we may live through him;Romans 8:32He who indeed His own Son did not spare, but for us all did deliver him up, how shall He not also with him the all things grant to us?John 3:15that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during,John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, ‘I am the rising again, and the life; he who is believing in me, even if he may die, shall live;John 6:40and this is the will of Him who sent me, that every one who is beholding the Son, and is believing in him, may have life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day.’John 3:36he who is believing in the Son, hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain upon him.’1 John 4:19we—we love him, because He—He first loved us;John 10:28and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish—to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand;1 Timothy 1:15-16stedfast is the word, and of all acceptation worthy, that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners—first of whom I am;Romans 5:10for if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in his life.John 1:29on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, ‘Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;2 Thessalonians 2:16and may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace,2 Corinthians 5:19-21how that God was in Christ—a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word of the reconciliation,Ephesians 2:4and God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us,Matthew 9:13but having gone, learn ye what is, Kindness I will, and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.’Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born out of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth; to him who did love us, and did bathe us from our sins in his blood,John 1:14And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

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CLASSIC COMMENTARY & PREACHING

Spurgeon on John 3:16

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