John 17:3
New International Version
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

New Living Translation
And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

English Standard Version
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Berean Standard Bible
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

Berean Literal Bible
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

King James Bible
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

New King James Version
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

New American Standard Bible
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

NASB 1995
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

NASB 1977
“And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

Legacy Standard Bible
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Amplified Bible
Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent.

Christian Standard Bible
This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent —Jesus Christ.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.

American Standard Version
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.

Contemporary English Version
Eternal life is to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, the one you sent.

English Revised Version
And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

Good News Translation
And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

International Standard Version
And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent—Jesus the Messiah.

Majority Standard Bible
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

NET Bible
Now this is eternal life--that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

New Heart English Bible
This is everlasting life, that they may know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

Webster's Bible Translation
And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

Weymouth New Testament
And in this consists the Life of the Ages--in knowing Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

World English Bible
This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and this is the continuous life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Him whom You sent—Jesus Christ;

Berean Literal Bible
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

Young's Literal Translation
and this is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send -- Jesus Christ;

Smith's Literal Translation
And this is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now this is eternal life: That they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

New American Bible
Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

New Revised Standard Version
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And this is life eternal, that they might know you, that you are the only true God, even the one who sent Jesus Christ.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“But these things are eternal life: 'They shall know you, for you alone are The God of Truth, and Yeshua The Messiah whom you have sent.' “
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And this is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent.

Godbey New Testament
But this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou didst send.

Haweis New Testament
and this is eternal life, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou hast sent, Jesus, the Messiah.

Mace New Testament
and this is life eternal, to acknowledge thee to be the only true God, and Jesus to be the Messiah whom thou hast sent.

Weymouth New Testament
And in this consists the Life of the Ages--in knowing Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

Worrell New Testament
And this is the eternal life, that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou didst send.

Worsley New Testament
and this is life eternal, to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Prayer for the Son
2For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.…

Cross References
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.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Jeremiah 9:23-24
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. / But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.

Philippians 3:8-10
More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ / and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. / I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,

1 John 1:2-3
And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. / We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Timothy 2:3-4
This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, / who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 1:2-3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. / His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Matthew 11:27
All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

1 Corinthians 8:6
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Isaiah 53:11
After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

John 5:24
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

John 6:40
For 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 14:6-7
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. / If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Treasury of Scripture

And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

this.

John 17:25
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

John 8:19,54,55
Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also…

1 Chronicles 28:9
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

the only.

John 14:9,10
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? …

2 Chronicles 15:3
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

Jeremiah 10:10
But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

and Jesus.

John 3:17,34
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved…

John 5:36,37
But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me…

John 6:27-29,57
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed…

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John 17
1. Jesus prays to his Father.














Now this is eternal life
This phrase introduces a profound truth about the nature of eternal life. In the Greek, "eternal life" is "zōē aiōnios," which signifies not just an unending duration but a quality of life that is deeply connected to God. Eternal life is not merely about living forever; it is about living in a relationship with God that begins now and continues into eternity. This life is characterized by a deep, personal, and transformative relationship with the Creator.

that they may know You
The word "know" in Greek is "ginōskō," which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge rather than mere intellectual assent. This knowledge is relational and involves a personal encounter with God. It suggests a deep, abiding relationship that transforms the believer's life. In the biblical context, to "know" God is to be in a covenant relationship with Him, marked by love, obedience, and faithfulness.

the only true God
This phrase emphasizes the exclusivity and uniqueness of God. In a world filled with various deities and idols, Jesus affirms that there is only one true God. The Greek word for "true" is "alēthinos," meaning genuine or real. This underscores the authenticity and reliability of God as opposed to false gods. It calls believers to worship and serve the one true God, rejecting all forms of idolatry.

and Jesus Christ
Here, Jesus refers to Himself with the title "Christ," which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew "Messiah," meaning "Anointed One." This title affirms Jesus' divine mission and His role as the Savior and Redeemer. It highlights the centrality of Jesus in God's plan of salvation and His unique position as the mediator between God and humanity.

whom You have sent
The phrase "whom You have sent" underscores the divine mission and authority of Jesus. The Greek word "apostellō" is used here, which means to send forth with a specific purpose. This indicates that Jesus was sent by God with a clear mission to reveal God's love, provide salvation, and establish His kingdom. It affirms the divine origin and purpose of Jesus' earthly ministry, emphasizing His obedience to the Father's will.

(3) And this is life eternal.--For these words, which are more frequent in St. John than in any other of the New Testament writers, comp. John 3:15-16; John 3:36; John 5:24; John 5:39; John 6:27; John 6:40; John 6:47; John 6:54; John 6:68; John 10:28; John 12:25; John 12:50; 1John 1:2; 1John 2:15; 1John 3:15; 1John 5:11; 1John 5:13; 1John 5:20. The thought of the previous verse is that the Messianic work of Christ is to give eternal life to those whom God has given Him. The thought of the following verse is that He has accomplished this work. In this verse He shows in what its accomplishment consists--viz., in revealing to men the only true God through Jesus Christ. . . . Verse 3. - The life eternal, of which Jesus has just spoken, is this (cf. for construction, John 15:12; 1 John 3:11, 23; 1 John 5:3), that they might know - should come to know - thee, the only veritable God. All ideas of God which deviate from or fall short of "the Father" revealed to us by Christ, are not the veritable God, and the knowledge of them is not life eternal. The Father is here set forth as the fens Deitatis. This does not exclude "the Son," but is inconceivable without him. The Fatherhood expresses an eternal relation. The one element involves the ether as integral to itself: "I am in the Father, and the Father in me." There is a knowledge of the Father possible even now. "Henceforth, he has said, ye have seen him, and known him;" yet not till the veil is lifted, and we see face to face, shall we know as we are known (1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2), shall we see him as he is. And him whom thou didst send, Jesus the Christ (not Jesus to be, or as Christ, but rather "Jesus the Christ," as the expansion and explanation of the more indefinite term, "him whom thou didst scud"). Why does our Lord add to this expression one that at first sight seems so incompatible with the idea of this prayer? It has led so careful and reverential a commentator as Westcott to remove the difficulty by supposing that the whole verse is a gloss of the evangelist, expressing the sense of what our Lord may have uttered at greater length. We are loath to admit this method of exegesis, especially as the sole reasons for it are the supposed strangeness of our Lord's here using a phrase so unaccustomed, and thus giving himself not only his Personal Name, but his own official title. It is unusual. The phrase does undoubtedly belong to a later period for its current and constant use. Yet it must not be forgotten

(1) that this is a unique moment in his career, and unique expressions may be anticipated;

(2) that it was calculated to strengthen his disciples, to allow them to hear once from his own lips the solemn claim to Messiahship (see Godet);

(3) that John himself at once adopted it as his own (Acts 3:6, 20; 1 John 1:3; 1 John 2:1, 22; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 4:2, 3; 1 John 5:1-20; Revelation 1:1, 2, 5); moreover, . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Now
δέ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

this
αὕτη (hautē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

eternal
αἰώνιος (aiōnios)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 166: From aion; perpetual.

life,
ζωὴ (zōē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.

that
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

they may know
γινώσκωσιν (ginōskōsin)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

You,
σὲ (se)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

only
μόνον (monon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3441: Only, solitary, desolate. Probably from meno; remaining, i.e. Sole or single; by implication, mere.

TRUE
ἀληθινὸν (alēthinon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 228: True (lit: made of truth), real, genuine. From alethes; truthful.

God,
Θεὸν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

Christ,
Χριστόν (Christon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

whom
ὃν (hon)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

You have sent.
ἀπέστειλας (apesteilas)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 649: From apo and stello; set apart, i.e. to send out literally or figuratively.


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NT Gospels: John 17:3 This is eternal life that they should (Jhn Jo Jn)
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