World is used in John’s Gospel in three senses. (1) It may indicate the created order (see 11.9; 17.5,24; 21.25). (2) More generally it is often used in the sense of “the world of mankind,” and as such has a neutral meaning. (3) However, especially in the second half of the Gospel, the world is equated with those people who are aligned with the power of evil in opposition to God. While it is true that the major focus of attention in verse 10 is the world of men, it is necessary in some languages to distinguish between the two different emphases in this verse. The first clause refers to the Word being in the world, that is to say, in a particular place. It is further identified as the world which was made through the Word. This meaning includes the people who are in the world, but in the last clause the world obviously refers to the people in the world who did not recognize and acknowledge Christ as the Word of God. Accordingly, in some languages the first two instances of world may refer to the physical world, but the third instance of world must be translated “people in the world.”

The word translated recognize, literally “know,” especially in light of its Jewish background, implies more than mere recognition. In the Old Testament, “to know God” is not only to recognize who he is, but more important, to respond to him in obedience and faith. In John’s Gospel both ideas are important, but “to respond in faith” is primary. “To recognize” may thus be rendered “to recognize him for who he was” or “to acknowledge him.” The specific manner in which people did not recognize him is explained in verses 11 and 12, but it is important in verse 10 to anticipate this explanation by an adequate rendering of “recognize.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .