1:18a
No one has ever seen God: The pronoun No one refers to any human on earth. No human being living on earth has ever seen God. See Exodus 33:20.
1:18b
the one and only Son, who is Himself God: The original Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the one and only Son, who is Himself God is probably “the unique/only one, himself God.” The Greek word for “unique/only one” is also used in 1:14c, where the Revised Standard Version translates it as “only Son.” See the note there. You will probably want to translate it the same way here. Here again this word indicates that Jesus’ relationship to God is unique. He alone among all mankind completely shares the glory of God.
Even though the Greek term does not explicitly indicate that Jesus is unique as God’s “Son,” this is implied. You may want to make this explicit in your translation, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
the only One, himself God (NET Bible)
-or-
the unique One, who is himself God (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the only Son, himself God
-or-
the divine and only Son (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
1:18c
is at the Father’s side: The phrase at the Father’s side means “in close relationship to the Father.” The Word is with God his Father, and God loves and honors him.
Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
near to the Father and dear to him
-or-
closest to the Father (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
very close to the Father (New Century Version)
has made Him known: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has made…known means “has completely explained” or “has caused ⌊people⌋ to know.” It is through Jesus that people can know God. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
has revealed God to us (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
has shown us what God is like (Contemporary English Version)
Him: The pronoun Him refers to God the Father.
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