1:13a–c

In this verse John emphasized that becoming a child of God is not like being born as a human baby. It is not the result of a physical (sexual) act. He emphasized the difference by saying it in three ways. Here are the three ways that spiritual birth is different from human birth:

(a) Spiritual birth does not come from being born in a certain family. (1:13a)

(b) Spiritual birth does not come from human decision or a husband’s will. (1:13b)

(c) Spiritual birth comes from God. (1:13c)

See the notes below for more discussion on the meaning of the parts of this verse. Also see the General Comment after 1:13c for a way to reorder the information in this verse.

1:13a

children born not of blood: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not of blood is more literally “not from/of bloods.” The plural form “bloods” probably refers to an ancient belief. People believed that the birth of a baby was the result of mixing the father’s blood and the mother’s blood. John was indicating that people do not become children of God because of who their parents are. For example:

children not born in the natural/physical way
-or-
The way that they became children of God was not the way that people give birth to children on earth

In many languages it will be good to start a new sentence here. For example:

They did not become God’s children by natural means. (Good News Translation)
-or-
They did not become his children in any human way. (New Century Version)
-or-
They did not inherit that right from their parents.

1:13b

nor of the desire or will of man: The two Greek phrases that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the desire and will of man both refer to sexual desire and activity. In this context there is no suggestion that there is anything wrong or sinful involved. Make sure that your translation is suitable for public reading. Here are other ways to translate these phrases:

nor of human decision or a husband’s will (New International Version)
-or-
or by human desire or a husband’s decision (NET Bible)
-or-
resulting from physical desire or plan

In some languages it is more natural to combine these two phrases. For example:

because of any human desires (Contemporary English Version)

1:13c

but born of God: This expression is a short way of saying “but they were born of God.” You may want to follow those translations that make this explicit and begin a new sentence here. For example:

They were born of God. (New Century Version)
-or-
Their birth was from God. (God’s Word)
-or-
God himself was the one who made them his children. (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 1:13a–c

The Berean Standard Bible has reordered the Greek text and placed the main verb phrase, “born,” in 1:13a. In the Greek this verb is in 1:13c. In some languages it may be natural to follow the Greek order. Or it may be natural to place the verb in both 1:13a and 1:13c. Most English translations translate the verb in both places. For example:

They did not become his children in any human way—by any human parents or human desire. They were born of God. (New Century Version)
-or-
They were not God’s children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They did not become God’s children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father. (Good News Translation)

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