John 1:14
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory — full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
What John 1:14 means
Thirteen verses after calling him the Word who was God, John says he became flesh. The verb for ‘dwelt’ evokes pitching a tent, echoing the tabernacle where God’s presence rested among Israel in the wilderness.
‘We have seen’ is eyewitness language, not theory. And the pairing at the end — grace and truth together — is the combination people usually assume must be traded off against each other. John insists both were fully present in one person.
Related topics
Questions about John 1:14
What does John 1:14 mean?
It means the eternal Word became a human being and lived among us, and that those who saw him beheld the glory of God’s only Son, full of grace and truth.
What does ‘dwelt among us’ suggest?
The word pictures pitching a tent, recalling the tabernacle. God’s presence has come to live among his people again — this time in a person.