2A Jesus—A Godlike One; Divine
John 1:1—“and the Word was a god (godlike; divine)”
Gr., καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (kai the·osʹ en ho loʹgos)
1808 “and the word was a god” The New Testament, in An
Improved Version, Upon the
Basis of Archbishop Newcome’s
New Translation: With a
Corrected Text, London.
1829 “and the Logos was a god” The Monotessaron; or, The
Gospel History, According to
the Four Evangelists, by
John S. Thompson, Baltimore.
1864 “and a god was the Word” The Emphatic Diaglott (J21,
interlinear reading), by
Benjamin Wilson, New York and
London.
1935 “and the Word was divine” The Bible—An American
Translation, by J. M. P.
Smith and E. J. Goodspeed,
Chicago.
1950 “and the Word was a god” New World Translation of the
Christian Greek Scriptures,
Brooklyn.
1975 “and a god (or, of a divine Das Evangelium nach
sort) was the Word”a Johannes, by Siegfried
Schulz, Göttingen, Germany.
These translations use such words as “a god,” “divine,” or “godlike” because the Greek word θεός (the·osʹ) is a singular predicate noun occurring before the verb and is not preceded by the definite article. This is an anarthrous the·osʹ. The God with whom the Word, or Logos, was originally is designated here by the Greek expression ὁ θεός, that is, the·osʹ preceded by the definite article ho. This is an articular the·osʹ. The articular construction of the noun points to an identity, a personality, whereas a singular anarthrous predicate noun preceding the verb points to a quality about someone. Therefore, John’s statement that the Word, or Logos, was “a god” or “divine” or “godlike” does not mean that he was the God with whom he was. It merely expresses a certain quality about the Word, or Logos, but it does not identify him as one and the same as God himself.
In the Greek text there are many cases of a singular anarthrous predicate noun preceding the verb, such as those listed in the accompanying chart. In these places translators insert the indefinite article “a” before the predicate noun in order to bring out the quality or characteristic of the subject. Since the indefinite article is inserted before the predicate noun in such texts, with equal justification the indefinite article “a” is inserted before the anarthrous θεός in the predicate of John 1:1 to make it read “a god.” The Sacred Scriptures confirm the correctness of this rendering.
In his article “Qualitative Anarthrous Predicate Nouns: Mark 15:39 and John 1:1,” published in Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 92, Philadelphia, 1973, p. 85, Philip B. Harner said that such clauses as the one in John 1:1, “with an anarthrous predicate preceding the verb, are primarily qualitative in meaning. They indicate that the logos has the nature of theos. There is no basis for regarding the predicate theos as definite.” On p. 87 of his article, Harner concluded: “In John 1:1 I think that the qualitative force of the predicate is so prominent that the noun cannot be regarded as definite.”
Following is a list of instances in the gospels of Mark and John where various translators have rendered singular anarthrous predicate nouns occurring before the verb with an indefinite article to denote the indefinite and qualitative status of the subject nouns:
Scripture Text
Mark 6:49 New World Translation an apparition
King James Version a spirit
New International Version a ghost
Revised Standard Version a ghost
Today’s English Version a ghost
Mark 11:32 New World Translation a prophet
King James Version a prophet
New International Version a prophet
Revised Standard Version a real prophet
Today’s English Version a prophet
John 4:19 New World Translation a prophet
King James Version a prophet
New International Version a prophet
Revised Standard Version a prophet
Today’s English Version a prophet
John 6:70 New World Translation a slanderer
King James Version a devil
New International Version a devil
Revised Standard Version a devil
Today’s English Version a devil
John 8:44 New World Translation a manslayer
King James Version a murderer
New International Version a murderer
Revised Standard Version a murderer
Today’s English Version a murderer
John 8:44 New World Translation a liar
King James Version a liar
New International Version a liar
Revised Standard Version a liar
Today’s English Version a liar
John 8:48 New World Translation a Samaritan
King James Version a Samaritan
New International Version a Samaritan
Revised Standard Version a Samaritan
Today’s English Version a Samaritan
John 9:17 New World Translation a prophet
King James Version a prophet
New International Version a prophet
Revised Standard Version a prophet
Today’s English Version a prophet
John 10:1 New World Translation a thief
King James Version a thief
New International Version a thief
Revised Standard Version a thief
Today’s English Version a thief
John 10:13 New World Translation a hired man
King James Version an hireling
New International Version a hired hand
Revised Standard Version a hireling
Today’s English Version a hired man
John 10:33 New World Translation a man
King James Version a man
New International Version a mere man
Revised Standard Version a man
Today’s English Version a man
John 12:6 New World Translation a thief
King James Version a thief
New International Version a thief
Revised Standard Version a thief
Today’s English Version a thief
John 18:37 New World Translation a king
King James Version a king
New International Version a king
Revised Standard Version a king
Today’s English Version a king
John 18:37 New World Translation a king
King James Version a king
New International Version a king
Revised Standard Version a king
Today’s English Version a king