Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
All things (panta). The philosophical phrase was ta panta (the all things) as we have it in I Corinthians 8:6; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16. In verse John 1:10 John uses o kosmov (the orderly universe) for the whole.
Were made (egeneto). Second aorist middle indicative of ginomai, the constative aorist covering the creative activity looked at as one event in contrast with the continuous existence of hn in verses John 1:1-2. All things "came into being." Creation is thus presented as a becoming (ginomai) in contrast with being (eimi).
By him (di autou). By means of him as the intermediate agent in the work of creation. The Logos is John's explanation of the creation of the universe. The author of Hebrews (Hebrews 1:2) names God's Son as the one "through whom he made the ages." Paul pointedly asserts that "the all things were created in him" (Christ) and "the all things stand created through him and unto him" (Colossians 1:16). Hence it is not a peculiar doctrine that John here enunciates. In I Corinthians 8:6, Paul distinguishes between the Father as the primary source (ec ou) of the all things and the Son as the intermediate agent as here (di ou).
Without him (xwriv autou). Old adverbial preposition with the ablative as in Philippians 2:14, "apart from." John adds the negative statement for completion, another note of his style as in John 1:20; I John 1:5. Thus John excludes two heresies (Bernard) that matter is eternal and that angels or aeons had a share in creation.
Not anything (oude en). "Not even one thing." Bernard thinks the entire Prologue is a hymn and divides it into strophes. That is by no means certain. It is doubtful also whether the relative clause "that hath been made" (o gegonen) is a part of this sentence or begins a new one as Westcott and Hort print it. The verb is second perfect active indicative of ginomai. Westcott observes that the ancient scholars before Chrysostom all began a new sentence with o gegonen. The early uncials had no punctuation.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 1:3:
John 1:4
John 1:6
John 1:10
John 1:14
John 5:26
John 15:5
1 Corinthians 8:6
Colossians 1:16
Hebrews 1:2
Hebrews 1:11
Hebrews 2:10
1 John 1:5
Revelation 3:14
Revelation 21:6
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