Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
For so (outwv gar). This use of gar is quite in John's style in introducing his comments (John 2:25; John 4:8; John 5:13, etc.). This "Little Gospel" as it is often called, this "comfortable word" (the Anglican Liturgy), while not a quotation from Jesus is a just and marvellous interpretation of the mission and message of our Lord. In verses John 3:16-2I John recapitulates in summary fashion the teaching of Jesus to Nicodemus.
Loved (hgaphsen). First aorist active indicative of agapaw, the noble word so common in the Gospels for the highest form of love, used here as often in John (John 14:23; John 17:23; I John 3:1; I John 4:10) of God's love for man (cf. II Thessalonians 2:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4). In John 21:15 John presents a distinction between agapaw and filew. Agapaw is used also for love of men for men (John 13:34), for Jesus (John 8:42), for God (I John 4:10).
The world (ton kosmon). The whole cosmos of men, including Gentiles, the whole human race. This universal aspect of God's love appears also in II Corinthians 5:19; Romans 5:8.
That he gave (wste edwken). The usual classical construction with wste and the indicative (first aorist active) practical result, the only example in the N.T. save that in Galatians 2:13. Elsewhere wste with the infinitive occurs for actual result (Matthew 13:32) as well as purpose (Matthew 10:1), though even this is rare.
His only begotten Son (ton uion ton monogenh). "The Son the only begotten." For this word see on John 1:14, John 1:18; John 3:18. The rest of the sentence, the purpose clause with ina-exh precisely reproduces the close of John 3:15 save that eiv auton takes the place of en autw (see John 1:12) and goes certainly with pisteuwn (not with exh as en autw in verse John 3:15) and the added clause "should not perish but" (mh apolhtai alla, second aorist middle subjunctive, intransitive, of apollumi, to destroy). The same contrast between "perish" and "eternal life" (for this world and the next) appears also in John 10:28. On "perish" see also John 17:12.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 3:16:
Matthew 1:18
Matthew 27:46
Luke 7:12
Luke 8:42
John 1:14
John 1:18
John 3:15
John 3:16
John 3:18
John 4:10
John 4:23
John 4:34
John 5:40
John 10:16
John 10:17
John 10:18
John 10:28
John 12:47
John 15:9
John 16:27
John 17:9
John 17:23
Acts 2:23
Acts 3:18
Acts 14:1
Romans 3:24
Romans 5:8
2 Corinthians 5:18
Hebrews 2:10
Hebrews 2:17
Hebrews 5:5
1 John 1:1
1 John 4:9
1 John 4:11
1 John 4:19
1 John 5:11
Revelation 1:5
Revelation 13:8
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