John 3:16 - Sense and Syntax

Sense and Syntax

Recent translation scholarship has struggled most with the Greek adverb οὕτως (houtos) which traditionally has been simply translated as "so" as in "so loved" in the KJV.

Theologians Gundry and Howell believe that the sense and syntax of the Greek Οὕτως…ὥστε make it likely that the author of the Gospel of John is emphasizing both (a) the degree to which God loved the world as well as (b) the manner in which God chose to express that love—by sending his only son. Gundry and Howell write that the Οὕτως term more frequently refers to the manner in which something is done (see BDAG 741–42 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως). However, they add that the ὥστε clause that follows Οὕτως involves the indicative—meaning that it stresses an actual but usually unexpected result. They conclude that the sense and syntax of the Greek construction here focuses on the nature of God's love, addressing its mode, intensity, and extent. Accordingly, it emphasizes the greatness of the gift God has given.

There are other scholars agreeing with this assessment. "The 'so' (houtos) is an adverb of degree which points toward the clause which follows and here serves to express the idea of infinity, a love that is limitless, that is fully adequate." "The Greek construction…emphasizes the intensity of the love."

This understanding of the intent in the original Greek is reflected in various scholarly commentaries and translations such as these:

• "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son" (Schnackenburg).
• "Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave the only Son" (Brown).
• "God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son" (NEB).
• "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son" (CEV).
• "For God loved the world so greatly that he gave the only Son" (Beasley-Murray).

Based on their analysis of the original Greek parallelistic structure of John 3:14–17, Gundry and Howell provide the following English translation showing the grammatical structure of that passage:

PARALLELISTIC STRUCTURE OF JOHN 3:14–17
MAIN CLAUSES (UNINDENTED)
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES (INDENTED)

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,

in this way must the Son of man be lifted up

in order that everyone believing might have in him life eternal,

for in this way God loved the world;

and so God gave the only Son

in order that everyone believing in him might not perish; rather, might have life eternal,

for God did not send the Son into the world

in order that he might judge the world;

rather, in order that the world might be saved through him.