ClaimThe Bible and the translationverified1980sExplicit statement

Die Bibel und die Übersetzung · Claim record

Die gesellschaftseigene Kingdom Interlinear der Wachtturm-Gesellschaft druckt unter dem griechischen Text von Johannes 1:1 die Wort-für-Wort-Wiedergaben „and“ „god“ „was“ „the“ „Word“ — ohne jeden unbestimmten Artikel in dieser Zeile —, während die Spalte der Neuen-Welt-Übersetzung daneben „and the Word was a god“ („und das Wort war ein Gott“) liest.

Claim ID claim-bible-john-1-1-kit-literalConcerns 1985Ausdrückliche Aussage

Die Aussage und ihre Belege

Ausdrückliche Aussage · 1985 Geprüft

Die gesellschaftseigene Kingdom Interlinear der Wachtturm-Gesellschaft druckt unter dem griechischen Text von Johannes 1:1 die Wort-für-Wort-Wiedergaben „and“ „god“ „was“ „the“ „Word“ — ohne jeden unbestimmten Artikel in dieser Zeile —, während die Spalte der Neuen-Welt-Übersetzung daneben „and the Word was a god“ („und das Wort war ein Gott“) liest. Source: The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1985Source: The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1985

Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: The organisation's Appendix 2A states that “with equal justification the indefinite article ‘a’ is inserted before the anarthrous θεός in the predicate of John 1:1”, and that English requires an article where Greek does not.

Belege anzeigen (2 Quellen)
Primärveröffentlichung von Jehovas Zeugen Geprüft

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, “John 1:1 (word-for-word English under the Greek)”

1985 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

“Ἐν In ἀρχῇ beginning ἦν was ὁ the λόγος, Word, καὶ and ὁ the λόγος Word ἦν was πρὸς toward τὸν the θεόν, God, καὶ and θεὸς god ἦν was ὁ the λόγος. Word.”

The Watch Tower Society's own interlinear sets its word-for-word English beneath the Westcott and Hort Greek text. Its literal line for the third clause reads 'and god was the Word'; the New World Translation column beside it reads 'and the Word was a god'.

Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, John 1:1 (word-for-word English under the Greek)

Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe. Interlinear text opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the Greek and the English gloss read directly from the page.

Untermauert durch. src-nwtv-nwt2013-john-1-1

Notes. The Kingdom Interlinear is itself a Watch Tower publication, so this is primary evidence of what the organisation's own scholars took the Greek to say word for word.

Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung. src-nwtv-int-john-1-1

Primärveröffentlichung von Jehovas Zeugen Geprüft

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, “Appendix 2A: Jesus—A Godlike One; Divine”

1985 · pp.1139-1140 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

“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.”

The organisation's fullest published defence of 'a god'. The appendix also lists seven other translations that render the clause 'a god', 'divine' or 'godlike', quotes Philip B. Harner's 1973 Journal of Biblical Literature article, and gives a chart of anarthrous predicate nouns in Mark and John (apparition, prophet, thief, king and so on) where translators supply 'a'.

Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Appendix 2A: Jesus—A Godlike One; Divine

Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe. Appendix opened in full on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; page markers 1139 and 1140 read from the HTML page-number spans.

Notes. The appendix quotes Harner: 'In John 1:1 I think that the qualitative force of the predicate is so prominent that the noun cannot be regarded as definite.' It does not quote any rendering Harner himself proposed.

Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung. src-nwtv-int-app2a

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/de/evidence/claim-bible-john-1-1-kit-literal/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.