ClaimThe Bible and the translationverified2010sExplicit statement

La Bible et la traduction · Claim record

En Jean 1:1, la Traduction du monde nouveau porte “and the Word was a god”, là où la grande majorité des versions anglaises portent “and the Word was God”. La proposition grecque est καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, où θεός n’a pas d’article défini et précède le verbe.

Claim ID claim-bible-john-1-1-a-godConcerns 2013Déclaration explicite

L’affirmation et ses preuves

Déclaration explicite · 2013 Vérifié

En Jean 1:1, la Traduction du monde nouveau porte “and the Word was a god”, là où la grande majorité des versions anglaises portent “and the Word was God”. La proposition grecque est καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, où θεός n’a pas d’article défini et précède le verbe. Source: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), 2013Source: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References, 1984Source: The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1985Source: Bible Hub parallel translations, 19 septembre 2026Source: The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, 1985Source: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), 2013

Position de l’organisation ou explication ultérieure : L’organisation soutient que l’absence d’article rend θεός qualitatif plutôt que défini, de sorte que la proposition décrit une qualité de la Parole au lieu de l’identifier au Dieu tout-puissant ; elle propose “divine” et “a godlike one” comme rendus possibles et cite d’autres traductions qui portent un texte semblable.

Afficher les preuves (6 sources)
Publication primaire des Témoins de Jéhovah Vérifié

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), “John 1:1”

2013 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

The opening verse of John's Gospel in the current (2013) revision of the New World Translation, as displayed in the Study Edition on the Watchtower Online Library.

Note de provenance et de vérification for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), John 1:1

Note sur la fiabilité. Chapter page opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the running Bible text read in full; wording confirmed character for character.

Corroboré par. src-nwtv-rbi8-john-1-1, src-nwtv-int-john-1-1

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-nwt2013-john-1-1

Publication primaire des Témoins de Jéhovah Vérifié

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References, “John 1:1”

1984 · John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

“In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.”

The same verse in the 1984 Reference Bible, which is still hosted on the Watchtower Online Library under the symbol Rbi8. The rendering 'a god' is identical in both editions; only the English word order and the bracketed article differ.

Note de provenance et de vérification for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References, John 1:1

Note sur la fiabilité. Chapter page opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the running Bible text read in full.

Corroboré par. src-nwtv-nwt2013-john-1-1

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-rbi8-john-1-1

Publication primaire des Témoins de Jéhovah Vérifié

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'.

Note de provenance et de vérification for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, John 1:1 (word-for-word English under the Greek)

Note sur la fiabilité. Interlinear text opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026 and the Greek and the English gloss read directly from the page.

Corroboré par. 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.

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-int-john-1-1

Évalué par des pairs / universitaire Vérifié

Bible Hub parallel translations, “John 1:1 in the parallel English versions”

19 septembre 2026 · Bible Hub (reproducing the named copyright translations)

“New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Christian Standard Bible and New American Bible all read: “and the Word was God.” The NET Bible reads “and the Word was fully God”; Smith’s Literal Translation reads “and God was the Word.””

The parallel page for John 1:1. Of the major English versions listed there, none renders the clause 'a god'.

Note de provenance et de vérification for Bible Hub parallel translations, John 1:1 in the parallel English versions

Note sur la fiabilité. Page opened and every rendering read on 19 September 2026. Read on Bible Hub's reproduction, not in the printed editions; I did not check any version's own printing.

Notes. This quote field compiles renderings quoted separately from one Bible Hub parallel page; it is not a continuous passage. Each rendering was checked word for word against the page, which carries over forty versions.

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-bh-john-1-1

Publication primaire des Témoins de Jéhovah Vérifié

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'.

Note de provenance et de vérification for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Appendix 2A: Jesus—A Godlike One; Divine

Note sur la fiabilité. 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.

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-int-app2a

Publication primaire des Témoins de Jéhovah Vérifié

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), “Study note on John 1:1, 'the Word was a god'”

2013 · study note, John 1:1 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

“the Word was a god: Or “the Word was divine [or, “a godlike one”].” … Many scholars agree that the absence of the definite article before the second the·osʹ is significant. When the article is used in this context, the·osʹ refers to God Almighty. On the other hand, the absence of the article in this grammatical construction makes the·osʹ qualitative in meaning and describes a characteristic of “the Word.””

The current study note attached to John 1:1, giving the organisation's present-day reason for the rendering.

Note de provenance et de vérification for New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), Study note on John 1:1, 'the Word was a god'

Note sur la fiabilité. Study note read in full on the nwtsty John chapter 1 page on wol.jw.org, 19 September 2026.

Corroboré par. src-nwtv-int-app2a

Date de consultation. 19 septembre 2026 · Identifiant de la source. src-nwtv-nwtsty-note-john-1-1

Page de l’affirmation Corriger ou mettre à jour

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