What is John 1:1 in Greek?

John 1:1 begins Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, meaning 'In the beginning was the Word.'

How do you pronounce Logos?

For a simple classroom pronunciation, say LO-gos. In Greek letters it is λόγος.

Does John 1:1 say 'the Word was God'?

The traditional English rendering is 'the Word was God.' The Greek final clause is καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, with θεὸς placed before the verb and ὁ λόγος as the subject.

John 1:1 in Greek

"In the beginning was the Word." Here is John 1:1 in the original Greek, with a transliteration, pronunciation, and a careful English meaning. Because so much hangs on a single verse, we explain the word Logos and the famous word order of the last clause rather than glossing over them.

Working with a passage of your own? Koine Greek translator translates Koine Greek both ways.

Verse in Koine Greek

John 1:1

Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.

Transliteration

En arche en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros ton theon, kai theos en ho logos.

How to say it

en ar-KHAY ane ho LO-gos; kai ho LO-gos ane pross tone theh-ON; kai theh-OSS ane ho LO-gos.

What it means in English

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.

The familiar wording (KJV 1611, John 1:1):

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

A few things worth knowing

The final clause puts θεὸς before the verb: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. That word order is significant and should not be flattened into a simple English word-for-word order.
Greek has no indefinite article corresponding exactly to English 'a.' The absence of the article before θεὸς does not by itself settle the English rendering.
Logos can mean 'word,' 'speech,' 'message,' or 'reason' depending on context. In John 1:1 it is used as a loaded theological title.

Why Logos matters

The Greek λόγος can mean word, account, speech, message, or reason. John's opening uses it with deliberate weight: the Logos is not merely a spoken syllable but the personal divine Word introduced at the beginning of the Gospel.

The final clause

The clause καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος places θεὸς before the verb and keeps ὁ λόγος as the subject. A cautious literal explanation is 'and the Word was God,' while noting that Greek word order and article use carry more nuance than English can show in one line.

Where this text comes from

We use Westcott-Hort 1881 Greek New Testament, John 1:1, a public-domain edition, so the wording here is stable and free to read, copy, and share. You can check the source for yourself.

More prayers and verses in their original languages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is John 1:1 in Greek?: John 1:1 begins Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, meaning 'In the beginning was the Word.'
How do you pronounce Logos?: For a simple classroom pronunciation, say LO-gos. In Greek letters it is λόγος.
Does John 1:1 say 'the Word was God'?: The traditional English rendering is 'the Word was God.' The Greek final clause is καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος, with θεὸς placed before the verb and ὁ λόγος as the subject.