What does "the Word" actually mean?

The Greek word behind John 1:1—and what it changes about how you read it.

You've read it hundreds of times. But what does "the Word" actually mean? John 1:1 is one of the most familiar verses in Scripture:        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. —John 1:1 (NIV)    But John didn't write in English. He wrote in Greek. And the word he chose—logos—carries more weight than any English translation can fully capture. What the experts say.  The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged), available with Bible Gateway Plus, opens John 1:1 this way:  "Word" (logos) has several meanings. Ordinarily it refers to a spoken word, with emphasis on the meaning conveyed. Logos, therefore, is an expression of personality in communication. Scripture also tells us that it is creative in its power: "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth" (Ps 33:6). To the Hebrew "the word of God" was the self-assertion of the divine personality; to the Greek the formula denoted the rational mind that ruled the universe. John is asserting that the "Word" is the source of all that is visible and antedates the totality of the material world.  John wasn't choosing a vague poetic term—he was using a word that meant something specific and profound to both Jewish and Greek readers. And then he redefined it entirely. The word John chose—and what it means. The Mounce Expository Dictionary, available with Bible Gateway Plus, traces logos across the entire New Testament:  …in Jn 1:1, the logos is not only from God, but is God. According to John, this logos was in the beginning, was with God, and was God himself. As the logos, God himself (Jn 1:1–2) in his divine glory assumes the flesh of humanity in historical time and space (1:14–15). Jesus, the logos, signifies the presence of God in the flesh. No religious or philosophical parallel to Jesus the logos has been found. The logos from God is his own Son (Jn 3:16). Jesus is the fullness of God (Col 1:19; 2:9).  No parallel has been found. And the Mounce Dictionary provides a way, during a word study, to surface this it in a way a surface reading the Bible alone never could.    This is what original-language tools make possible. You don't need to know Greek. You just need the right resources beside the passage—and the curiosity to ask what's really there.    Read John 1:1 with the Expositor's Bible Commentary →    Explore logos more in the Mounce Expository Dictionary →   Both the Expositor's Bible Commentary and the Mounce Expository Dictionary are among 70+ resources available with every Bible Gateway Plus plan, right alongside every passage you read.    Pick the plan that helps you go deeper  Yearly plan: $58.99/year (just $4.92/month) $69.99/year  Monthly plan: $6.99/month  Lock in 30% savings with a yearly plan.*  Start My Free Trial 7 days free. Cancel anytime.  Have any questions? Please write to us at support@biblegateway.com. *The Bible Gateway Plus sale is valid through September 14, 2026. Savings based on the cost of 12 months at the regular monthly plan price. All prices are USD. Additional sales tax may apply. The 7-day free trial is available to new subscribers only.   This email was sent to alitealbum.biblegateway@blogger.com by 501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214, USA. You received this email because you are signed up for communications from Bible Gateway. If you have questions or comments about this email, please contact us.   Manage all Bible Gateway communication | Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication   VIEW THIS EMAIL IN YOUR BROWSER  ►