The Prologue ends with [ἐξηγέομαι][1], translated as "expounded" by the DLNT: >No one has ever seen God; *the* only-born God, the *One* being in the bosom *of* the Father — that *One* expounded *Him* (John 1:18 DLNT) >θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο About ἐξηγήσατο here Robert G. Hall states: >The conclusion to John's Prologue is frankly puzzling: μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο, literally, 'the only God, who is in the bosom of the Father, that one has explained' (1.18) Explained what? The common translation offers an initial, satisfying solution: 'The only God who is in the bosom of the Father, that one has made him known.' The Father becomes the object of the verb; Jesus does not simply explain him, he makes him known. >Therefore the usual translation requires a complex series of metaphorical plays. And it is successful: 'make him known' works in the Fourth Gospel. The goal of the Gospel is the readers' eternal life ([20.31][2]), and eternal life is to know (γινώσκεἰν) God ([17.3][3]) and Jesus does make him known ([14.7, 9][4]). <Sup>`1`</sup> Now ὁ ὢν in the Septuagint is the name by which God reveals Himself to Moses: >God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14 ESV) > וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶֽהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶֽהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶֽהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ >And God said to Moyses, “I am The One Who Is.” And he said, “Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel, ‘The One Who Is has sent me to you.’” >καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐγώ εἰμι **ὁ ὤν** καὶ εἶπεν οὕτως ἐρεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ **ὁ ὢν** ἀπέσταλκέν με πρὸς ὑμᾶς (Exodus 3:14 [LXX][5]) For the reader versed in the Greek Old Testament, there is an alternate understanding: >θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε μονογενὴς θεὸς **ὁ ὢν** εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο >The verb ἐξηγέομαι, translated 'make known' above, simply means 'to lead out' and commonly takes εἰς, 'into', followed by the destination. Recognizing ὁ ὢν as the divine name, 'THE ONE WHO IS' allows a natural translation of the verb: 'No one has ever seen God; the only God, THE ONE WHO IS, has himself led out into the bosom of the Father' (John 1:18). Led whom? Responsive readers, of course ([17.24][6]) <Sup>2</sup> Hall concludes: >A reader trained among the apocalypses will understand this difficult saying as a call to inquiry, will seek one meaning and then another, and will know the Word made flesh ([John 1:14][7]) as the one in the Father's bosom who makes known the Father *and* as the one who leads us out into the Father's bosom. Such a reader will delight in both meanings and leave them in dialogue with each other in the hope of seeing more. <Sup>3</sup> There are two equally plausible translations: >No one has ever seen God; *the* only-born God, the *One* being in the bosom *of* the Father — that *One* expounded *Him* (DLNT) >No one has ever seen God; the only God, THE ONE WHO IS, has himself led out into the bosom of the Father (Hall) Both are possible, but the second recalls the condition to become children of God: >But all who did receive Him, He gave them — the *ones* believing in His name — *the* right to become children *of* God, who were born not of bloods, nor of *the* will *of the* flesh, nor of *the* will *of* a husband, but of God. (John 1:12-13 DLNT) So The Word became flesh to expound the Father to His own and for those who believe in His Name, THE ONE WHO IS leads them into the bosom of the Father. That is, they become children of God; just as ὁ ὢν led a mixed multitude ([Exodus 12:38][8]) out of Egypt, He leads all who believe into the bosom of the Father. ----- <sub> Notes: 1. Robert G Hall, *"The Reader as Apocalyptist in the Gospel of John"*. John's Gospel and Intimations of Apocalyptic, edited by Catrin H Williams and Christopher Rowland, Bloomsbury, 2013, p. 268 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid. </sub> [1]: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1834&t=KJV [2]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2020%3A31&version=DLNT [3]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017%3A3&version=DLNT [4]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A7%2C9&version=DLNT [5]: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/02-exod-nets.pdf [6]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017%3A24&version=DLNT [7]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%3A14&version=DLNT [8]: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2012%3A38&version=EXB