John 3:15

John 3:15 evn auvtw|/ {B}

Exegetical as well as textual problems are involved in deciding among the variant readings. Except for this passage, the fourth evangelist always uses eivj after pisteu,ein (34 times), never evn. On the other hand, if evn auvtw|/ is original here, the meaning may well be, “that every one who believes shall in him [i.e. resting upon him as the cause] have eternal life.” In support of such an interpretation is John’s manner of placing an adverbial phrase with evn before its verb when the phrase is emphatic or metaphorical (cf. John 5:39; John 16:33; and 1 Jn passim). On balance, therefore, the reading of î⁷⁵ B al, being ambiguous, seems to account best for the rise of the other readings.