John 15:3
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Original Language Analysis
διὰ
through
G1223
διὰ
through
Strong's:
G1223
Word #:
5 of 10
through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 10
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
λόγον
the word
G3056
λόγον
the word
Strong's:
G3056
Word #:
7 of 10
something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a
ὃν
which
G3739
ὃν
which
Strong's:
G3739
Word #:
8 of 10
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
Cross References
Ephesians 5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.1 Peter 1:22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:John 13:10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Historical Context
Spoken in the upper room on Passover night, hours before Jesus's arrest. In John's narrative, Jesus had just washed the disciples' feet (ch. 13), foreshadowing their spiritual cleansing through His death. The imagery of pruning connects to viticulture in first-century Judea, where vinedressers carefully cut away dead wood and excess growth.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus's word continue to cleanse and sanctify believers today (John 17:17)?
- What is the relationship between hearing God's word and bearing spiritual fruit in your life?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you (ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον)—Jesus declares the disciples katharoi (clean, pure) not through ritual washing but through ton logon (the word). This echoes Ephesians 5:26, where Christ cleanses the church "with the washing of water by the word."
The perfect tense ἐστε (you are) indicates an already-accomplished reality. Their cleansing came through receiving and believing Christ's teaching (His rhema, spoken word). In the vine allegory, this means genuine branches have been pruned (v.2) and purified through divine truth. Judas, who rejected the word, remained unclean (13:10-11)—not a true branch despite external proximity to the vine.