Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Which were born (oi egennhqhsan). First aorist passive indicative of gennaw, to beget, "who were begotten." By spiritual generation (of God, ek qeou), not by physical (ec aimatwn, plural as common in classics and O.T., though why it is not clear unless blood of both father and mother; ek qelhmatov sarkov, from sexual desire; ek qelhmatov androv, from the will of the male). But b of the old Latin reads qui natus est and makes it refer to Christ and so expressly teach the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Likewise Irenaeus reads qui natus est as does Tertullian who argues that qui nati sunt (oi egennhqhsan) is an invention of the Valentinian Gnostics. Blass (Philology of the Gospels, p. 234) opposes this reading, but all the old Greek uncials read oi egennhqhsan and it must be accepted. The Virgin Birth is doubtless implied in verse John 1:14, but it is not stated in verse John 1:13.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 8:21
John 1:13
John 3:6
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