The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14)

Says Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο (kai ho logos sarx egeneto): "the Word became flesh." The Word of 1:1 is the subject, and the verb ἐγένετο, used of created things in 1:3, is now used of the Word himself. He "made His dwelling among us" (ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, eskēnōsen en hēmin). The verb σκηνόω is built on σκηνή (skēnē, "tent"), the LXX's word for the tabernacle (note.language.John.1.14.eskenosen). "We have seen His glory" (ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, etheasametha tēn doxan autou), "glory as of the one and only from the Father" (δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, doxan hōs monogenous para patros), "full of grace and truth" (πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας, plērēs charitos kai alētheias).

Implies "Became" does not mean that the Word ceased to be what 1:1 says he was. He took to himself a full human nature, σάρξ (sarx, "flesh") in its creaturely weakness, without loss of deity (note.language.John.1.1.en-vs-egeneto; cf. 1 John 4:2).

Implies The verse is steeped in Exodus. God said, "that I may dwell among them" (Exod 25:8), and at the tabernacle's completion the glory of the Lord filled the dwelling (Exod 40:34–35; LXX 40:28–29). Moses asked, "please show me your glory" (Exod 33:18), and saw it only in part. Then the Lord proclaimed himself "abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness" (Exod 34:6, BSB), חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת (khesed ve'emet). John's claim is that the dwelling place of God's glory among his people is now the incarnate Word, and that "we" have seen that glory (note.language.John.1.14.shakan-mishkan; note.language.John.1.14.kavod-doxa; note.language.John.1.14.chesed-emet; xref.John.1.14.Exod.25.8.heb; xref.John.1.14.Exod.40.34-Exod.40.35.heb; xref.John.1.14.Exod.33.18.heb; xref.John.1.14.Exod.34.6.heb). The Old Testament pattern of God sending his word to act and save (Ps 107:20; Isa 55:11) is further, thematic background (note.language.John.1.14.word-sent).

Says The "we" of ἐθεασάμεθα speaks as those who saw. Implies It belongs with the eyewitness claim of 21:24 (see the introduction).

Uncertain The sound likeness between σκηνόω and Hebrew שָׁכַן (shakhan, "dwell"), and any link with the post-biblical term shekhinah, are resonance at most, not evidence (note.language.John.1.14.eskenosen; note.language.John.1.14.shakan-mishkan). Whether "tent" stresses temporariness is not pressed. A play on the prophetic formula "the word of the Lord came" (Jer 1:4) is an echo at most (note.language.John.1.14.word-event-formula; xref.John.1.14.Jer.1.4.heb). Whether χάρις stands for חֶסֶד or also absorbs the חֵן (khen, "favor") of Exod 33:12–17 is uncertain, but the allusion to Exod 34:6 is well grounded (note.language.John.1.14.chesed-emet). The meaning of μονογενής is treated in the next section (see also lex.G3439), and the doctrine of eternal generation in note.exegetical.John.1.14-John.1.18.eternal-generation.