The prophetic word-event formula: וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה

Says The prophets regularly introduce revelation with a "word-event" formula: וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי (vayhi devar-YHWH elay, "and the word of the Lord came to me," Jer 1:4). Gen 15:1 has the related הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה (hayah devar-YHWH). The verb is הָיָה (hayah, "be, happen, come"). The word of the Lord "happens" to a prophet as an event of revelation.

Says LXX (Swete) Jer 1:4 reads ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου (egeneto logos kyriou), using γίνομαι with λόγος. (Swete's Jer 1:4 reads πρὸς αὐτόν, "to him," where MT has אֵלַי, "to me." This is a minor difference and is not pursued here.)

Implies In the OT, "the word of the Lord" is how God makes himself known through the prophets. John 1:1–18 presents the Word as the full self-revelation of God (1:18).

Uncertain Some have suggested that Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο plays on the prophetic formula (λόγος + ἐγένετο). The team judges this possible but unproven. The constructions differ: in the formula the word "comes to" someone, while in John 1:14 the Word "became" flesh. Both verbs are common. Treat this as an echo at most, and do not build on it.