{In himself} (en heaut(9369)). The Living God possesses life
wholly in himself and so he has bestowed this power of life to
the Son as already stated in the Prologue of the Logos ( 1:3 ).
For "gave" (ed(936b)en, timeless aorist active indicative) see also
 3:35  17:2,24 . The particles "as" (h(9373)per) and "so"
(hout(9373)) mark here the fact, not the degree (Westcott).