1 John 1:5

1 John 1:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
• New International Version (NIV)This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Context of 1 John 1:5

3what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation]. This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection]. 6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth; 7but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

1 John 1:5 word by word

καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• thenκαίkai · andG2532
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the messageὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the messageἀγγελίαaggelia · messageG31
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• we have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• declareἀναγγέλλωanaggellō · to reportG312
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• noοὐou · noG3756
• darknessσκοτίαskotia · darknessG4653
• at allοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for 1 John 1:5

• 1 John 3:11For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another;
• 1 Corinthians 11:23For I received from the Lord Himself that [instruction] which I passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
• Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation— Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life— Whom shall I dread?
• Psalms 36:9For with You is the fountain of life [the fountain of life-giving water]; In Your light we see light.
• Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
• Isaiah 60:19The sun will no longer be your light by day, Nor shall the bright glow of the moon give light to you, But the Lord will be an everlasting light for you; And your God will be your glory and splendor.
• John 1:4In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.
• John 8:12Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
• John 9:5As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world [giving guidance through My word and works].”
• John 12:35So Jesus said to them, “The Light is among you [only] a little while longer. Walk while you have the Light [keep on living by it], so that darkness will not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going [he is drifting aimlessly].
• 1 Timothy 6:16He alone possesses immortality [absolute exemption from death] and lives in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal power and dominion! Amen.
• James 1:17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].
• Revelation 21:23And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lamp and light.
• Revelation 22:5And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.

Commentaries on 1 John 1:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5This then is the message - This is the grand principle on which all depends, which we have heard of ', From him; for neither Moses nor the prophets ever gave that full instruction concerning God and communion with him which Jesus Christ has given, for the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has alone declared the fullness of the truth, and the extent of the blessings, which believers on him are to receive. See John 1:18. God is light…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5This then is the message which we have heard of him - This is the substance of the announcement ( ̓́ epangelia) which we have received of him, or which he made to us. The message here refers to what he communicated as the sum of the revelation which he made to man. The phrase “of him” ( ̓ ̓ ap'autou) does not mean respecting him, or about him, but from him; that is, this is what we received from his preaching; from all that he said. The peculiarity, the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5God is light: This means that God is completely pure, good, and true. When Jesus Christ lived on earth, this light shone through him to everyone he met. His life exposed the sin in people’s hearts, because his words and actions showed God’s perfect standard. At the same time, his light also helped people understand what God is really like—his goodness, his mercy, and his desire for people to walk in truth (see John 1:4–5, 9; 3:19–21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. First division of the body of the Epistle (compare Introduction). declare--Greek, "announce"; report in turn; a different Greek word from 1Jo 1:3. As the Son announced the message heard from the Father as His apostle, so the Son's apostles announce what they have heard from the Son. John nowhere uses the term "Gospel"; but the witness or testimony, the word, the truth, and here the message. God is light--What light is in the natural world, that God…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 1:5

• Darkness
• Fellowship
• God Continued...
• Light
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Deceive
• Fellowship
• Light
• Unction
• Walk
• Astronomy
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings