1 John 3:17

1 John 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
• New International Version (NIV)If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
• English Standard Version (ESV)But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
• New King James Version (NKJV)But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Context of 1 John 3:17

15Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers. But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him? 18Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]. 19By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him

1 John 3:17 word by word

Ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• whosoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• this world’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• this world’sκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• goodβίοςbios · lifeG979
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• seethθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• needχρείαchreia · needG5532
• shutteth upκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
• bowelsσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
• dwellethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722

Cross-references for 1 John 3:17

• Deuteronomy 15:7“If there is a poor man among you, one of your fellow Israelites, in any of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not be heartless, nor close-fisted with your poor brother;
• Proverbs 19:17He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the Lord, And the Lord will repay him for his good deed.
• Isaiah 58:7Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?
• Luke 3:11And John replied, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same.”
• 2 Corinthians 8:9For you are recognizing [more clearly] the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [His astonishing kindness, His generosity, His gracious favor], that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich (abundantly blessed).
• 2 Corinthians 9:5That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you [before I come] and make arrangements in advance for this generous, previously promised gift of yours, so that it would be ready, not as something extorted [or wrung out of you], but as a [voluntary and] generous gift.
• 1 Timothy 6:17As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
• Hebrews 13:16Do not neglect to do good, to contribute [to the needy of the church as an expression of fellowship], for such sacrifices are always pleasing to God.
• Proverbs 12:10A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
• Proverbs 28:9He who turns his ear away from listening to the law [of God and man], Even his prayer is repulsive [to God].
• 1 John 4:20If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
• 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes [with a deep, abiding trust in the fact] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is born of God [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], and everyone who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him.

Commentaries on 1 John 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But whoso hath this worlds good - Here is a test of this love; if we do not divide our bread with the hungry, we certainly would not lay down our life for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession. If we have not bowels of compassion, we have not the love of God in us; if we shut up our bowels against the poor, we shut Christ out of our hearts, and ourselves out of heaven. This…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But whoso hath this world‘s good - Has property - called “this world‘s good,” or a good pertaining to this world, because it is of value to us only as it meets our wants this side of the grave; and perhaps also because it is sought supremely by the people of the world. The general meaning of this verse, in connection with the previous verse, is, that if we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others, we ought to be willing to make those…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Christ’s example shows that real love requires self-sacrifice. We follow his example when we care deeply about the needs of other people. This means giving our time, effort, prayers, and possessions to help them. In some cases, it may even mean giving our lives to meet their needs.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. this world's good--literally, "livelihood" or substance. If we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1Jo 3:16), how much more ought we not to withhold our substance? seeth--not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds." shutteth up his bowels of compassion--which had been momentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. The "bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion. how--How is it possible…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 3:17

• Alms
• Beneficence
• Bowels
• Commandments
• Fraternity
• Kindness
• Liberality
• Love
• Poor
• Riches
• Righteousness
• Selfishness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Alms
• Appear
• Assure
• Condemn
• Pleasing
• Sin
• Word
• Compassion

Commentaries on 1 John 3

• 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
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• 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