Berean Standard Bible
1 John 3:17
17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
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 his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. 16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? 18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
Read all of 1 John 31 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
- ·δέde · thenG1161
- Ifἄνan · ifG302
- anyoneὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- withἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- earthlyκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- possessionsβίοςbios · lifeG979
- ·καίkai · andG2532
- seesθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- withholdsκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
- compassionσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- abideμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
Cross-references for 1 John 3:17
- Deuteronomy 15:7If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.
- Proverbs 19:17Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Isaiah 58:7Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
- Luke 3:11John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
- 2 Corinthians 9:5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.
- Hebrews 13:16And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Proverbs 12:10A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.
- Proverbs 28:9Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.
- 1 John 4:20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those 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
In the dictionaries
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
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