3 John 1:4

3 John 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
• New International Version (NIV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Context of 3 John 1:4

2Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers. 3For I was overjoyed when the brothers came and testified about your devotion to the truth, in which you continue to walk. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, and especially since they are strangers to you. 6They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

3 John 1:4 word by word

μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαρὰν ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.Read the interlinear

• I haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• noοὐou · noG3756
• greaterμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• joyχαράchara · joyG5479
• thanοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• myἐμόςemos · mineG1699
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• childrenτέκνονteknon · childG5043
• are walkingπεριπατέωperipateō · to walkG4043
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225

Cross-references for 3 John 1:4

• Proverbs 23:24The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
• Isaiah 8:18Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me as signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD of Hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion.
• 1 Corinthians 4:15Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
• Galatians 4:19My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,
• Philemon 1:10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
• 1 Kings 2:4and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
• 1 Kings 3:6Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
• 2 Kings 20:3“Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• Psalms 26:1Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
• Isaiah 38:3saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• John 12:35Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
• Galatians 2:14When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Commentaries on 3 John 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4To hear that my children - From this it has been inferred that Caius was one of St. John's converts, and consequently not the Corinthian Caius, who was converted, most probably, by St. Paul. But the apostle might use the term children here as implying those who were immediately under his pastoral care, and, being an old man, he had a right to use such terms in addressing his juniors both in age and grace; and there is much both of propriety and dignity in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth - That they adhere steadfastly to the truth, and that they live in accordance with it. This is such language as would be used by an aged apostle when speaking of those who had been converted by his instrumentality, and who looked up to him as a father; and we may, therefore, infer that Gaius had been converted under the ministry of John, and that he was probably a much younger man than he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Like in 2 John (see 2 John 1:1–4), John emphasizes the importance of knowing and following the truth. This stands in contrast to Diotrephes and those who follow him (3 John 1:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. my children--members of the Church: confirming the view that the "elect lady" is a Church.Read the comment

Topics related to 3 John 1:4

• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• John, the Second and Third Epistles of
• joy, joyful, rejoice, glad

Commentaries on 3 John 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings