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 declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

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 you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another,
• 1 Corinthians 11:23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread,
• Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — whom should I dread?
• Psalms 36:9For the wellspring of life is with you. By means of your light we see light.
• Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.
• Isaiah 60:19The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor.
• John 1:4In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
• John 8:12Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never 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.”
• John 12:35Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going.
• 1 Timothy 6:16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
• James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
• Revelation 21:23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
• Revelation 22:5Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign 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