1 John 2:19

1 John 2:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
• New International Version (NIV)They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
• New King James Version (NKJV)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

Context of 1 John 2:19

17And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. 18Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us. 20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

1 John 2:19 word by word

ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἦσαν, μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα φανερωθῶσιν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They wentἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• out fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• they wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notοὐou · noG3756
• forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• they wouldἄνan · ifG302
• have continuedμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• they might be made manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956

Cross-references for 1 John 2:19

• Deuteronomy 13:13that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said, ‘Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known,
• Psalms 41:9Even my friend in whom I trusted, one who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me.
• Matthew 13:20And the one sown on rocky ground — this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.
• Mark 4:5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep.
• Luke 8:13And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for a while and fall away in a time of testing.
• John 15:2Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.
• Acts 15:24Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,
• Acts 20:30Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.
• 2 Peter 2:20For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.
• Jude 1:19These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit.
• Job 17:9Yet the righteous person will hold to his way, and the one whose hands are clean will grow stronger.
• Psalms 37:28For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
• Psalms 125:1Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; it remains forever.
• Jeremiah 32:38They will be my people, and I will be their God.
• Matthew 24:24For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
• Mark 13:22For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

Commentaries on 1 John 2:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19They went out from us - These heretics had belonged to our Christian assemblies, they professed Christianity, and do so still; but we apostles did not commission them to preach to you, for they have disgraced the Divine doctrine with the most pernicious opinions; they have given up or explained away its most essential principles; they have mingled the rest with heathenish rites and Jewish glosses. While, therefore, we acknowledge that they once belonged…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19They went out from us - From the church. That is, they had once been professors of the religion of the Saviour, though their apostasy showed that they never had any true piety. John refers to the fact that they had once been in the church, perhaps to remind those to whom he wrote that they knew them well, and could readily appreciate their character. It was a humiliating statement that those who showed themselves to be so utterly opposed to religion had…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-23Verses 18-23 Every man is an antichrist, who denies the Person, or any of the offices of Christ; and in denying the Son, he denies the Father also, and has no part in his favour while he rejects his great salvation. Let this prophecy that seducers would rise in the Christian world, keep us from being seduced. The church knows not well who are its true members, and who are not, but thus true Christians were proved, and rendered more watchful and humble…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19They went out from us: This is John’s first clear statement about the false teachers. At one time, these teachers were part of the church community. They shared fellowship with John and with the other apostles. Later, they chose to leave that fellowship. They also formed a separate and exclusive group that followed false teachings about Jesus (see 4:1; 2 John 1:7; 3 John 1:9–10). none of them belonged to us: True Christians would have remained in…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. out from us--from our Christian communion. Not necessarily a formal secession or going out: thus Rome has spiritually gone out, though formally still of the Christian Church. not of us--by spiritual fellowship (1Jo 1:3). "They are like bad humors in the body of Christ, the Church: when they are vomited out, then the body is relieved; the body of Christ is now still under treatment, and has not yet attained the perfect soundness which it shall have…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 2:19

• Hypocrisy
• Perseverance

In the dictionaries

• Acknowledge
• Advocate
• Lie
• Stumble
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 2

• 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