Christian Standard Bible
1 John 3:8
8The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.
1 John 3:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- New International Version (NIV)The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Context of 1 John 3:8
6Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.
Read all of 1 John 31 John 3:8 word by word
ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει. εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- He that committethὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- He that committethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the devilδιάβολοςdiabolos · devilish/the DevilG1228
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- sinnethἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- the beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- Forεἰςeis · towardG1519
- this purposeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- was manifestedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- he might destroyλύωluō · to looseG3089
- the worksἔργονergon · workG2041
Cross-references for 1 John 3:8
- 1 John 3:10This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.
- 1 John 5:19We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.
- Matthew 13:38the field is the world; and the good seed — these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,
- John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
- Ephesians 2:2in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
- 2 Peter 2:4For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but cast them into hell and delivered them in chains of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;
- Jude 1:6and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deep darkness for the judgment on the great day.
- 1 John 3:5You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him.
- Genesis 3:15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
- Isaiah 27:1On that day the Lord with his relentless, large, strong sword will bring judgment on Leviathan, the fleeing serpent — Leviathan, the twisting serpent. He will slay the monster that is in the sea.
- Mark 1:24“What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!”
- Luke 10:18He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning.
- John 12:31Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
- John 16:11and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
- Romans 16:20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
- Colossians 2:15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.
Commentaries on 1 John 3:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8He that committeth sin is of the devil - Hear this, also, ye who plead for Baal, and cannot bear the thought of that doctrine that states believers are to be saved from all sin in this life! He who committeth sin is a child of the devil, and shows that he has still the nature of the devil in him; for the devil sinneth from the beginning - he was the father of sin, brought sin into the world, and maintains sin in the world by living in the hearts of his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8He that committeth sin - Habitually, willfully, characteristically. Is of the devil - This cannot mean that no one who commits any sin, or who is not absolutely perfect, can be a Christian, for this would cut off the great mass, even according to the belief of those who hold that the Christian may be perfectly holy, from all claim to the Christian character. But what the apostle here says is true in two senses: (1)That all who commit sin, even true…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-10Verses 3-10 The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow any thing unholy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is the rejecting the Divine law. In him, that is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8destroy: This word does not mean “to destroy completely.” It means “to break down,” “to undo,” or “to make ineffective” (see Ephesians 2:14). Christ did not completely destroy Satan. Instead, he came to undo the works of the devil by freeing people from sin and from the terrible results of sin.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. The same truth stated, with the addition that he who sins is, so far as he sins, "of the devil." let no man deceive you--as Antinomians try to mislead men. righteousness--Greek, "the righteousness," namely, of Christ or God. he that doeth ... is righteous--Not his doing makes him righteous, but his being righteous (justified by the righteousness of God in Christ, Ro 10:3-10) makes him to do righteousness: an inversion common in familiar language…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 3:8
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
Christian Standard Bible — © 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Commentaries