1 John 5:18

1 John 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
• New International Version (NIV)We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

Context of 1 John 5:18

16If anyone sees a fellow believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. 20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one — that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

1 John 5:18 word by word

οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τηρεῖ ἑαυτόν, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• We knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• whosoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
• is bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• sinnethἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• keepethτηρέωtēreō · to keep: protectG5083
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• wicked oneπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• touchethἅπτωhaptomai · to touchG680
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for 1 John 5:18

• 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him.
• 1 John 2:29If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
• 1 John 3:9Everyone 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.
• 1 John 4:6We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
• John 1:13who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
• John 3:2This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”
• James 1:18By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
• 1 Peter 1:23because you have been born again — not of perishable seed but of imperishable — through the living and enduring word of God.
• 1 John 5:21Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
• 1 John 3:3And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
• Psalms 17:4Concerning what people do: by the words from your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
• Psalms 18:23I was blameless toward him and kept myself from my iniquity.
• Psalms 39:1I said, “I will guard my ways so that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
• Psalms 119:101I have kept my feet from every evil path to follow your word.
• Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
• John 15:4Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Whosoever is born of God sinneth not - This is spoken of adult Christians; they are cleansed from all unrighteousness, consequently from all sin, 1 John 1:7-9. Keepeth himself - That is, in the love of God, Judges 1:21, by building up himself on his most holy faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost; and that wicked one - the devil, toucheth him not - finds nothing of his own nature in him on which he can work, Christ dwelling in his heart by faith.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not - Is not habitually and characteristically a sinner; does not ultimately and finally sin and perish; cannot, therefore, commit the unpardonable sin. Though he may fall into sin, and grieve his brethren, yet we are never to cease to pray for a true Christian: we are never to feel that he has committed the sin which has never forgiveness, and that he has thrown himself beyond the reach of our prayers. This…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 All mankind are divided into two parties or dominions; that which belongs to God, and that which belongs to the wicked one. True believers belong to God: they are of God, and from him, and to him, and for him; while the rest, by far the greater number, are in the power of the wicked one; they do his works, and support his cause. This general declaration includes all unbelievers, whatever their profession, station, or situation, or by whatever…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. (1Jo 3:9.) We know--Thrice repeated emphatically, to enforce the three truths which the words preface, as matters of the brethren's joint experimental knowledge. This 1Jo 5:18 warns against abusing 1Jo 5:16, 17, as warranting carnal security. whosoever--Greek, "every one who." Not only advanced believers, but every one who is born again, "sinneth not." he that is begotten--Greek aorist, "has been (once for all in past time) begotten of God"; in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:18

• Holiness
• Perfection
• Regeneration
• Righteousness
• Satan
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Idol
• Bear; Born
• Begotten
• Hope
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• Satan

Commentaries on 1 John 5

• 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