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

2Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well. 3For I was very glad when fellow believers came and testified to your fidelity to the truth — how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in truth. 5Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers. 6They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey 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

Words taken from the KJV.

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

Cross-references for 3 John 1:4

• Proverbs 23:24The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.
• Isaiah 8:18Here I am with the children the Lord has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Armies who dwells on Mount Zion.
• 1 Corinthians 4:15For you may have countless instructors in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
• Galatians 4:19My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.
• Philemon 1:10appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains.
• 1 Kings 2:4and so that the Lord will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
• 1 Kings 3:6And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
• 2 Kings 20:3“Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• Psalms 26:1Vindicate me, Lord, because I have lived with integrity and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
• Isaiah 38:3He said, “Please, Lord, remember how I have walked before you faithfully and wholeheartedly, and have done what pleases you.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
• 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.
• Galatians 2:14But when I saw that they were deviating from the truth of the gospel, I told Cephas in front of everyone, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel 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