EasyEnglish Bible 2018

1 John 5:21

21My little children, be careful to keep away from idols.

1 John 5:21 in other versions

King James Version (KJV)Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
New International Version (NIV)Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
English Standard Version (ESV)Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
New King James Version (NKJV)Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Context of 1 John 5:21

19We know that we belong to God. We know that Satan rules all the people who belong to this world. 20We also know that the Son of God has come into the world. He has helped us to understand what is true. As a result, we know the only true God. We live together with this true God, because we belong to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God. He is the one who gives us life with God for ever. My little children, be careful to keep away from idols.

Read all of 1 John 5

1 John 5:21 word by word

τεκνία, φυλάξατε ἑαυτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλωνRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

Little childrenτεκνίονteknion · childrenG5040
keepφυλάσσωphulassō · to keep/guard: protectG5442
yourselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
idolsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
idolsεἴδωλονeidōlon · idolG1497
Amenἀμήνamēn · amenG281

Cross-references for 1 John 5:21

1 John 2:1I am writing this letter to you, my friends who are like my little children. I am writing to you because I do not want you to do wrong things. But if anyone among you does something wrong, there is someone who will speak to God on our behalf. That person is Jesus Christ, who always does only what is right. He will ask our Father God to forgive you.
Exodus 20:3You must not have any other gods except me.
1 Corinthians 10:7Do not worship idols, as some of them did. The Bible says: ‘The people sat down to eat and to drink. After that, they got up from their meal and they danced.’
2 Corinthians 6:16Idols do not belong in God's house. Remember that we believers are the house of the God who lives for ever. This is what God has said: ‘I will make my home with them and I will live among them. I will be their God and they will be my people.’
Revelation 9:20But all the people that the fire, the smoke and the sulphur did not kill continued to do bad things. They did not change how they lived. They worshipped things that they had made for themselves. They worshipped demons and idols that they made from gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood. Those idols cannot see anything or hear anything. They cannot walk anywhere. But the people continued to worship them.
Revelation 13:14It used the authority of the first wild animal to do many miracles. In that way, it deceived the people who lived on the earth. It told them to make an image of the first wild animal. This was the animal that was still alive after a sword had given it a bad wound.
Revelation 14:11The smoke will rise for ever while they burn. They will have no rest during the day or during the night. This will happen to everyone who worships the wild animal and its image. It will happen to everyone who receives the mark which shows its name.’
Matthew 6:13Do not let us agree to do wrong things. Keep us safe from Satan.” ’

Commentaries on 1 John 5:21

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Little children - · Beloved children; he concludes with the same affectionate feeling with which he commenced. Keep yourselves from idols - Avoid the idolatry of the heathens; not only have no false gods, but have the true God. Have no idols in your houses, none in your churches, none in your hearts. Have no object of idolatrous worship; no pictures, relics, consecrated tapers, wafers, crosses, etc., by attending to which your minds may be divided, and…Read the comment
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Little children - This is a favorite mode of address with John, (see the notes at 1 John 2:1), and it was proper to use it in giving his parting counsel; embracing, in fact, all that he had to say - that they should keep themselves from idols, and suffer nothing to alienate their affections from the true God. His great object had been to lead them to the knowledge and love of God, and all his counsels would be practically followed, if, amidst the…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
Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21In his closing words, John urges his community to stay away from anything that might take God’s place in their hearts. The literal wording is “keep yourselves from idols.” In the context of 1 John, the main “idol” would be any false teaching that leads people away from Jesus Christ, who is fully human and fully God.Read the comment
Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Affectionate parting caution. from idols--Christians were then everywhere surrounded by idolaters, with whom it was impossible to avoid intercourse. Hence the need of being on their guard against any even indirect compromise or act of communion with idolatry. Some at Pergamos, in the region whence John wrote, fell into the snare of eating things sacrificed to idols. The moment we cease to abide "in Him that is true (by abiding) in Jesus Christ," we…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:21

Commandments
Holiness
Idolatry

In the dictionaries

Idol
Child; Children
Hebrews, Epistle to the
Hope
John, the Epistles of