English Standard Version
1 John 3:8
8Whoever 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
Context of 1 John 3:8
6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 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. 9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
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 3:10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
- 1 John 5:19We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
- Matthew 13:38The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
- John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do 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 lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
- Ephesians 2:2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
- 2 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
- Jude 1:6And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
- 1 John 3:5You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
- Genesis 3:15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
- Isaiah 27:1In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.
- Mark 1:24"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God."
- Luke 10:18And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
- John 12:31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
- John 16:11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
- Romans 16:20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Colossians 2:15He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing 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
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Commentaries