English Standard Version
1 John 4:16
16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 John 4:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
- New International Version (NIV)And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
- New Living Translation (NLT)We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
Context of 1 John 4:16
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
Read all of 1 John 41 John 4:16 word by word
καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- have knownγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- believedπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- toἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- he that dwellethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for 1 John 4:16
- 1 John 4:9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
- 1 John 3:1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
- Psalms 18:1I love you, O Lord, my strength.
- Psalms 31:19Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!
- Psalms 36:7How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
- Isaiah 64:4From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"—
- 1 John 4:8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
- 1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
- 1 John 3:24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
Commentaries on 1 John 4:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16God is love - See on 1 John 4:8; (note). He that dwelleth in love - he who is full of love to God and man is full of God, for God is love; and where such love is, there is God, for he is the fountain and maintainer of it.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16And we have known and believed - We all have assurance that God has loved us, and the fullest belief in the great fact of redemption by which he has manifested his love to us. God is love - Notes, 1 John 4:8. It is not uncommon for John to repeat an important truth. He delights to dwell on such a truth as that which is here expressed; and who should not? What truth is there on which the mind can dwell with more pleasure; what is there that is better…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a day of universal judgment…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-21John explains where a Christian’s love comes from and how it is shown in daily life.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. And we--John and his readers (not as 1Jo 4:14, the apostles only). known and believed--True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith [Luecke]. to us--Greek, "in our case" (see on 1Jo 4:9). dwelleth--Greek, "abideth." Compare with this verse, 1Jo 4:7.Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 4:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 John 4
- 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries