1 John 5:3

1 John 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
• New International Version (NIV)In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

Context of 1 John 5:3

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:3 word by word

αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν· καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσίν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notοὐou · noG3756
• grievousβαρύςbarus · weightyG926

Cross-references for 1 John 5:3

• Exodus 20:6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
• Deuteronomy 5:10but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
• Deuteronomy 7:9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
• Deuteronomy 10:12"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
• Daniel 9:4I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
• John 14:15"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
• John 14:21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
• John 15:10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
• 2 John 1:6And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
• Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
• Psalms 119:45and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
• Proverbs 3:17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
• Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
• Matthew 11:28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
• Romans 7:12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For this is the love of God - This the love of God necessarily produces. It is vain to pretend love to God while we live in opposition to his will. His commandments - To love him with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, are not grievous - are not burdensome; for no man is burdened with the duties which his own love imposes. The old proverb explains the meaning of the apostle's words, Love feels no loads. Love to God brings strength from God…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments - This constitutes true love; this furnishes the evidence of it. And his commandments are not grievous - Greek, “heavy” - ͂ bareiaithat is, difficult to be borne as a burden. See Matthew 11:30. The meaning is, that his laws are not unreasonable; the duties which he requires are not beyond our ability; his government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right; and those who…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God have been born spiritually as children of God (see John 20:31). The Spirit of God empowers them to love God and others. Their faith helps them obey God and resist the evil temptations in the world. Through faith, they can love and obey God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. this is--the love of God consists in this. not grievous--as so many think them. It is "the way of the transgressor" that "is hard." What makes them to the regenerate "not grievous," is faith which "overcometh the world" (1Jo 5:4): in proportion as faith is strong, the grievousness of God's commandments to the rebellious flesh is overcome. The reason why believers feel any degree of irksomeness in God's commandments is, they do not realize fully by…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:3

• Law
• Love
• Obedience
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Idol
• Children of God
• Hope
• John, the Epistles of
• Love
• Christ, Messiah

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