God’s Word Translation
1 John 4:9
9God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him.
1 John 4:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- New International Version (NIV)This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
- English Standard Version (ESV)In 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
Context of 1 John 4:9
7Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. 10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. 11Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other.
Read all of 1 John 41 John 4:9 word by word
ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- was manifestedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
- the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- because thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- sentἀποστέλλωapostellō · to sendG649
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- only begottenμονογενήςmonogenēs · uniqueG3439
- Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- we might liveζάωzaō · to liveG2198
- throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
Cross-references for 1 John 4:9
- 1 John 3:16We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers.
- John 3:16God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
- Romans 5:8Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.
- Romans 8:32God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over ⌞to death⌟ for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him.
- 1 John 4:10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is with me. He has anointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin,
- John 5:23so that everyone will honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him.
- John 6:29Jesus replied to them, “God wants to do something for you so that you believe in the one whom he has sent.”
- John 8:29Besides, the one who sent me is with me. He hasn’t left me by myself. I always do what pleases him.”
- Psalms 2:7I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.
- Mark 12:6“He had one more person to send. That person was his son, whom he loved. Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, ‘They will respect my son.’
- John 1:14The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.
- John 3:18Those who believe in him won’t be condemned. But those who don’t believe are already condemned because they don’t believe in God’s only Son.
- Hebrews 1:5God never said to any of his angels, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And God never said to any of his angels, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.”
- 1 John 5:11This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son.
- John 6:51I am the living bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I will give to bring life to the world is my flesh.”
Commentaries on 1 John 4:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9In this was manifested the love of God - The mission of Jesus Christ was the fullest proof that God could give, or that man could receive, of his infinite love to the world. That we might live through him - The whole world was sentenced to death because of sin; and every individual was dead in trespasses and sins; and Jesus came to die in the stead of the world, and to quicken every believer, that all might live to him who died for them and rose again…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9In this was manifested the love of God - That is, in an eminent manner, or this was a most signal proof of it. The apostle does not mean to say that it has been manifested in no other way, but that this was so prominent an instance of his love, that all the other manifestations of it seemed absorbed and lost in this. Because that God sent his only begotten Son - See the notes at John 3:16. That we might live through him - He died that we might have…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. He that does not love the image of God in his people, has no saving knowledge of God. For it is God's nature to be kind, and to give happiness. The law of God is love; and all would have been perfectly happy, had all obeyed it. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness of sin, and the salvation of sinners, consistently with God's glory and justice, shows that God is love. Mystery and darkness…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Jesus Christ, whom God the Father sent, showed God’s love in his life on earth. He also showed this love in his sacrificial death on the cross, where he became the sacrifice that reconciles us to God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. toward us--Greek, "in our case." sent--Greek, "hath sent." into the world--a proof against Socinians, that the Son existed before He was "sent into the world." Otherwise, too, He could not have been our life (1Jo 4:9), our "propitiation" (1Jo 4:10), or our "Saviour" (1Jo 4:14). It is the grand proof of God's love, His having sent "His only-begotten Son, that we might live through Him," who is the Life, and who has redeemed our forfeited life; and it is…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 4:9
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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