1 John 5:18

1 John 5:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
• New International Version (NIV)We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

Context of 1 John 5:18

16If you see another believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, you should pray that God would give that person life. This is true for those who commit sins that don’t lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I’m not telling you to pray about that. 17Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, yet there are sins that don’t lead to death. We know that those who have been born from God don’t go on sinning. Rather, the Son of God protects them, and the evil one can’t harm them. 19We know that we are from God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life.

1 John 5:18 word by word

οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τηρεῖ ἑαυτόν, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• We knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• whosoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
• is bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• sinnethἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264
• notοὐou · noG3756
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• keepethτηρέωtēreō · to keep: protectG5083
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• wicked oneπονηρόςponēros · evil/badG4190
• touchethἅπτωhaptomai · to touchG680
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for 1 John 5:18

• 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born from God. Everyone who loves the Father also loves his children.
• 1 John 2:29If you know that Christ has God’s approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.
• 1 John 3:9Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God.
• 1 John 4:6We belong to God. The person who knows God listens to us. Whoever doesn’t belong to God doesn’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the Spirit of truth from the spirit of lies.
• John 1:13These people didn’t become God’s children in a physical way—from a human impulse or from a husband’s desire ⌞to have a child⌟. They were born from God.
• John 3:2He came to Jesus one night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you as a teacher. No one can perform the miracles you perform unless God is with him.”
• James 1:18God decided to give us life through the word of truth to make us his most important creatures.
• 1 Peter 1:23You have been born again, not from a seed that can be destroyed, but through God’s everlasting word that can’t be destroyed. That’s why ⌞Scripture says⌟,
• 1 John 5:21Dear children, guard yourselves from false gods.
• 1 John 3:3So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.
• Psalms 17:4I have avoided cruelty because of your word. In spite of what others have done,
• Psalms 18:23I was innocent as far as he was concerned. I have kept myself from guilt.
• Psalms 39:1I said, “I will watch my ways so that I do not sin with my tongue. I will bridle my mouth while wicked people are in my presence.”
• Psalms 119:101I have kept my feet ⌞from walking⌟ on any evil path in order to obey your word.
• Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.
• John 15:4Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Whosoever is born of God sinneth not - This is spoken of adult Christians; they are cleansed from all unrighteousness, consequently from all sin, 1 John 1:7-9. Keepeth himself - That is, in the love of God, Judges 1:21, by building up himself on his most holy faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost; and that wicked one - the devil, toucheth him not - finds nothing of his own nature in him on which he can work, Christ dwelling in his heart by faith.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not - Is not habitually and characteristically a sinner; does not ultimately and finally sin and perish; cannot, therefore, commit the unpardonable sin. Though he may fall into sin, and grieve his brethren, yet we are never to cease to pray for a true Christian: we are never to feel that he has committed the sin which has never forgiveness, and that he has thrown himself beyond the reach of our prayers. This…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
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. (1Jo 3:9.) We know--Thrice repeated emphatically, to enforce the three truths which the words preface, as matters of the brethren's joint experimental knowledge. This 1Jo 5:18 warns against abusing 1Jo 5:16, 17, as warranting carnal security. whosoever--Greek, "every one who." Not only advanced believers, but every one who is born again, "sinneth not." he that is begotten--Greek aorist, "has been (once for all in past time) begotten of God"; in the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:18

• Holiness
• Perfection
• Regeneration
• Righteousness
• Satan
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Idol
• Bear; Born
• Begotten
• Hope
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• Satan

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