New American Standard Bible 1995
1 John 3:17
17But 1whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and 2closes his 3heart 4against him, 5how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
- New International Version (NIV)If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
- English Standard Version (ESV)But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Context of 1 John 3:17
15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
Read all of 1 John 31 John 3:17 word by word
Ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;¶Read the interlinear
- whoeverὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- whoeverἄνan · ifG302
- hasἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- the world’sκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- goodsβίοςbios · lifeG979
- and seesθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
- his brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- in needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- closesκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
- heartσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
- againstἀπόapo · away fromG575
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- does the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- abideμένωmenō · to stayG3306
Cross-references for 1 John 3:17
- Deuteronomy 15:7“If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother;
- Proverbs 19:17One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, And He will repay him for his good deed.
- Isaiah 58:7Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
- Luke 3:11And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
- 2 Corinthians 9:5So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a bountiful gift and not affected by covetousness.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
- Hebrews 13:16And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Proverbs 12:10A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
- Proverbs 28:9He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
- 1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
- 1 John 5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
Commentaries on 1 John 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But whoso hath this worlds good - Here is a test of this love; if we do not divide our bread with the hungry, we certainly would not lay down our life for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession. If we have not bowels of compassion, we have not the love of God in us; if we shut up our bowels against the poor, we shut Christ out of our hearts, and ourselves out of heaven. This…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But whoso hath this world‘s good - Has property - called “this world‘s good,” or a good pertaining to this world, because it is of value to us only as it meets our wants this side of the grave; and perhaps also because it is sought supremely by the people of the world. The general meaning of this verse, in connection with the previous verse, is, that if we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others, we ought to be willing to make those…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Christ’s example shows that real love requires self-sacrifice. We follow his example when we care deeply about the needs of other people. This means giving our time, effort, prayers, and possessions to help them. In some cases, it may even mean giving our lives to meet their needs.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. this world's good--literally, "livelihood" or substance. If we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1Jo 3:16), how much more ought we not to withhold our substance? seeth--not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds." shutteth up his bowels of compassion--which had been momentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. The "bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion. how--How is it possible…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 3:17
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. 1 John 3:17 James 2:15f ↩
- 2. 1 John 3:17 Deut 15:7 ↩
- 3. 1 John 3:17 Lit inward parts ↩
- 4. 1 John 3:17 Lit from ↩
- 5. 1 John 3:17 1 John 4:20 ↩
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries