1 John 3:9

1 John 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
• New International Version (NIV)No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Context of 1 John 3:9

7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother and sister. 11For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another;

1 John 3:9 word by word

πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.Read the interlinear

• Noπᾶςpas · allG3956
• Noοὐou · noG3756
• bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• practicesποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• His seedσπέρμαsperma · seed(s)G4690
• remainsμένωmenō · to stayG3306
• in him; and he cannotδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• sinἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264

Cross-references for 1 John 3:9

• 1 John 2:29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him.
• 1 John 4:7Beloved, let’s love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
• 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
• John 1:13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
• Job 19:28If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’ And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
• 1 Peter 1:23for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
• Matthew 7:18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
• Acts 4:20for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
• Romans 6:2Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
• Galatians 5:17For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want.

Commentaries on 1 John 3:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Whosoever is born of God - , Begotten of God, doth not commit sin: "that is," say some, "as he used to do, he does not sin habitually as he formerly did." This is bringing the influence and privileges of the heavenly birth very low indeed. We have the most indubitable evidence that many of the heathen philosophers had acquired, by mental discipline and cultivation, an entire ascendency over all their wonted vicious habits. Perhaps my reader will recollect…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin - This passage must either mean that they who are born of God, that is, who are true Christians, do not sin habitually and characteristically, or that everyone who is a true Christian is absolutely perfect, and never commits any sin. If it can be used as referring to the doctrine of absolute perfection at all, it proves, not that Christians may be perfect, or that a “portion” of them are, but that all are. But…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-10Verses 3-10 The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow any thing unholy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is the rejecting the Divine law. In him, that is…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10To practice righteousness means to live in a right relationship with God. This is different from what the false teachers claimed. They taught that their spiritual life was not affected by what they did in their physical bodies. Living righteously does not mean that we live perfect lives (1:8). It means we confess our sins and stay in a right relationship with God (1:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Whosoever is born of God--literally, "Everyone that is begotten of God." doth not commit sin--His higher nature, as one born or begotten of God, doth not sin. To be begotten of God and to sin, are states mutually excluding one another. In so far as one sins, he makes it doubtful whether he be born of God. his seed--the living word of God, made by the Holy Spirit the seed in us of a new life and the continual mean of sanctification. remaineth--abideth…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 3:9

• Holiness
• Perfection
• Regeneration
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Sin
• Sinlessness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Appear
• Assure
• Condemn
• Perseverance of the saints
• Pleasing
• Sin
• Word
• Bear; Born

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