1 John 4:6

1 John 4:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
• New International Version (NIV)We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
• New King James Version (NKJV)We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Context of 1 John 4:6

4You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them. We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. 7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. 8The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:6 word by word

ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν· ὁ γινώσκων τὸν θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν· ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• he that knowethγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• hearethἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• he thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• of errorπλάνηplanē · errorG4106

Cross-references for 1 John 4:6

• 1 John 4:4You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
• Micah 3:8But I am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives, and have a strong commitment to justice. This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion, and Israel with its sin.
• Romans 1:1From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.
• 1 Corinthians 2:12Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.
• 2 Peter 3:2I want you to recall both the predictions foretold by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.
• Jude 1:17But you, dear friends – recall the predictions foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 John 4:8The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
• Luke 10:22All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.”
• John 8:19Then they began asking him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.”
• John 10:27My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
• John 13:20I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
• John 18:37Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
• John 20:21So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
• 1 Corinthians 14:37If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command.
• 2 Corinthians 10:7You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should reflect on this again: Just as he himself belongs to Christ, so too do we.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Commentaries on 1 John 4:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6We are of God - We, apostles, have the Spirit of God, and speak and teach by that Spirit. He that knoweth God - who has a truly spiritual discernment, heareth us - acknowledges that our doctrine is from God; that it is spiritual, and leads from earth to heaven. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth - The doctrine and teacher most prized and followed by worldly men, and by the gay, giddy, and garish multitude, are not from God; they savor of the flesh, lay on…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6We are of God - John here, doubtless, refers to himself, and to those who taught the same doctrines which he did. He takes it for granted that those to whom he wrote would admit this, and argues from it as an indisputable truth. He had given them such evidence of this, as to establish his character and claims beyond a doubt; and he often refers to the fact that he was what he claimed to be, as a point which was so well established that no one would call…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6We are from God: John tests whether a person truly belongs to Christ by seeing if that person listens to the teachings of the apostles and agrees with them. The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13–15). The Holy Spirit teaches the truth about Christ (1 John 2:20, 27). False prophets have a spirit of deception. This is the spirit of antichrist, which leads people away from Christ (see study note on 2:22). For this reason…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. We--true teachers of Christ: in contrast to them. are of God--and therefore speak of God: in contrast to "speak they of the world," 1Jo 4:5. knoweth God--as his Father, being a child "of God" (1Jo 2:13, 14). heareth us--Compare Joh 18:37, "Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." Hereby--(1Jo 4:2-6); by their confessing, or not confessing, Jesus; by the kind of reception given them respectively by those who know God, and by those who are of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 4:6

• Righteousness
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Benevolence
• Fear
• Love
• Perfect
• Err; Error
• Hereby
• John, the Epistles of

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