1 John 5:3

1 John 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
• New International Version (NIV)In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Context of 1 John 5:3

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, 4because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. 5Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:3 word by word

αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν· καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσίν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notοὐou · noG3756
• grievousβαρύςbarus · weightyG926

Cross-references for 1 John 5:3

• Exodus 20:6and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
• Deuteronomy 5:10but I show covenant faithfulness to the thousands who choose me and keep my commandments.
• Deuteronomy 7:9So realize that the Lord your God is the true God, the faithful God who keeps covenant faithfully with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
• Deuteronomy 10:12Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him, to obey all his commandments, to love him, to serve him with all your mind and being,
• Daniel 9:4I prayed to the lord my God, confessing in this way: “O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments,
• Matthew 12:47Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.”
• John 14:15“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
• John 14:21The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
• John 15:10If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
• 2 John 1:6(Now this is love: that we walk according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should walk in it.
• Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
• Psalms 119:45I will be secure, for I seek your precepts.
• Proverbs 3:17Her ways are very pleasant, and all her paths are peaceful.
• Micah 6:8He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.
• Matthew 11:28Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
• Romans 7:12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For this is the love of God - This the love of God necessarily produces. It is vain to pretend love to God while we live in opposition to his will. His commandments - To love him with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, are not grievous - are not burdensome; for no man is burdened with the duties which his own love imposes. The old proverb explains the meaning of the apostle's words, Love feels no loads. Love to God brings strength from God…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments - This constitutes true love; this furnishes the evidence of it. And his commandments are not grievous - Greek, “heavy” - ͂ bareiaithat is, difficult to be borne as a burden. See Matthew 11:30. The meaning is, that his laws are not unreasonable; the duties which he requires are not beyond our ability; his government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right; and those who…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God have been born spiritually as children of God (see John 20:31). The Spirit of God empowers them to love God and others. Their faith helps them obey God and resist the evil temptations in the world. Through faith, they can love and obey God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. this is--the love of God consists in this. not grievous--as so many think them. It is "the way of the transgressor" that "is hard." What makes them to the regenerate "not grievous," is faith which "overcometh the world" (1Jo 5:4): in proportion as faith is strong, the grievousness of God's commandments to the rebellious flesh is overcome. The reason why believers feel any degree of irksomeness in God's commandments is, they do not realize fully by…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:3

• Law
• Love
• Obedience
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Idol
• Children of God
• Hope
• John, the Epistles of
• Love
• Christ, Messiah

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