New International Version
1 John 2:16
16For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
- New Living Translation (NLT)For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
Context of 1 John 2:16
14I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
Read all of 1 John 21 John 2:16 word by word
ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- all thatπᾶςpas · allG3956
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the worldὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- the lustἐπιθυμίαepithumia · desireG1939
- of the fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- of the eyesὀφθαλμόςophthalmos · eyeG3788
- the prideἀλαζονείαalazoneia · boastingG212
- of lifeβίοςbios · lifeG979
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
Cross-references for 1 John 2:16
- Numbers 11:4The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
- Psalms 78:18They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
- Proverbs 6:25Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.
- Matthew 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
- Romans 13:14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
- 1 Corinthians 10:6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
- Galatians 5:17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
- Ephesians 2:3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.
- 1 Peter 1:14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
- 1 Peter 2:11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
- 1 Peter 4:2As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
- 2 Peter 2:10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;
- Jude 1:16These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
- Genesis 3:6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
- Genesis 6:2the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.
- Joshua 7:21When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
Commentaries on 1 John 2:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16For all that is in the world - All that it can boast of, all that it can promise, is only sensual, transient gratification, and even this promise it cannot fulfill; so that its warmest votaries can complain loudest of their disappointment. The lust of the flesh - Sensual and impure desires which seek their gratification in women, strong drink, delicious viands, and the like. Lust of the eyes - Inordinate desires after finery of every kind, gaudy dress…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16For all that is in the world - That is, all that really constitutes the world, or that enters into the aims and purposes of those who live for this life. All that that community lives for may be comprised under the following things. The lust of the flesh - The word “lust” is used here in the general sense of desire, or that which is the object of desire - not in the narrow sense in which it is now commonly used to denote libidinous passion. See the notes…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, and they are to be used by his grace, and to his glory; but believers must not seek or value them for those purposes to which sin abuses them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays. The things of the world are classed according to the three ruling inclinations of depraved…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-17The world is a morally evil system that is under the influence of Satan and is opposed to God and to Christ’s kingdom on this earth (2:16; 3:1; 4:4; 5:19; John 12:31; 15:18; Ephesians 6:11–12; James 4:4). The world appeals to people’s fleshly desires and turns them away from God. People who belong to the world in this way need God to rescue them from it.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. all that is in the world--can be classed under one or other of the three; the world contains these and no more. lust of the flesh--that is, the lust which has its seat and source in our lower animal nature. Satan tried this temptation the first on Christ: Lu 4:3, "Command this stone that it be made bread." Youth is especially liable to fleshly lusts. lust of the eyes--the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 2:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 John 2
- 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
- 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
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