1 John 5:7

1 John 5:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For there are three that testify:
• New King James Version (NKJV)For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
• New Living Translation (NLT)So we have these three witnesses—

Context of 1 John 5:7

5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

1 John 5:7 word by word

ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• there areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• that bear recordμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• heavenὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
• the Fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
• the Wordλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the Holyἅγιοςhagios · holyG40
• Ghostπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520

Cross-references for 1 John 5:7

• 1 John 5:10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
• John 8:13The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
• Psalms 33:6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
• Isaiah 48:16“Come near me and listen to this: “From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there.” And now the Sovereign Lord has sent me, endowed with his Spirit.
• Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
• Matthew 3:16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
• Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
• Matthew 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• John 5:26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
• John 8:18I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
• John 8:54Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.
• John 10:37Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.
• John 12:28Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
• 1 Corinthians 12:4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.
• 2 Corinthians 13:14May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
• Revelation 1:4John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,

Commentaries on 1 John 5:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7There are three that bear record - The Father, who bears testimony to his Son; the Word or , Logos, who bears testimony to the Father; and the Holy Ghost, which bears testimony to the Father and the Son. And these three are one in essence, and agree in the one testimony, that Jesus came to die for, and give life to, the world. But it is likely this verse is not genuine. It is wanting in every MS. of this epistle written before the invention of printing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7For there are three that bear record in heaven … - There are three that “witness,” or that “bear witness” - the same Greek word which, in 1 John 5:8, is rendered “bear witness” - ͂ marturountesThere is no passage of the New Testament which has given rise to so much discussion in regard to its genuineness as this. The supposed importance of the verse in its bearing on the doctrine of the Trinity has contributed to this, and has given to the discussion a…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 We are inwardly and outwardly defiled; inwardly, by the power and pollution of sin in our nature. For our cleansing there is in and by Christ Jesus, the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Some think that the two sacraments are here meant: baptism with water, as the outward sign of regeneration, and purifying from the pollution of sin by the Holy Spirit; and the Lord's supper, as the outward sign of the shedding Christ's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8there are three that testify: The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism (see John 1:32–34). The water refers to the water in which John baptized Jesus (see Matthew 3:13–15; Mark 1:9–11). The blood refers to the blood Jesus shed when he died on the cross (see Mark 15:37–39). These three (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) together proclaim that Jesus is God’s Son (1 John 5:6). After the phrase three that testify, a few very late manuscripts add…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. three--Two or three witnesses were required by law to constitute adequate testimony. The only Greek manuscripts in any form which support the words, "in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and there are three that bear witness in earth," are the Montfortianus of Dublin, copied evidently from the modern Latin Vulgate; the Ravianus, copied from the Complutensian Polyglot; a manuscript at Naples, with the words added…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:7

• Holy Spirit
• Jesus, the Christ
• Trinity
• Word

In the dictionaries

• Holy Ghost
• Idol
• Hope
• John, the Epistles of
• Trinity
• Truth
• testimony, testify, witness, eyewitness, evidence

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