New King James Version
1 John 3:9
9Whoever 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
Context of 1 John 3:9
7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 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. 10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
Read all of 1 John 31 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whosoeverπᾶςpas · allG3956
- is bornγεννάωgennaō · to begetG1080
- ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- dothποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- notοὐou · noG3756
- sinἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- seedσπέρμαsperma · seed(s)G4690
- remainethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- 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 is born of Him.
- 1 John 4:7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
- 1 John 5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
- John 1:13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- Job 19:28If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’— Since the root of the matter is found in me,
- 1 Peter 1:23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
- Matthew 7:18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
- Acts 4:20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
- Romans 6:2Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
- Galatians 5:17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries