1 John 1:5

1 John 1:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
• New International Version (NIV)This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Context of 1 John 1:5

3We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:5 word by word

καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• thenκαίkai · andG2532
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the messageὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the messageἀγγελίαaggelia · messageG31
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• we have heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• declareἀναγγέλλωanaggellō · to reportG312
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• noοὐou · noG3756
• darknessσκοτίαskotia · darknessG4653
• at allοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for 1 John 1:5

• 1 John 3:11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
• 1 Corinthians 11:23For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread
• Psalms 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?
• Psalms 36:9For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
• Psalms 84:11For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
• Isaiah 60:19“No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.
• John 1:4The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
• John 8:12Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
• John 9:5But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
• John 12:35Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.
• 1 Timothy 6:16He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.
• James 1:17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
• Revelation 21:23And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
• Revelation 22:5And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Commentaries on 1 John 1:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5This then is the message - This is the grand principle on which all depends, which we have heard of ', From him; for neither Moses nor the prophets ever gave that full instruction concerning God and communion with him which Jesus Christ has given, for the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has alone declared the fullness of the truth, and the extent of the blessings, which believers on him are to receive. See John 1:18. God is light…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5This then is the message which we have heard of him - This is the substance of the announcement ( ̓́ epangelia) which we have received of him, or which he made to us. The message here refers to what he communicated as the sum of the revelation which he made to man. The phrase “of him” ( ̓ ̓ ap'autou) does not mean respecting him, or about him, but from him; that is, this is what we received from his preaching; from all that he said. The peculiarity, the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5God is light: This means that God is completely pure, good, and true. When Jesus Christ lived on earth, this light shone through him to everyone he met. His life exposed the sin in people’s hearts, because his words and actions showed God’s perfect standard. At the same time, his light also helped people understand what God is really like—his goodness, his mercy, and his desire for people to walk in truth (see John 1:4–5, 9; 3:19–21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35–36…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. First division of the body of the Epistle (compare Introduction). declare--Greek, "announce"; report in turn; a different Greek word from 1Jo 1:3. As the Son announced the message heard from the Father as His apostle, so the Son's apostles announce what they have heard from the Son. John nowhere uses the term "Gospel"; but the witness or testimony, the word, the truth, and here the message. God is light--What light is in the natural world, that God…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 1:5

• Darkness
• Fellowship
• God Continued...
• Light
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Deceive
• Fellowship
• Light
• Unction
• Walk
• Astronomy
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 1

• 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