New Living Translation
1 John 3:17
17If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
1 John 3:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
- New International Version (NIV)If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
- English Standard Version (ESV)But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
Context of 1 John 3:17
15Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. 16We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
Read all of 1 John 31 John 3:17 word by word
Ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- whosoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- ·ἄνan · ifG302
- hathἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- this world’sὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- this world’sκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
- goodβίοςbios · lifeG979
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- seethθεωρέωtheōreō · to see/experienceG2334
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- needχρείαchreia · needG5532
- shutteth upκλείωkleiō · to shutG2808
- bowelsσπλάγχνονsplagchnon · affection/entrailsG4698
- fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- dwellethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
Cross-references for 1 John 3:17
- Deuteronomy 15:7“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.
- Proverbs 19:17If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!
- Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
- Luke 3:11John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.
- 2 Corinthians 9:5So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.
- 1 Timothy 6:17Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
- Hebrews 13:16And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
- Proverbs 12:10The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.
- Proverbs 28:9God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law.
- 1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
Commentaries on 1 John 3:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But whoso hath this worlds good - Here is a test of this love; if we do not divide our bread with the hungry, we certainly would not lay down our life for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession. If we have not bowels of compassion, we have not the love of God in us; if we shut up our bowels against the poor, we shut Christ out of our hearts, and ourselves out of heaven. This…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But whoso hath this world‘s good - Has property - called “this world‘s good,” or a good pertaining to this world, because it is of value to us only as it meets our wants this side of the grave; and perhaps also because it is sought supremely by the people of the world. The general meaning of this verse, in connection with the previous verse, is, that if we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for others, we ought to be willing to make those…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Christ’s example shows that real love requires self-sacrifice. We follow his example when we care deeply about the needs of other people. This means giving our time, effort, prayers, and possessions to help them. In some cases, it may even mean giving our lives to meet their needs.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. this world's good--literally, "livelihood" or substance. If we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1Jo 3:16), how much more ought we not to withhold our substance? seeth--not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds." shutteth up his bowels of compassion--which had been momentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. The "bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion. how--How is it possible…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 3:17
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries