New Living Translation
1 John 3:9
9Those 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.
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 King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of 1 John 3:9
7Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 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. 10So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: 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 2:29Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
- 1 John 4:7Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
- 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.
- John 1:13They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
- Job 19:28“How dare you go on persecuting me, saying, ‘It’s his own fault’?
- 1 Peter 1:23For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
- Matthew 7:18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
- Acts 4:20We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
- Romans 6:2Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
- Galatians 5:17The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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