New Living Translation
1 John 4:20
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 4:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
- English Standard Version (ESV)If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
- New King James Version (NKJV)If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Context of 1 John 4:20
18Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19We love each other because he loved us first. If 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? 21And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
Read all of 1 John 41 John 4:20 word by word
ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν ἑώρακεν, τὸν θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- a manτιςtis · oneG5100
- sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- I loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hatethμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- a liarψεύστηςpseustēs · liarG5583
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- notμήmē · notG3361
- whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- he hath seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
- canδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
- notοὐou · noG3756
Cross-references for 1 John 4:20
- 1 John 2:4If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.
- 1 John 3:17If 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 4:12No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Commentaries on 1 John 4:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother - This, as well as many other parts of this epistle, seems levelled against the Jews, who pretended much love to God while they hated the Gentiles; and even some of them who were brought into the Christian Church brought this leaven with them. It required a miracle to redeem St. Peter's mind from the influence of this principle. See Acts 10. Whom he hath seen - We may have our love excited towards our…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother - His Christian brother; or, in a larger sense, any man. The sense is, that no man, whatever may be his professions and pretensions, can have any true love to God, unless he loves his brethren. He is a liar - Compare the notes at 1 John 1:6. It is not necessary, in order to a proper interpretation of this passage, to suppose that he “intentionally” deceives. The sense is, that this must be a false…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a day of universal judgment…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-21John explains where a Christian’s love comes from and how it is shown in daily life.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. loveth not ... brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen--It is easier for us, influenced as we are here by sense, to direct love towards one within the range of our senses than towards One unseen, appreciable only by faith. "Nature is prior to grace; and we by nature love things seen, before we love things unseen" [Estius]. The eyes are our leaders in love. "Seeing is an incentive to love" [OECUMENIUS]. If we do not love…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 4:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 John 4
- 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