1 John 5:20

1 John 5:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
• New International Version (NIV)We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Context of 1 John 5:20

18We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. 21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

1 John 5:20 word by word

οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἥκει καὶ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν, καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• the Sonὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• is comeἥκωhēkō · to come/be presentG2240
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• hath givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• an understandingδιάνοιαdianoia · mindG1271
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we may knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• him that is trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
• we areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
• lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222

Cross-references for 1 John 5:20

• 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.
• 1 John 4:2This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.
• Matthew 13:11He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.
• Luke 21:15for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
• Luke 24:45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
• John 17:3And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
• 1 Corinthians 1:30God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin.
• 2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
• Ephesians 1:17asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
• Ephesians 3:18And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
• Colossians 2:2I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
• John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
• Revelation 3:7“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
• Revelation 6:10They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?”
• Revelation 15:3And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.
• Revelation 19:11Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20We know that the Son of God is come - In the flesh, and has made his soul an offering for sin; and hath given us an understanding - a more eminent degree of light than we ever enjoyed before; for as he lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him unto us; and he hath besides given us a spiritual understanding, that we may know him who is true, even the True God, and get eternal life from him through his Son, In whom we are by faith, as the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And we know that the Son of God is come - We know this by the evidence that John had referred to in this Epistle, 1 John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:6-8. And hath given us an understanding - Not an “understanding” considered as a faculty of the mind, for religion gives us no new faculties; but he has so instructed us that we do understand the great truths referred to. Compare the notes at Luke 24:45. All the correct knowledge which we have of God and his government…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 All mankind are divided into two parties or dominions; that which belongs to God, and that which belongs to the wicked one. True believers belong to God: they are of God, and from him, and to him, and for him; while the rest, by far the greater number, are in the power of the wicked one; they do his works, and support his cause. This general declaration includes all unbelievers, whatever their profession, station, or situation, or by whatever…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20John states that Jesus Christ is the only true God (see John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1). we are in Him: Having fellowship or being united with Jesus Christ means having eternal life, because he is eternal life (see 1 John 5:12; John 1:4; 3:16; 14:6; 20:31).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Summary of our Christian privileges. is come--is present, having come. "He is here--all is full of Him--His incarnation, work, and abiding presence, is to us a living fact" [Alford]. given us an understanding--Christ's, office is to give the inner spiritual understanding to discern the things of God. that we may know--Some oldest manuscripts read, "(so) that we know." him that is true--God, as opposed to every kind of idol or false god (1Jo 5:21)…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:20

• Fellowship
• Jesus Continued
• Life
• Righteous
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Eternal life
• Son of God
• Jesus Christ
• Coming of Christ

Commentaries on 1 John 5

• 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