1 John 5:3

1 John 5:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
• New International Version (NIV)In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

Context of 1 John 5:3

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:3 word by word

αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν· καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσίν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we keepτηρέωtēreō · to keep: observeG5083
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• commandmentsἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notοὐou · noG3756
• grievousβαρύςbarus · weightyG926

Cross-references for 1 John 5:3

• Exodus 20:6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
• Deuteronomy 5:10But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
• Deuteronomy 7:9Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.
• Deuteronomy 10:12“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.
• Daniel 9:4I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands.
• Matthew 12:47Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”
• John 14:15“If you love me, obey my commandments.
• John 14:21Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
• John 15:10When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
• 2 John 1:6Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.
• Psalms 19:7The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
• Psalms 119:45I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
• Proverbs 3:17She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying.
• Micah 6:8No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
• Matthew 11:28Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
• Romans 7:12But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

Commentaries on 1 John 5:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3For this is the love of God - This the love of God necessarily produces. It is vain to pretend love to God while we live in opposition to his will. His commandments - To love him with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, are not grievous - are not burdensome; for no man is burdened with the duties which his own love imposes. The old proverb explains the meaning of the apostle's words, Love feels no loads. Love to God brings strength from God…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments - This constitutes true love; this furnishes the evidence of it. And his commandments are not grievous - Greek, “heavy” - ͂ bareiaithat is, difficult to be borne as a burden. See Matthew 11:30. The meaning is, that his laws are not unreasonable; the duties which he requires are not beyond our ability; his government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right; and those who…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God have been born spiritually as children of God (see John 20:31). The Spirit of God empowers them to love God and others. Their faith helps them obey God and resist the evil temptations in the world. Through faith, they can love and obey God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. this is--the love of God consists in this. not grievous--as so many think them. It is "the way of the transgressor" that "is hard." What makes them to the regenerate "not grievous," is faith which "overcometh the world" (1Jo 5:4): in proportion as faith is strong, the grievousness of God's commandments to the rebellious flesh is overcome. The reason why believers feel any degree of irksomeness in God's commandments is, they do not realize fully by…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:3

• Law
• Love
• Obedience
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Idol
• Children of God
• Hope
• John, the Epistles of
• Love
• Christ, Messiah

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