1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• New International Version (NIV)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Context of 1 John 1:9

7But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son Yeshua purifies us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:9 word by word

ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• we confessὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sinsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
• he isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• faithfulπιστόςpistos · faithfulG4103
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• justδίκαιοςdikaios · justG1342
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• forgiveἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: forgiveG863
• to cleanseκαθαρίζωkatharizō · to cleanG2511
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• unrighteousnessἀδικίαadikia · unrighteousnessG93

Cross-references for 1 John 1:9

• Leviticus 26:40“But if they confess their iniquity and that of their fathers, in the treachery they committed against Me, and how they walked contrary to Me
• 1 Kings 8:47yet if they take it to the heart in the land which they have been carried captive, and they repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captors, saying: ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly,’
• 2 Chronicles 6:37when they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and they repent and seek You in the land of their captivity saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed inquity, we have acted wickedly,’
• Nehemiah 1:6please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant that I am praying before You today both day and night on behalf of Your servants, the Bnei-Yisrael. I am confessing the sins of Bnei-Yisrael that we have sinned against You—yes, I and my ancestral house have sinned.
• Nehemiah 9:2The offspring of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
• Job 33:27He sings to others, saying, ‘I have sinned and perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.
• Psalms 32:5Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said: “I confess my transgressions to Adonai,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
• Psalms 51:2when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he went to Bathsheba.
• Proverbs 28:13One who covers up his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them finds mercy.
• Daniel 9:4“I prayed to Adonai my God and confessed, saying: ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot,
• Matthew 3:6Confessing their sins, they were being immersed by him in the Jordan River.
• Mark 1:5All the Judean countryside was going out to him, and all the Jerusalemites. As they confessed their sins, they were being immersed by him in the Jordan River.
• Acts 19:18Many also of those who had believed came confessing and recounting their practices.
• Deuteronomy 7:9“Know therefore that Adonai your God, He is God—the faithful God who keeps covenant kindness for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His mitzvot,
• Lamentations 3:23They are new every morning! Great is Your faithfulness.
• 1 Corinthians 1:9God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Yeshua the Messiah our Lord.

Commentaries on 1 John 1:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9If we confess our sins - If, from a deep sense of our guilt, impurity, and helplessness, we humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our iniquity, his holiness, and our own utter helplessness, and implore mercy for his sake who has died for us; he is faithful, because to such he has promised mercy, Psalm 32:5; Proverbs 28:13; and just, for Christ has died for us, and thus made an atonement to the Divine justice; so that God can now be just, and yet the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9If we confess our sins - Pardon in the Scriptures, always supposes that there is confession, and there is no promise that it will be imparted unless a full acknowledgment has been made. Compare Psalm 32:1-11;; Luke 15:18 ff; Luke 7:41 ff; Proverbs 28:13. He is faithful - To his promises. He will do what he has assured us he will do in remitting them. And just to forgive us our sins - The word “just” here cannot be used in a strict and proper sense, since…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-10Verses 5-10 A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9To stay in continual fellowship with God, we need to confess our sins to him. God promises to forgive and cleanse us, and we can trust this promise because God is faithful and just. Christ died for our sins, and his death satisfies God’s justice and removes our guilt.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. confess--with the lips, speaking from a contrite heart; involving also confession to our fellow men of offenses committed against them. he--God. faithful--to His own promises; "true" to His word. just--Not merely the mercy, but the justice or righteousness of God is set forth in the redemption of the penitent believer in Christ. God's promises of mercy, to which He is faithful, are in accordance with His justice. to--Greek, "in order that." His…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 1:9

• Ablution
• Blessing
• Cleanliness
• God
• God Continued...
• Penitent
• Repentance
• Righteous
• Sanctification
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Atonement
• Deceive
• Fellowship
• Forgiveness of sin
• Light
• Unction
• Walk
• Cleanse
• Confession
• Johannine Theology

Commentaries on 1 John 1

• 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
• 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