1 John 3:16

1 John 3:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
• New International Version (NIV)This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
• English Standard Version (ESV)By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Context of 1 John 3:16

14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer—and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We have come to know love by this—Yeshua laid down His life for us, and we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17But if someone has material possessions and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18Children, let us not love with word or talk, but in deed and truth!

1 John 3:16 word by word

ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Herebyἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• perceive weγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• the loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• laid downτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• lifeψυχήpsuchē · soul: lifeG5590
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• oughtὀφείλωopheilō opheileō · to oweG3784
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80

Cross-references for 1 John 3:16

• 1 John 4:9The love of God was revealed among us by this—that God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
• Matthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
• John 3:16“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• John 10:15just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep.
• John 15:13No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends.
• Acts 20:28“Take care of yourselves and all the flock of which the Ruach ha-Kodesh has made you overseers, to shepherd the community of God—which He obtained with the blood of His own.
• Romans 5:8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.
• Ephesians 5:2and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma.
• 1 Peter 1:18You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors—not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
• 1 Peter 2:24He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, removed from sins, might live for righteousness. “By His wounds you were healed.”
• 1 Peter 3:18For Messiah once suffered for sins also—the righteous for the unrighteous—in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Ruach.
• Revelation 1:5and from Messiah Yeshua, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood
• Revelation 5:9And they are singing a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals. For You were slain, and by Your blood You redeemed for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
• 1 John 2:6whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.
• 1 John 4:11Loved ones, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• John 13:34“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you must love one another.

Commentaries on 1 John 3:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Hereby perceive we the love of God - This sixteenth verse of this third chapter of John's first epistle is, in the main, an exact counterpart of the sixteenth verse of the third chapter of St. John's gospel: God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, etc. Here the apostle says, We perceive, , we have known, the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. Of God is not in the text, but it is preserved in one MS., and in two or three…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Hereby perceive we the love of God - The words “of God” are not in the original, and should not have been introduced into the translation, though they are found in the Latin Vulgate, and in the Genevan versions, and in one manuscript. They would naturally convey the idea that “God” laid down his life for us; or that God himself, in his divine nature, suffered. But this idea is not expressed in this passage as it is in the original, and of course no…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-21Verses 16-21 Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-18Christ’s example shows that real love requires self-sacrifice. We follow his example when we care deeply about the needs of other people. This means giving our time, effort, prayers, and possessions to help them. In some cases, it may even mean giving our lives to meet their needs.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. What true love to the brethren is, illustrated by the love of Christ to us. Hereby--Greek, "Herein." the love of God--The words "of God" are not in the original. Translate, "We arrive at the knowledge of love"; we apprehend what true love is. he--Christ. and we--on our part, if absolutely needed for the glory of God, the good of the Church, or the salvation of a brother. lives--Christ alone laid down His one life for us all; we ought to lay down our…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 3:16

• Commandments
• Example
• Jesus, the Christ
• Love
• Suffering
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Appear
• Assure
• Condemn
• Pleasing
• Sin
• Word
• Christ, Offices of
• Ethics

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