1 John 4:21 KJV
And this commandment
have we from him,
That he who loveth God
love his brother also.
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Other translations
New International Version
And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
New Living Translation
And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
English Standard Version
And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Berean Study Bible
And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
Berean Literal Bible
And this commandment we have from Him, that the [one] loving God should love his brother also.
King James Bible
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
New King James Version
And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God [must] love his brother also.
New American Standard Bible
And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother [and sister].
NASB 1995 and NASB 1977
And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
Amplified Bible
And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him.
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Besides the argument (1 John 4:20) from the common feeling of men, he here adds a stronger one from God’s express commandment (Matthew 22:39).
He who loves, will do what the object of His love wishes.
And this commandment have we from him
- Either “from God”, as the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin version read; and that to love the brethren is a commandment of God, is clear from 1 John 3:23;
- or from the Christ, for it is also a command of His, even His new commandment, which He has given, and His people have received from him.
The Apostle drives home his arguments for the practice of brotherly love by the fact that God has commanded all who love Him to love their brethren.
Some take ‘Him’ to mean Christ. But this is seeing the context unlikely, as the Christ has not been mentioned for several verses: although it must be admitted that John is so full of the truth that ‘I and My Father are one’, that he makes the transition from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father almost unconsciously.
Where has God given this commandment?
In the whole Law, which is summed up in loving God with all one’s heart and one’s neighbour as oneself (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Luke 10:27).
The Apostle thus anticipates a possible objection.
A man may say ‘I can love God without loving my brother, and I can prove my love by keeping His commandments’ (John 14:15). ‘No’, says John, ‘your own argument shews your error: you cannot keep His commandments without loving your brother’.
Thus then we have two revelations of God:
- our brother, who is His image;
- and His commandment, which is His will.
Not to love our brother is a flagrant violation of both.
As Pascal puts it, we must know men in order to love them, but we must love God in order to know Him.
That he who loveth God, love his brother also
See John 13:34; which is an argument persuading to attend to the one as well as to the other; for the same command that requires the one, requires the other: and he that transgresses it in one case, is a transgressor of it, as well as in the other.
“The final particle (ἵνα) gives more than the simple contents of the commandment. It marks the injunction as directed to an aim” (Westcott). See on 1 John 1:9.
He who loveth God
He who wishes to be regarded by God as loving Him.
Greek
And ☆ καὶ (kai) ☆ Conjunction ☆ And, even, also, namely.
This ☆ ταύτην (tautēn) ☆ Demonstrative Pronoun – Accusative Feminine Singular ☆ This, that, the same; he, she, it
Commandment ☆ ἐντολὴν (entolēn) ☆ Noun – Accusative Feminine Singular ☆ An ordinance, injunction, command, law. From entellomai; injunction, i.e. An authoritative prescription.
Have we ☆ ἔχομεν (echomen) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 1st Person Plural ☆ To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh’-o; a primary verb; to hold.
From ☆ ἀπ’ (ap’) ☆ Preposition ☆ From, away from. A primary particle; ‘off, ‘ i.e. Away, in various senses.
Him ☆ αὐτοῦ (autou) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular ☆ He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
That ☆ ἵνα (hina) ☆ That, in order that, so that
Whoever ☆ ὁ (ho) ☆ Article – Nominative Masculine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Loves ☆ ἀγαπῶν (agapōn) ☆ Verb – Present Participle Active – Nominative Masculine Singular ☆ To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.
God ☆ Θεὸν (Theon) ☆ Noun – Accusative Masculine Singular ☆ A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.
Love ☆ ἀγαπᾷ (agapa) ☆ Verb – Present Subjunctive Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.
His ☆ αὐτοῦ (autou) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular ☆ He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
Brother ☆ ἀδελφὸν (adelphon) ☆ Noun – Accusative Masculine Singular ☆ A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.
Also ☆ καὶ (kai) ☆ Conjunction ☆ And, even, also, namely.
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