Focused Passage

1 John 3:11-18

Children of God, Practicing Righteousness, and Loving One Another

The chapter moves from the Father’s love in making believers children of God to the family resemblance of righteousness, love, confidence before God, and Spirit-confirmed abiding.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 11

Original words

-ὍτιG3754ConjunctionThisαὕτηG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularmessageἀγγελίαG31Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-ἣνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singularyou have heardἠκούσατεG191Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Pluralfromἀπ’G575Preposition[the] beginningἀρχῆςG746Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular-ἵναG2443ConjunctionWe should loveἀγαπῶμενG25Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Pluralone anotherἀλλήλουςG240Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 12

Original words

[Do] not [be]οὐG3756AdverblikeκαθὼςG2531AdverbCainΚάϊνG2535Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[who] belonged toἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .ἐκG1537PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularevil [one]πονηροῦG4190Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionmurderedἔσφαξενG4969Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφὸνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularAndκαὶG2532ConjunctionwhyχάρινG5484Preposition. . .τίνοςG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Singulardid [Cain] slayἔσφαξενG4969Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularhimαὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularBecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctionhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular[own]τὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluraldeedsἔργαG2041Noun - Nominative Neuter PluralwereἦνG1510Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularevilπονηρὰG4190Adjective - Nominative Neuter PluralwhileδὲG1161ConjunctionthoseτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralofτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularbrotherἀδελφοῦG80Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[were] righteousδίκαιαG1342Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural
Verse 13

Original words

[So]καὶG2532Conjunction{do} notΜὴG3361Adverbbe surprisedθαυμάζετεG2296Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralbrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine PluralifεἰG1487ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularworldκόσμοςG2889Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularhatesμισεῖG3404Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Verse 14

Original words

WeἩμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluralknowοἴδαμενG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunctionwe have passedμεταβεβήκαμενG3327Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralfromἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulardeathθανάτουG2288Noun - Genitive Masculine SingulartoεἰςG1519Preposition-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularlifeζωήνG2222Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754Conjunctionwe loveἀγαπῶμενG25Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural[our]τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralbrothersἀδελφούςG80Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralThe [one who]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbdoes not loveἀγαπῶνG25Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularremainsμένειG3306Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingulardeathθανάτῳG2288Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

EveryoneπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularhatesμισῶνG3404Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφὸνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularisἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara murdererἀνθρωποκτόνοςG443Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionyou knowοἴδατεG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754ConjunctioneternalαἰώνιονG166Adjective - Accusative Feminine SingularlifeζωὴνG2222Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular{does} notοὐκG3756Adverb-ἔχειG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularresideμένουσανG3306Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Feminine SingularinἐνG1722Preposition-αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularaπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularmurdererἀνθρωποκτόνοςG443Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

ByἘνG1722PrepositionthisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singularwe knowἐγνώκαμενG1097Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralwhatτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularlove [is]ἀγάπηνG26Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-ὅτιG3754Conjunction[Jesus]ἐκεῖνοςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singularlaid downἔθηκενG5087Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularlifeψυχὴνG5590Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularforὑπὲρG5228PrepositionusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionweἡμεῖςG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person PluraloughtὀφείλομενG3784Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Pluralto lay downθεῖναιG5087Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active[our]τὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PlurallivesψυχὰςG5590Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralforὑπὲρG5228Preposition[our]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralbrothersἀδελφῶνG80Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 17

Original words

-δ’G1161ConjunctionIfἂνG302ParticleanyoneὃςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularwithἔχῃG2192Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularearthlyκόσμουG2889Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularpossessionsβίονG979Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionseesθεωρῇG2334Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφὸνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[in]ἔχονταG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine SingularneedχρείανG5532Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular[but]καὶG2532ConjunctionwithholdsκλείσῃG2808Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralcompassionσπλάγχναG4698Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralfromἀπ’G575PrepositionhimαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularhowπῶςG4459Adverb{can} theG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularloveἀγάπηG26Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularabideμένειG3306Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionhimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 18

Original words

Little childrenΤεκνίαG5040Noun - Vocative Neuter Plurallet us loveἀγαπῶμενG25Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 1st Person PluralnotμὴG3361Adverbin wordλόγῳG3056Noun - Dative Masculine Singular[and]μηδὲG3366Conjunction-τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularspeechγλώσσῃG1100Noun - Dative Feminine SingularbutἀλλὰG235ConjunctioninἐνG1722PrepositionactionἔργῳG2041Noun - Dative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontruthἀληθείᾳG225Noun - Dative Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.