1 John 2:9 BSB — MannaFest

1 John 2:9

If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now.

KJV

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

⋯

Commentary

3 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

He that saith he is in the light - That he has true religion, or is a Christian. See 1Jn 1:7. And hateth his brother - The word “brother” seems here to refer to those who professed the same religion. The word is indeed sometimes used in a larger sense, but the reference here appears to be to that which is properly brotherly love among Christians. Compare Lucke, in loc. Is in darkness even until now - That is, he cannot have true religion unless he has love to the brethren.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

He that saith he is in the light - In Christ, united to him. And hateth his brother - The very name shows the love due to him. Is in darkness until now - Void of Christ, and of all true light.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

"Where love is not, there hatred is; for the heart cannot remain a void" [BENGEL]. in the light--as his proper element. his brother--his neighbor, and especially those of the Christian brotherhood. The very title "brother" is a reason why love should be exercised. even until now--notwithstanding that "the true light already has begun to shine" (1Jo 2:8).

Voices on this verse

loading…

Original language & word study

17 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
ὁ	ho	The [one]	G3588 →
λέγων	legōn	claiming	G3004 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῷ	tō	the	G3588 →
φωτὶ	phōti	light	G5457 →
εἶναι	einai	to be	G1511 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
τὸν	ton	the	G3588 →
ἀδελφὸν	adelphon	brother	G80 →
αὐτοῦ	autou	of him	G846 →
μισῶν	misōn	hating	G3404 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
τῇ	tēa	the	G3588 →
σκοτίᾳ	skotia	darkness	G4653 →
ἐστὶν	estin	is	G1510 →
ἕως	he'ōs	until	G2193 →
ἄρτι.	arti	now.	G737 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
1 John 4:20
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
leads to
- 1 John 3:17
  If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- 1 John 4:12
  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- 1 John 2:4
  If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
- 1 John 2:11
  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
- 1 Peter 1:8
  Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
Through
1 John 2:11
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
leads to
- John 12:35
  Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the…
Through
Psalms 82:5
They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
leads to
- Proverbs 2:13
  from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,
- Psalms 11:3
  If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

Featured studies on this passage

On 1 John 2:9

The Tests of Life — 1 John's Three Tests

Open the study →

Walks through 1 John 2

Antichrist (the Word and the Figure), MannaFest

Open the study →

Walks through 1 John 2

The Covenant Lawsuit: When God Sues His People

Open the study →

Moses and Aaron Appear before Pharaoh — engraving by Gustave Doré

Walks through 1 John 2

The Tabernacle

A floor plan of the gospel. Eight furniture pieces, three concentric zones, one veil torn the moment Christ died. Among the most architecturally complete typological structures in Scripture.

Open the study →

Walks through 1 John 2

The Anointing

Open the study →

About 1 John

The Last Supper — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

1 John: the study guide →Read chapter 2 →The featured study →

Continue: 1 John 2 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 John

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 John