1 John 3:12 BSB — MannaFest

1 John 3:12

Do 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.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

KJV

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

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Commentary

5 voices

Didymus the Blind

COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN (398)

We have had the commandment to love one another from the beginning, so that we should not fall into evil as Cain did, who murdered his brother.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748)

Not as Cain,.... That is, let us not be like him, or do as he did, hate the brethren. The apostle illustrates brotherly love by its contrary, in the instance of Cain, who was the first instance and example of hatred of the brethren, and of fratricide, and a very detestable one, by which he would dissuade from so vile and abominable a practice: who was of that wicked one; Satan, a child of his, an imitator of him, one that appeared to be under his influence, and to belong unto him.

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

Who was of the wicked one - Who showed he was a child of the devil by killing his brother. And wherefore slew he him - For any fault? No, but just the reverse; for his goodness.

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Sin, indulged, knows no bound. It proceeded so far, and had in it so much of the devil, that he murdered his brother for religion's sake. He was vexed with the superiority of Abel's service, and envied him the favour and acceptance he had with God.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

Not as Cain - Men should not act to each other as Cain did to his brother Abel. He murdered him because he was better than himself. But who was Cain? Εκ του πονηρου ην, he was of the devil. And who are they who, through pride, lust of power, ambition, gain, etc., murder each other in wars and political contentions? Εκ του πονηρου εισι. To attempt to justify the principle, and excuse the instigators, authors, abettors, etc., of such wars, is as vain as it is wicked.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

29 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
οὐ	ou	not	G3756 →
καθὼς	kathōs	even as	G2531 →
Κάϊν	Kain	Cain	G2535 →
ἐκ	ek	[who] of	G1537 →
τοῦ	tou	the	G3588 →
πονηροῦ	ponērou	evil [one]	G4190 →
ἦν	ēn	was	G1510 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ἔσφαξεν	esphaxen	he slew	G4969 →
τὸν	ton	the	G3588 →
ἀδελφὸν	adelphon	brother	G80 →
αὐτοῦ·	autou	of him;	G846 →
καὶ	kai	And	G2532 →
χάριν	charin	because of	G5484 →
τίνος	tinos	what	G5101 →
ἔσφαξεν	esphaxen	he slayed	G4969 →
αὐτόν;	auton	him?	G846 →
ὅτι	hoti	Because	G3754 →
τὰ	ta	the	G3588 →
ἔργα	erga	works	G2041 →
αὐτοῦ	autou	of him	G846 →
πονηρὰ	ponēra	evil	G4190 →
ἦν,	ēn	were,	G1510 →
τὰ	ta	those	G3588 →
δὲ	de	however	G1161 →
τοῦ	tou	of the	G3588 →
ἀδελφοῦ	adelphou	brother	G80 →
αὐτοῦ	autou	of him	G846 →
δίκαια.¶	dikaia	righteous.	G1342 →

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
Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.
leads to
- 2 Peter 2:15
  They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
- Revelation 2:14
  But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food…
- Genesis 4:3–14
  So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
- Hebrews 11:4
  By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- Numbers 16:1–35
  Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted
Through
Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
leads to
- Genesis 4:3–5
  So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
- Hebrews 12:24
  to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
- 1 John 3:11–12
  This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

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