1 Corinthians 13:6
in 1 Corinthians 13Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
KJV
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 13
Commentary
13 notes on this verseCharity is the bond of brotherhood, the foundation of peace, the holdfast and security of unity, which is greater than both hope and faith, which excels both good works and martyrdoms, which will abide with us always, eternal with God in the kingdom of heaven. Take from it patience; and deprived of it, it does not endure. Take from it the substance of bearing and of enduring, and it continues with no roots nor strength. The apostle, finally, when he would speak of charity, joined to it endurance and patience.
This site's exposition
Rejoiceth not in iniquity
on 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: love's two joys are named negatively and positively, no pleasure in another's fall, glad partnership with the truth, and the bench notes how the pair forbids religious gossip in a sentence. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things: the four alls of verse 7 are love's weather, where beareth, stegei, carries the sense of roofing over, covering what it could expose, and believeth and hopeth all things is not credulity but the settled bias toward the best construction, and endureth, hypomenei, is the soldier's word for holding ground. The exposition keeps Edwards's summary in view, that love is the sum of all virtue because each clause is a virtue wearing love's face.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 253 · Written before 458.
proposed
Love hates what is unjust and rejoices in what is good and honorable.
Cast off the sullenness of an angry man which you are evincing by your silence, and regain joy in your heart, peace toward your likeminded brothers and sisters, and zeal and solicitude for the preservation of the churches of the Lord.
"Rejoiceth not in unrighteousness:" i.e., doth not feel pleasure over those that suffer ill: and not this only, but also, what is much greater, "rejoiceth with the truth." "She feels pleasure," saith he, "with them that are well spoken of," as Paul saith, "Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep." Hence, she "envieth not," hence she "is not puffed up:" since in fact she accounts the good things of others her own. Seest thou how by degrees love makes her nursling an angel? For when he is void of anger, and pure from envy, and free from every tyrannical passion, consider that even from the nature of man he is delivered from henceforth, and hath arrived at the very serenity of angels.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Secondly, charity excludes an inordinate love for evil; hence he says: it does not rejoice in wrong. For one who sins from passion commits sin with some remorse and sorrow, but one who sins from choice rejoices in the fact that he commits sin, as …
That is, it does not rejoice when someone suffers injustice, experiences violence and insult. But, he says, what is far more important, he rejoices together with those who are in good repute, and counts it as his own glory when the truth prospers. This is …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Rejoiceth not in iniquity - Yea, weeps at either the sin or folly of even an enemy; takes no pleasure in hearing or in repeating it, but desires it may be forgotten forever. But rejoiceth in the truth - Bringing forth its proper fruit, holiness of heart and life. Good in general is its glory and joy, wherever diffused in all the world.
And is not falling into sin the greatest calamity that can befal one? How inconsistent is it with Christian charity, to rejoice at such fall! Affirmatively: It rejoiceth in the truth, is glad of the success of the gospel, commonly called the truth, by way of emphasis, in the New Testament; and rejoices to see men moulded into an evangelical temper by it, and made good.
Rejoiceth not in iniquity,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
(10.) Rejoiceth not in iniquity - Ου χαιρει επι τῃ αδικιᾳ· Rejoiceth not in falsehood, but on the contrary, rejoiceth in the truth: this meaning αδικια has in different parts of the Scriptures. At first view, this character of love seems to say but little in its favor; for who can rejoice in unrighteousness or falsity?
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
"The truth" is the Gospel truth, the inseparable ally of love (Eph 4:15; The false charity which compromises "the truth" by glossing over "iniquity" or unrighteousness is thus tacitly condemned (Pr 17:15).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Rejoiceth not in iniquity - Does not rejoice over the “vices” of other people; does not take delight when they are guilty of crime, or when, in any manner, they fall into sin. It does not find pleasure in hearing others accused of sin, and in having it proved that they committed it. It does not find a malicious pleasure in the “report” that they have done wrong; or in following up that report, and finding it established. Wicked people often find pleasure in this Rom 1:32, and rejoice when others have fallen into sin, and have disgraced and ruined themselves. People of the world often find a malignant pleasure in the report, and in the evidence that a member of the Church has brought dishonor on his profession. A man often rejoices when an enemy, a persecutor, or a slanderer has committed some crime, and when he has shown an improper spirit, uttered a rash expression, or taken some step which shall involve him in ignominy. But love does none of these things. It does not desire that an enemy, a persecutor, or a slanderer should do evil, or should disgrace and ruin himself. It does not rejoice, but grieves, when a professor of religion, or an enemy of religion - when a personal friend or foe has done anything wrong. It neither loves the wrong, nor the fact that it has been done. And perhaps there is no greater triumph of the gospel than in its enabling a man to rejoice that even his enemy and persecutor in any respect does well; or to rejoice that he is in any way honored and respected among people. Human nature, without the gospel, manifests a different feeling; and it is only as the heart is subdued by the gospel, and filled with universal benevolence, that it is brought to rejoice when all people do well. Rejoiceth in the truth - The word “truth” here stands opposed to “iniquity,” and means virtue, piety, goodness. […]
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐ | ou | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| χαίρει | chairei | delights | G5463 → | 74 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | at | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδικίᾳ, | adikia | unrighteousness, | G93 → | |
| συγχαίρει | sugchairei | rejoices | G4796 → | |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τῇ | tea | in the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀληθείᾳ, | aletheia | truth, | G225 → |
οὐnot
ouG3756 →1664 times
χαίρειdelights
chaireiG5463 →74 times
ἐπὶat
epiG1909 →883 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀδικίᾳ,unrighteousness,
adikiaG93 →
συγχαίρειrejoices
sugchaireiG4796 →
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
τῇin the
teaG3588 →19766 times
ἀληθείᾳ,truth,
aletheiaG225 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 12:9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.
it leads to
- Psalms 34:14
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
- 1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
- 1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.
- 1 John 3:18–20
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
- 1 Peter 3:10–11
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
- Psalms 34:14
Through
Romans 1:32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
it leads to
- Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
- Romans 2:1–5
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
- Romans 6:21
What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
- Romans 1:21
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Basil of Caesarea, Letter 65, TO ATARBIUS; Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Cyprian, Treatise IX. On the Advantage of Patience.; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 33; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 253; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.