1 John 4:21
in 1 John 4And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
KJV
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
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This verse in 1 John 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe person who loves God keeps his commandments, and loving one's brother is the fulfillment of those commandments. The person who does not love his brother has not kept the commandments and by not keeping them has not loved God. The one who says he …
This site's exposition
We love him, because he first loved us
on 1 John 4:19-21
We love him, because he first loved us closes the causal chain the chapter has run since verse 10, love always responding to a prior love rather than originating one. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar exposes a false profession by a visible test, the seen brother made the proving ground for the unseen God, since the man who cannot love whom he hath seen has no ground for claiming to love whom he hath not seen. The commandment closes the chapter where it opened its love section, that he who loveth God love his brother also, the two loves bound together as one indivisible command rather than two separate virtues.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
And now I make it good by another proof. This same apostle hath said, "He gave us commandment that we should love one another." How canst thou be said to love Him whose commandment thou hatest? Who shall say, I love the emperor, but I hate his laws? In this the emperor understands whether thou love him, that his laws be observed throughout the provinces. Our Emperor's law, what is it? "A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another." Thou sayest then, that thou lovest Christ: keep His commandment, and love thy brother. But if thou love not thy brother, how canst thou be said to love Him whose commandment thou despisest?
Brethren, I am never satiated in speaking of charity in the name of the Lord. In what proportion ye have an insatiable desire of this thing, in that proportion we hope the thing itself is growing in you, and casting out fear, that so there may remain that chaste fear which is for ever permanent. Let us endure the world, endure tribulations, endure the stumbling-blocks of temptations. Let us not depart from the way; let us hold the unity of the Church, hold Christ, hold charity. Let us not be plucked away from the members of His Spouse, not be plucked away from faith, that we may glory in His coming: and we shall securely abide in Him, now by faith, then by sight, of whom we have so great earnest, even the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We love him, because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And …
"For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also." Marvellous fine talk it was, that thou didst say, "I love God," and hatest thy brother! O murderer, how lovest thou God? Hast thou not heard above in this very epistle, "He that hateth his brother is a murderer"? Yea, but I do verily love God, however I hate my brother. Thou dost verily not love God, if thou hate thy brother.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore, whoever loves God and strives to be His disciple, by His commandment, loves his brother also.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And this commandment we have from God, etc. For how can you love him whose command you hate? Who is it who says: I love the emperor, but I hate his laws? Not so the true lover of God, but: See (he says) that I …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
And this commandment have we from him - Both God and his opinions or mode of worship be, purely because he is the child, and bears the image, of God. Bigotry is properly the want of this pure and universal love. A bigot only loves those who embrace his opinions, and receives his way of worship; and he loves them for that, and not for Christ's sake.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
And this commandment have we from him,....
As God has communicated his image in nature and in grace, so he would have our love to be suitably diffused. We must love God originally and supremely, and others in him, on the account of their derivation and reception from him, and of his interest in them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And this commandment have we from him - That is, the command to love a brother is as obligatory as that to love God. If one is obeyed, the other ought to be also; if a man feels that one is binding on him, he should feel that the other is also; and he can never have evidence that he is a true Christian, unless he manifests love to his brethren as well as love to God. See the notes at Jas 2:10. That he who loveth God love his brother also - See the notes at Joh 13:34-
This commandment have we - We should love one another, and love our neighbor as ourselves. The love of God and the love of man can never be separated; he who loves God will love his brother; he who loves his brother gives this proof that he loves God, because he loves with a measure of that love which, in its infinitude, dwells in God.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ταύτην | tauten | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐντολὴν | entolen | commandment | G1785 → | 67 times |
| ἔχομεν | echomen | we have | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| αὐτοῦ, | autou | Him, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγαπῶν | agapon | loving | G25 → | 143 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸν | theon | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἀγαπᾷ | agapa | may love | G25 → | 143 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφὸν | adelphon | brother | G80 → | 343 times |
| αὐτοῦ.¶ | autou | of him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ταύτηνthis
tautenG3778 →1381 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ἐντολὴνcommandment
entolenG1785 →67 times
ἔχομενwe have
echomenG2192 →707 times
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
αὐτοῦ,Him,
autouG846 →5565 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀγαπῶνloving
agaponG25 →143 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
θεὸνGod
theonG2316 →1312 times
ἀγαπᾷmay love
agapaG25 →143 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφὸνbrother
adelphonG80 →343 times
αὐτοῦ.¶of him.
autouG846 →5565 times
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
Leviticus 19:18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Matthew 22:39–40
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Romans 13:9
The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Mark 12:31–34
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
- Luke 10:27–37
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Matthew 22:39–40
Through
Galatians 5:14The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
it leads to
- Matthew 7:12
In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the Prophets.
- Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
- Galatians 6:2
Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
- Matthew 7:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About 1 John
This page draws on 11 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); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 9; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.