2 John 1:13
in 2 John 1The children of your elect sister send you greetings.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The children of thine elect sister salute thee.
KJV
The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.
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This verse in 2 John 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseSome, on the basis of these words, think to affirm that this epistle was written not to a woman, but to the Church. With him who thinks so, I do not at all argue.
This site's exposition
paper and ink
on 2 John 1:12-13
The elder sets aside paper and ink, chartēs being a papyrus sheet. He hopes to speak face to face, mouth to mouth in the Greek, so that our joy may be complete, as in 1 John 1:4. The children of your elect sister send you greetings.
This site's exposition
your elect sister
The letter ends as it began, with a family greeting. John Gill reads the elect sister as the lady's own sister, whose children lived near John at Ephesus. Theophylact of Ohrid records that some read the sister as a church, and he declines to argue with them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
John unites the leaders of the churches in peace because they are sisters in the faith of the church and daughters of God by baptism.
Since I had many things to write to you, I did not want to do so by paper and ink. But I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your sister the …
The Medieval Church1 voice
The children of your sister, the Elect, greet you. Just as he prohibits us to greet the adversaries of the truth, so, conversely, he greets the elect on behalf of the elect, so that the faithless may be detested by all the good, possibly to …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. Not the members of a sister church, as some think; but the children of one who was the sister of this lady, according to the flesh; and who, as she was either a very famous and excellent person, or rather one chosen of God likewise unto eternal life and salvation; and whose children also were walking in the truth, and here send their Christian salutation to their aunt; very likely those sister's children lived at Ephesus, where John resided.
The Spirit of Christianity, we may suppose, will not be totally extinguished: Which shall be with us for ever. The salutation, which is indeed an apostolical benediction: Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love,
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:26w-of-53
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The children of thy elect sister - Probably her own sister, who lived at Ephesus; and, being acquainted with the apostle’s writing, desired to be thus remembered to her. Elect, both in this and the first verse, signifies excellent, eminent, or honorable. See on 2Jn 1:1 (note). Amen is wanting in the most ancient MSS., and in most of the versions; but ἡ χαρις μετα σου and μεθ’ ὑμων, Grace be with thee, or with you, is found in several MSS. and versions. Subscriptions in the Versions: - The end of the Second Epistle. - Syriac. The Second Epistle of John is ended. - Philox. Syriac. Praise be to God for ever, Amen! - Arabic. In the Manuscripts: - The Second of John. - Codex Alexandrinus and Codex Vaticanus. The Second of John to the Parthians. - One of Colbert’s MSS. The Second catholic Epistle of St. John the apostle and divine. There are other subscriptions, but, like the above, they are worthy of little regard. This epistle is more remarkable for the spirit of Christian love which it breathes than for any thing else. It contains scarcely any thing that is not found in the preceding; and out of the thirteen verses there are at least eight which are found, either in so many words or in sentiment, precisely the same with those of the first epistle. The most remarkable part of it is the tenth and eleventh verses, (2Jn 1:10, 2Jn 1:11) relative to the orders concerning the heretical teacher; and from them we see how such teachers were treated in the apostolic Church. They held no communion with them, afforded them no support, as teachers; but did not persecute them. On this model the conduct of all Christians should be formed, relative to the teachers of false doctrine in general. To go thus far, we have apostolical authority, to go farther, we have none. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The children of thy elect sister greet thee - Of this “elect sister” nothing more is known. It would seem probable, from the fact that she is not mentioned as sending her salutations, that she was either dead, or that she was absent. John mentions her, however, as a Christian - as one of the elect or chosen of God.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀσπάζεταί | aspazetai | Greet | G782 → | |
| σε | se | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τέκνα | tekna | children | G5043 → | 99 times |
| τῆς | tes | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀδελφῆς | adelphes | sister | G79 → | |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐκλεκτῆς | eklektes | elect | G1588 → |
ἀσπάζεταίGreet
aspazetaiG782 →
σεyou
seG4771 →2973 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
τέκναchildren
teknaG5043 →99 times
τῆςof the
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀδελφῆςsister
adelphesG79 →
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἐκλεκτῆςelect
eklektesG1588 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
1 Peter 5:13The church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, as does my son Mark.
it leads to
- Acts 12:12
And when he had realized this, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.
- Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable…
- Acts 12:25
When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, bringing with them John, also called Mark.
- Psalms 87:4
“I will mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me— along with Philistia, Tyre, and Cush— when I say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”
- Revelation 17:5
And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
- Acts 12:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 John
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY OMMENTARY ON 2 JOHN; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 John.