1 Corinthians 13:6

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Rejoiceth	χαίρει chairei	G5463	to be "cheer"ful · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
in	ἐπὶ epi	G1909	properly · preposition
iniquity	ἀδικίᾳ, adikia	G93	(legal) injustice (properly · noun — dative singular feminine
but	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
in	συγχαίρει sugchairei	G4796	to sympathize in gladness · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
truth	ἀληθείᾳ, alētheia	G225	truth · noun — dative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
3 John 1:3-4 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
2 John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them tha…
Hosea 4:8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.
2 Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
Micah 7:8 Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The apostle gives us in these verses some of the properties and effects of charity, both to describe and commend it, that we may know whether we have this grace and that if we have not we may fall in love with what is so exceedingly amiable, and not rest till we have obtained it. It is an excellent grace, and has a world of good properties belonging to it. As, I. It is long suffering - makrothumei. It can endure evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment, indignation, or revenge. It makes the mind firm, gives it power over the angry passions, and furnishes it with a persevering patience, that shall rather wait and wish for the reformation of a brother than fly out in…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 13:6

rejoiceth in the truth--rather, "rejoiceth with the truth." Exults not at the perpetration of iniquity (unrighteousness) by others (compare Gen 9:22-23), but rejoices when the truth rejoices; sympathizes with it in its triumphs (Jo2 1:4). See the opposite (Ti2 3:8), "Resist the truth." So "the truth" and "unrighteousness" are contrasted (Rom 2:8). "The truth" is the Gospel truth, the inseparable ally of love (Eph 4:15; Jo2 1:12). The false charity which compromises "the truth" by glossing over "iniquity" or unrighteousness is thus tacitly condemned (Pro 17:15).

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 13:6

(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? But is it not a frequent case that persons, who have received any kind of injury, and have forborne to avenge themselves, but perhaps have left it to God; when evil falls upon the sinner do console themselves with what appears to them an evidence that God has avenged their quarrels; and do at least secretly rejoice that the man is suffering for his misdeeds? Is not this, in…

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The Church Fathers

Love hates what is unjust and rejoices in what is good and honorable.
— Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 253

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.
— Basil of Caesarea, Letter 65, TO ATARBIUS

"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.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 33

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Charity — (1 Cor. 13), the rendering in the Authorized Version of the word which properly denotes love, and is frequently so rendered (always so in the Revised Version). It is spoken of as the greatest of the…
Love — This word seems to require explanation only in the case of its use by our Lord in his interview with “Simon, the son of Jonas,” after his resurrection (John 21:16, 17). When our Lord says, “Lovest…
Charitableness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Charity · Explained — Explained
Conduct, Christian · Loving one another — Loving one another
Graces · (Christian) — (Christian)
Justice · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Kindness · 6:30,34,35; — 6:30,34,35;
Love To Man · Explained — Explained
Religion · TRUE — TRUE
Righteousness · FRUITS OF — FRUITS OF
Sanctification · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Truth · Rejoice in — Rejoice in
Uncharitableness

1 Corinthians 13:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 13:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 13:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 13:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 13:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 13:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 13:6

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 13:5