1 John 1:5

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
This	αὕτη hautē	G3778	the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — nominative singular feminine
then	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
message	ἀγγελία angelia	G31	an announcement · noun — nominative singular feminine
which	ἣν hēn	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — accusative singular feminine
heard	ἀκηκόαμεν akēkoamen	G191	to hear (in various senses) · verb — second perfect active indicative, 1st person plural
of	ἀπ᾽ ap᾽	G575	"off · preposition
him	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
declare	ἀναγγέλλομεν anangellomen	G312	to announce (in detail) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
God	θεὸς theos	G2316	figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
light	φῶς phōs	G5457	compare G5316 (φαίνω) · noun — nominative singular neuter
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
no	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
darkness	σκοτία skotia	G4653	dimness · noun — nominative singular feminine
all	οὐδεμία. oudemia	G3762	not even one (man · adjective — nominative 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

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the l…
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shado…
Isaiah 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an ev…
Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall rei…
John 12:35-36 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:5-7

The apostle, having declared the truth and dignity of the author of the gospel, brings a message or report from him, from which a just conclusion is to be drawn for the consideration and conviction of the professors of religion, or professed entertainers of this glorious gospel. I. Here is the message or report that the apostle avers to come from the Lord Jesus: This then is the message which we have heard of him (Jo1 1:5), of his Son Jesus Christ. As he was the immediate sender of the apostles, so he is the principal person spoken of in the preceding context, and the next antecedent also to whom the pronoun him can relate. The apostles and apostolical ministers are the messengers of the Lor…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:5

First division of the body of the Epistle (compare Introduction). declare--Greek, "announce"; report in turn; a different Greek word from Jo1 1:3. As the Son announced the message heard from the Father as His apostle, so the Son's apostles announce what they have heard from the Son. John nowhere uses the term "Gospel"; but the witness or testimony, the word, the truth, and here the message. God is light--What light is in the natural world, that God, the source of even material light, is in the spiritual, the fountain of wisdom, purity, beauty, joy, and glory. As all material life and growth depends on light, so all spiritual life and growth depends on GOD. As God here, so Christ, in Jo1…

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Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:5

This then is the message - This is the grand principle on which all depends, which we have heard of απ' αυτου, From him; for neither Moses nor the prophets ever gave that full instruction concerning God and communion with him which Jesus Christ has given, for the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has alone declared the fullness of the truth, and the extent of the blessings, which believers on him are to receive. See Joh 1:18. God is light - The source of wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and happiness; and in him is no darkness at all - no ignorance, no imperfection, no sinfulness, no misery. And from him wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and happiness are received by every believ…

The Church Fathers

When John says that there is no darkness in the light of God, he proves that all the lights of others are stained by some blemish.
— Jerome, Against the Pelagians 2.7

God is light, according to John. The only-begotten Son therefore is the brightness of that light, proceeding from God without separation, as brightness from light, and lightening the whole creation.
— Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 1.2.7

Let no one deceive you. God is light, and to those who have entered into union with him, he imparts of his own brightness to the extent that they have been purified.
— Symeon the New Theologian, DISCOURSES 15.3

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

God · Is declared to be: Light — Is declared to be: Light
Light · Illustrative of: Purity of God — Illustrative of: Purity of God

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 John 1:5

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:5-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:5

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 John 1:5

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:5-7

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:5

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 John 1:5

John Calvin on 1 John 1:3-7

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 1:5–end