1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
If	ἐὰν ean	G1437	a conditional particle · conditional particle
confess	ὁμολογῶμεν homologōmen	G3670	to assent · verb — present active subjunctive, 1st person plural
our	ἡμῶν hēmōn	G2257	of (or from) us
sins	ἁμαρτίας hamartias	G266	a sin (properly abstract) · noun — accusative plural feminine
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
faithful	πιστός pistos	G4103	objectively · adjective — nominative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
just	δίκαιος dikaios	G1342	equitable (in character or act) · adjective — nominative singular masculine
to	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
forgive	ἀφῇ aphēa	G863	an intensive form of · verb — second aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμῖν hēmîn	G2254	to (or for
sins	ἁμαρτίας hamartias	G266	a sin (properly abstract) · noun — accusative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
cleanse	καθαρίσῃ katharisē	G2511	to cleanse (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμᾶς hēmâs	G2248	us
from	ἀπὸ apo	G575	"off · preposition
all	πάσης pasēs	G3956	all · adjective — genitive singular feminine
unrighteousness	ἀδικίας. adikias	G93	(legal) injustice (properly · noun — genitive 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

Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgaves…
Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Jeremiah 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they h…
Psalms 51:2-5 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us…
Ezekiel 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:8–end

Here, I. The apostle, having supposed that even those of this heavenly communion have yet their sin, proceeds here to justify that supposition, and this he does by showing the dreadful consequences of denying it, and that in two particulars: - 1. If we say, We have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, Jo1 1:8. We must beware of deceiving ourselves in denying or excusing our sins. The more we see them the more we shall esteem and value the remedy. If we deny them, the truth is not in us, either the truth that is contrary to such denial (we lie in denying our sin), or the truth of religion, is not in us. The Christian religion is the religion of sinners, of such as have si…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:9

confess--with the lips, speaking from a contrite heart; involving also confession to our fellow men of offenses committed against them. he--God. faithful--to His own promises; "true" to His word. just--Not merely the mercy, but the justice or righteousness of God is set forth in the redemption of the penitent believer in Christ. God's promises of mercy, to which He is faithful, are in accordance with His justice. to--Greek, "in order that." His forgiving us our sins and cleansing us, &c., is in furtherance of the ends of His eternal faithfulness and justice. forgive--remitting the guilt. cleanse--purify from all filthiness, so that henceforth we more and more become free from the…

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Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins - If, from a deep sense of our guilt, impurity, and helplessness, we humble ourselves before God, acknowledging our iniquity, his holiness, and our own utter helplessness, and implore mercy for his sake who has died for us; he is faithful, because to such he has promised mercy, Psa 32:5; Pro 28:13; and just, for Christ has died for us, and thus made an atonement to the Divine justice; so that God can now be just, and yet the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - Not only to forgive the sin, but to purify the heart. Observe here, 1. Sin exists in the soul after two modes or forms: (1.) In guilt, which requires forgiveness…

The Church Fathers

If we confess our sins, faithful and just is He to remit them to us, and utterly purify us from every unrighteousness." Does he say "from impurity? "(No): or else, if that is so, then (He "utterly purifies" us) from "idolatry" too.
— Tertullian, On Modesty

If we acknowledge our sin and confess it, he will forgive it, and not only that one but all our sins. For when a person repents and is baptized into the name of Jesus Christ, God forgives all his sins which he has committed both against himself and against heaven.
— Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA

For see yet again: "If we say," he says, "that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." All the more fully: "Little children, these things have I written to you, lest ye sin; and if ye shall have sinned, an Advocate we have with God the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and, He is the propitiation for our sins.
— Tertullian, On Modesty

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

Atonement — This word does not occur in the Authorized Version of the New Testament except in Rom. 5:11, where in the Revised Version the word “reconciliation” is used. In the Old Testament it is of frequent…
Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of…
Confession Of Sin · Followed by pardon — Followed by pardon
Faithfulness Of God, The · Manifested: In forgiving sins — Manifested: In forgiving sins
Justice Of God, The · Exhibited in: Forgiving sins — Exhibited in: Forgiving sins
Pardon · Is granted: To those who confess their sins — Is granted: To those who confess their sins

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 1:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:9

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 John 1:9

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:8–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:9

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:9

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 John 1:9

John Calvin on 1 John 1:8–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 1:9