1 John 2:21

I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

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

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
have	ἔγραψα egrapsa	G1125	to "grave" · verb — second aorist active indicative, 1st person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
written	γράφω gráphō	G1125	to "grave"
you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
because	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
know	εἴδω eídō	G1492	used only in certain past tenses
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
truth	ἀλήθειαν alētheian	G225	truth · noun — accusative singular feminine
but	ἀλλ᾽ all᾽	G235	properly · conjunction
because	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
know	εἴδω eídō	G1492	used only in certain past tenses
it	αὐτὴν autēn	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
no	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
lie	ψεῦδος pseudos	G5579	a falsehood · noun — nominative singular neuter
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
truth	ἀληθείας alētheias	G225	truth · 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

2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present t…
Jude 1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afte…
Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Proverbs 9:8-9 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Romans 15:14-15 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 2:20-27

Here, I. The apostle encourages the disciples (to whom he writes) in these dangerous times, in this hour of seducers; he encourages them in the assurance of their stability in this day of apostasy: But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. We see, 1. The blessing wherewith they were enriched - an unguent from heaven: You have an unction. True Christians are anointed ones, their name intimates as much. They are anointed with the oil of grace, with gifts and spiritual endowments, by the Spirit of grace. They are anointed into a similitude of their Lord's offices, as subordinate prophets, priests, and kings, unto God. The Holy Spirit is compared to oil, as well as to f…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 2:21

but because ye know it, and that, &c.--Ye not only know what is the truth (concerning the Son and the Father, Jo1 2:13), but also are able to detect a lie as a thing opposed to the truth. For right (a straight line) is the index of itself and of what is crooked [ESTIUS]. The Greek is susceptible of ALFORD'S translation, "Because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth" (literally, "every lie is excluded from being of the truth"). I therefore wrote (in this Epistle) to point out what the lie is, and who the liars are.

Adam Clarke on 1 John 2:21

I have not written, etc. - It is not because ye are ignorant of these things that I write to you, but because you know them, and can by these judge of the doctrines of those false teachers, and clearly perceive that they are liars; for they contradict the truth which ye have already received, and consequently their doctrine is a lie, and no lie can be of the truth, i.e. consistent with Christianity.

John Gill on 1 John 2:21

I have not written unto you,.... Either this epistle, or rather what particularly here regards those apostates from the truth, in order to shun them and not be deceived by them: the apostle here obviates an objection that he saw might be made upon what he last said, that they knew all things; and, if so, why then did he write the things he did, since they knew them before? to which he answers, that he did not write to them as to ignorant, but as to knowing persons: because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it: the Father, who is the God of truth; Christ, who is truth itself; and the Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth; and the Gospel, which is the word of truth; and the Scriptures,…

The Church Fathers

You all know the truth because you received it in the rule of faith which you professed at your baptism.
— Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, etc. For you know the truth of faith and life taught by the anointing of the Spirit, and you do not need to be taught, except that you should persist in what you have begun.
— Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

That innocency asks with confidence, and obtains. In the Epistle of John: "If our heart blame us not, we have confidence towards God; and whatever we ask, we shall receive from Him." Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: "Blessed are they of a pure heart, for they shall see God." Also in the twenty-third Psalm: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? The innocent in hands and of a pure heart."
— Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews

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

1 John 2:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 2:20-27

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 2:21

Adam Clarke on 1 John 2:21

John Gill on 1 John 2:21

The Church Fathers

1 John 2:21

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 2:20-27

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 2:21

Adam Clarke on 1 John 2:21

John Gill on 1 John 2:21

The Church Fathers

John Calvin on 1 John 2:20-23

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 2:20-23