1 John 3:1

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

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

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Behold	ἴδετε idete	G1492	used only in certain past tenses · verb — second aorist active imperative, 2nd person plural
of	ποταπὴν potapēn	G4217	interrogatively · interrogative pronoun — accusative singular feminine
love	ἀγάπην agapēn	G26	love · noun — accusative singular feminine
Father	πατήρ, patēr	G3962	a "father" (literally or figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
bestowed	δέδωκεν dedōken	G1325	to give (used in a very wide application · verb — perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμῖν hēmîn	G2254	to (or for
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
called	κληθῶμεν klēthōmen	G2564	to "call" (properly · verb — aorist passive subjunctive, 1st person plural
sons	τέκνα tekna	G5043	a child (as produced) · noun — nominative plural neuter
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
therefore	διὰ dia	G1223	through (in very wide applications · preposition
world	κόσμος kosmos	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — nominative singular masculine
knoweth	γινώσκει ginōskei	G1097	to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμᾶς hēmâs	G2248	us
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
because	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
knew	ἔγνω egnō	G1097	to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτόν.¶ auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative

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 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Galatians 4:5-6 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life…
John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Psalms 36:7-9 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
1 John 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:1-3

The apostle, having shown the dignity of Christ's faithful followers, that they are born of him and thereby nearly allied to God, now here, I. Breaks forth into the admiration of that grace that is the spring of such a wonderful vouchsafement: Behold (see you, observe) what manner of love, or how great love, the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, effectually called (he who calls things that are not makes them to be what they were not) the sons of God! The Father adopts all the children of the Son. The Son indeed calls them, and makes them his brethren; and thereby he confers upon them the power and dignity of the sons of God. It is wonderful condescending love of the ete…

Read the whole note in the console

Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:1

Behold, what manner of love - Whole volumes might be written upon this and the two following verses, without exhausting the extraordinary subject contained in them, viz., the love of God to man. The apostle himself, though evidently filled with God, and walking in the fullness of his light, does not attempt to describe it; he calls on the world and the Church to behold it, to look upon it, to contemplate it, and wonder at it. What manner of love. - Ποταπην αγαπην· What great love, both as to quantity and quality; for these ideas are included in the original term. The length, the breadth, the depth, the height, he does not attempt to describe. The Father hath bestowed - For we had neither cla…

Read the whole note in the console

John Gill on 1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of love,.... See, take notice, consider, look by faith, with wonder and astonishment, and observe how great a favour, what an instance of matchless love, what a wonderful blessing of grace, the Father hath bestowed upon us: the Father of Christ, and the Father of us in Christ, who hath adopted us into his family, and regenerated us by his grace, and hath freely given us the new name: that we should be called the sons of God. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin version, add, "and we are", or "be"; and the Ethiopic version, "and have been"; for it is not a mere name that is bestowed, but the thing itself in reality; and in the Hebrew language, "to…

The Church Fathers

God shows us the necessary patience because of the inheritance which he has given us. Here the "world" refers to wicked people.
— Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA

"For the world knows us not, as it knew Him not." He means by the world those who live a worldly life in pleasures.
— Clement of Alexandria ((as quoted by Cassiodorus)), From the Latin Translation of Cassiodorus

For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. In this place, he calls the lovers of the world. And this is what the same will say in judgment, seeing the glory of the saints whose faith they despised, they will say within themselves, groaning and repenting: These are they whom we once had in derision, and in a likeness of a reproach. We fools considered their life to be madness, and their end without honor. How are they counted among the children of God, and their lot among the saints (Wisdom V)?
— Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

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

Son of God — The plural, “sons of God,” is used (Gen. 6:2, 4) to denote the pious descendants of Seth. In Job 1:6; 38:7 this name is applied to the angels. Hosea uses the phrase (1:10) to designate the gracious…
Adoption · A privilege of saints — A privilege of saints
Love Of God, The · Exhibited in: Adoption — Exhibited in: Adoption
Titles And Names Of Saints · Sons of God — Sons 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 3:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:1-3

Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:1

John Gill on 1 John 3:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 John 3:1

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:1-3

Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:1

John Gill on 1 John 3:1

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 John 3:1-3

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 3:1-3