1 John 3:17

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δ᾽ d᾽	G1161	but · conjunction
whoso	Ὃς Hos	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
hath	ἔχῃ echē	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
world’s	κόσμου kosmou	G2889	orderly arrangement · noun — genitive singular masculine
good	βίον bion	G979	life · noun — accusative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
seeth	θεωρῇ theōrēa	G2334	to be a spectator of · verb — present active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
his	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
brother	ἀδελφὸν adelphon	G80	a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (m… · noun — accusative singular masculine
have	ἔχοντα echonta	G2192	to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active participle, accusative singular masculine
need	χρείαν chreian	G5532	employment · noun — accusative singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
up	κλείσῃ kleisē	G2808	to close (literally or figuratively) · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
his	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
bowels	σπλάγχνα splagchna	G4698	an intestine (plural) · noun — accusative plural neuter
from	ἀπ᾽ ap᾽	G575	"off · preposition
him	αὐτοῦ, autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
how	πῶς pōs	G4459	an interrogative particle of manner · particle — interrogative
dwelleth	μένει menei	G3306	to stay (in a given place · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
love	ἀγάπη agapē	G26	love · noun — nominative singular feminine
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
him	αὐτῷ;¶ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine

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

Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Isaiah 58:7-10 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou…
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt n…
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God wh…
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Luke 3:11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
2 Corinthians 9:5-9 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye…
James 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:14-19

The beloved apostle can scarcely touch upon the mention of sacred love, but he must enlarge upon the enforcement of it, as here he does by divers arguments and incentives thereto; as, I. That it is a mark of our evangelical justification, of our transition into a state of life: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren, Jo1 3:14. We are by nature children of wrath and heirs of death. By the gospel (the gospel-covenant or promise) our state towards another world is altered and changed. We pass from death to life, from the guilt of death to the right of life; and this transition is made upon our believing in the Lord Jesus: He that believeth on the Son hath e…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 3:17

this world's good--literally, "livelihood" or substance. If we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (Jo1 3:16), how much more ought we not to withhold our substance? seeth--not merely casually, but deliberately contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds." shutteth up his bowels of compassion--which had been momentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. The "bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion. how--How is it possible that "the love of (that is, 'to') God dwelleth (Greek, 'abideth') in him?" Our superfluities should yield to the necessities; our comforts, and even our necessaries in some measure, should yield to the extreme wants of our brethren. "Faith…

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Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:17

But whoso hath this worlds good - Here is a test of this love; if we do not divide our bread with the hungry, we certainly would not lay down our life for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession. If we have not bowels of compassion, we have not the love of God in us; if we shut up our bowels against the poor, we shut Christ out of our hearts, and ourselves out of heaven. This world's good. - Του βιον του κοσμου· The life of this world, i.e. the means of life; for so βιος is often used. See Mar 12:44; Luk 8:43; Luk 15:12, Luk 15:30; Luk 21:4, and other places. How dwelleth the love of God in him? - That is, it ca…

The Church Fathers

When you see someone in need, do not run away, but think to yourself, if that were you, would you want to be treated like that?
— John Chrysostom, CATENA

Whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, etc. Behold where love begins. If you are not yet fit to die for your brother, be at least fit to give from your possessions to your brother. For if you do not sympathize with your brother suffering hardship, indeed the love of the Father, from whom both of you were reborn, does not abide in you.
— Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

Perchance thou sayest, "What concerns it me? Am I to give my money, that he may not suffer trouble?" If this be the answer thy heart makes to thee, the love of the Father abideth not in thee. If the love of the Father abide not in thee, thou art not born of God. How boastest thou to be a Christian? Thou hast the name, and hast not the deeds. But if the work shall follow the name, let any call thee pagan, show thou by deeds that thou art a Christian. For if by deeds thou dost not show thyself a Christian, all men may call thee a Christian yet; what doth the name profit thee where the thing is not forthcoming?
— Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 5

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

Alms — Not found in the Old Testament, but repeatedly in the New. The Mosaic legislation (Lev. 25:35; Deut. 15:7) tended to promote a spirit of charity, and to prevent the occurrence of destitution among…
Liberality · Want of: A proof of not loving God — Want of: A proof of not loving God
Love To God · The uncharitable, without — The uncharitable, without
Poor, The · Neglect towards is: Inconsistent with love to God — Neglect towards is: Inconsistent with love to God
Riches · They who possess, should: Give of them to the poor — They who possess, should: Give of them to the poor
Selfishness · Exhibited in: Neglect of the poor — Exhibited in: Neglect of the poor

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 3:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:14-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 3:17

Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 John 3:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:14-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 3:17

Adam Clarke on 1 John 3:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 John 3:17

John Calvin on 1 John 3:15-18

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 3:16-18