1 John 4:6

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

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

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
We	ἡμεῖς hēmeîs	G2249	we (only used when emphatic)
are	ἐσμέν esmén	G2070	we are
of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
knoweth	γινώσκων ginōskōn	G1097	to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
God	θεὸν theon	G2316	figuratively · noun — accusative singular masculine, a title
heareth	ἀκούει akouei	G191	to hear (in various senses) · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
us	ἡμῶν hēmōn	G2257	of (or from) us
that	ὃς hos	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
of	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
heareth	ἀκούει akouei	G191	to hear (in various senses) · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
us	ἡμῶν hēmōn	G2257	of (or from) us
Hereby	ἐκ ek	G1537	literal or figurative · preposition
we	γινώσκομεν ginōskomen	G1097	to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
spirit	πνεῦμα pneuma	G4151	a current of air · noun — accusative singular neuter
truth	ἀληθείας alētheias	G225	truth · noun — genitive singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
spirit	πνεῦμα pneuma	G4151	a current of air · noun — accusative singular neuter
error	πλάνης.¶ planēs	G4106	objectively · 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

John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth wit…
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
1 Corinthians 2:12-14 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us…
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he sh…
John 8:45-50 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cau…
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:4-6

In these verses the apostle encourages the disciples against the fear and danger of this seducing antichristian spirit, and that by such methods as these: - 1. He assures them of a more divine principle in them: "You are of God, little children, Jo1 4:4. You are God's little children. We are of God, Jo1 4:6. We are born of God, taught of God, anointed of God, and so secured against infectious fatal delusions. God has his chosen, who shall not be mortally seduced." 2. He gives them hope of victory: "And have overcome them, Jo1 4:4. You have hitherto overcome these deceivers and their temptations, and there is good ground of hope that you will do so still, and that upon these two accounts:" -…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 4:6

We--true teachers of Christ: in contrast to them. are of God--and therefore speak of God: in contrast to "speak they of the world," Jo1 4:5. knoweth God--as his Father, being a child "of God" (Jo1 2:13-14). heareth us--Compare Joh 18:37, "Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." Hereby-- (Jo1 4:2-6); by their confessing, or not confessing, Jesus; by the kind of reception given them respectively by those who know God, and by those who are of the world and not of God. spirit of truth--the Spirit which comes from God and teaches truth. spirit of error--the spirit which comes from Satan and seduces into error.

Adam Clarke on 1 John 4:6

We are of God - We, apostles, have the Spirit of God, and speak and teach by that Spirit. He that knoweth God - who has a truly spiritual discernment, heareth us - acknowledges that our doctrine is from God; that it is spiritual, and leads from earth to heaven. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth - The doctrine and teacher most prized and followed by worldly men, and by the gay, giddy, and garish multitude, are not from God; they savor of the flesh, lay on no restraints, prescribe no cross-bearing, and leave every one in full possession of his heart's lusts and easily besetting sins. And by this, false doctrine and false teachers are easily discerned.

John Gill on 1 John 4:6

The Church Fathers

If we take the word hear literally, it is clear that this cannot be true, since everybody can pick up the sounds of the words. It is therefore clear that the word means something more than that—it means that we should do what we hear. If someone does not know that he is supposed to act, he has not really heard.
— Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN

We are of God. He who knows God, etc. For the carnal man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Therefore, he who does not want to hear the preachers of charity is undoubtedly known not to know God, nor to be of God, because he has neglected to imitate the charity that God has exercised towards men.
— Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles

In this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. In this, indeed, because he who listens to us has the Spirit of truth; he who does not listen to us has the spirit of error. And this is the distinction of spirits, about which he warned above, saying: "Test the spirits to see whether they are of God." But let us see what he is about to admonish, in which we should hear him:
— 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).

1 John 4:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:4-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 4:6

Adam Clarke on 1 John 4:6

John Gill on 1 John 4:6

The Church Fathers

1 John 4:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:4-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 4:6

Adam Clarke on 1 John 4:6

John Gill on 1 John 4:6

The Church Fathers

John Calvin on 1 John 4:4-6

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 4:6