1 John 4:21

1Jn 4:21. Τὴν ἐντολὴν, the precept) which must be kept by those who love God: Mat 22:39. [He who loves not his brother, does not keep the commandment as to φιλαδελφία, and therefore does not love GOD.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn_4:21. Alterum argumentum cur amare proximum (or, more correctly: fratrem) debeamus: quia Deus id praecepit (Grotius).

καί] not = and yet (Paulus); for this verse does not contain an antithesis, but an expansion of the preceding thought.

ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν κ.τ.λ.] Lange interprets ἐντολή here by: teaching; and Grotius paraphrases ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεόν by: qui a Deo pro amante ipsius haberi vult; both false and unnecessary; for although brotherly love is the natural fruit and activity of love to God, yet at the same time the practice of it is the habitual task which he who loves God has to perform, as one appointed him by God. It is doubtful whether we are to understand by αὐτοῦ God (Baumgarten-Crusius, de Wette, Düsterdieck, etc.) or Christ; that in the latter case ἐκείνου must be read is unfounded; because τὸν Θεόν follows, the second view seems to be the more correct; but as in the context there is no reference here at all to Christ, it might be safer to understand by αὐτοῦ God.

By ἵνα referring back to ταύτην, it is here, as frequently after verbs of wishing and commanding, not so much the purpose as the purport of the commandment (the realization of which is certainly the aim and object of the commandment) that is stated, which Braune here also incorrectly disputes.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Jn 4:21 . The Old Commandment. Cf. 1Jn 2:7-11 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. For ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ([754][755][756]) [757] and Vulgate have ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. [758] omits from τόν to τόν: homoeoteleuton.

[754] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.

[755] 9th century. All three Epistles.

[756] 9th century. All three Epistles.

[757] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.

[758] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.

Once more note that [759] very rarely supports a doubtful reading, and never an impossible one, excepting the accidental omission in 1Jn 4:21.

[759] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.

The main subject still continues, that God is Love; and that from this truth flows the moral obligation on Christians not only to love God but one another. But, as in chap. 3, there are subdivisions, each of which has a unity in itself as well as intimate and subtle relations to the whole. These subdivisions are mainly two: The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error (1–6); Love as the Mark of the Children of the God who is Love (7–21). If we are asked as to the relation which this chapter bears to the preceding one, the answer would seem to be something of this kind. Chap. 3. insists upon the necessity of deeds in order to prove our relationship to God (1Jn 3:3; 1Jn 3:7; 1Jn 3:10; 1Jn 3:16-18; 1Jn 3:22); chap. 4. points out the certainty of our relationship to God as attested by our deeds (1Jn 4:4; 1Jn 4:6-7; 1Jn 4:12-13; 1Jn 4:15-17). The one gives us the evidence of our sonship, viz. deeds of righteousness towards God (1Jn 3:1-10) and deeds of love towards men (1Jn 3:11-21): the other shews us the source of our sonship, viz. possession of the Spirit as proved by confession of the Incarnation (1Jn 4:1-6) and by love of the brethren (1Jn 4:7-21).

21. καὶ τ. τ. ἐντ. ἔχ. ἀπ ̓ αὐτοῦ. The Apostle drives home his arguments for the practice of brotherly love by the fact that God has commanded all who love Him to love their brethren. So also S. Paul, here again in harmony with S. John: ‘The whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ (Gal 5:14). Some take ‘Him’ to mean Christ. But this is unlikely, as Christ has not been mentioned for several verses: although it must be admitted that S. John is so full of the truth that ‘I and My Father are one’, that he makes the transition from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father almost unconsciously. Where has God given this commandment? In the whole Law, which is summed up in loving God with all one’s heart and one’s neighbour as oneself (Deu 6:5; Lev 19:18; Luk 10:27). The Apostle thus anticipates a possible objection. A man may say, ‘I can love God without loving my brother, and I can prove my love by keeping His commandments’ (Joh 14:15). ‘Nay’, says S. John, ‘your own argument shews your error: you cannot keep His commandments without loving your brother’. Thus then we have two revelations of God: our brother, who is His image; and commandment, which is His will. Not to love our brother is a flagrant violation of both. As Pascal puts it, we must know men in order to love them, but we must love God in order to know Him.

ἵνα … ἀγαπᾷ. “The final particle (ἵνα) gives more than the simple contents of the commandment. It marks the injunction as directed to an aim” (Westcott). See on 1Jn 1:9.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A second reason, why God cannot be hated and our neighbor loved, because the selfsame Lawmaker commanded both to love him and our neighbor.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Besides the argument (Jo1 4:20) from the common feeling of men, he here adds a stronger one from God's express commandment (Mat 22:39). He who loves, will do what the object of his love wishes.

he who loveth God--he who wishes to be regarded by God as loving Him.

Next: 1 John Chapter 5

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 21. This commandment have we] We should love one another, and love our neighbour as ourselves. The love of God and the love of man can never be separated; he who loves God will love his brother; he who loves his brother gives this proof that he loves God, because he loves with a measure of that love which, in its infinitude, dwells in God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21 And this commandment This is a stronger argument, drawn from the authority and doctrine of Christ; for he not only gave a commandment respecting the love of God, but bade us also to love our brethren. We must therefore so begin with God, as that there may be at the same time a transition made to men.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

21. And this commandment have we] The Apostle drives home his arguments for the practice of brotherly love by the fact that God has commanded all who love Him to love their brethren. Some take ‘Him’ to mean Christ. But this is unlikely, as Christ has not been mentioned for several verses: although it must be admitted that S. John is so full of the truth that ‘I and My Father are one’, that he makes the transition from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the Father almost unconsciously. Where has God given this commandment? In the whole Law, which is summed up in loving God with all one’s heart and one’s neighbour as oneself (Deu_6:5; Lev_19:18; Luk_10:27). The Apostle thus anticipates a possible objection. A man may say ‘I can love God without loving my brother, and I can prove my love by keeping His commandments’ (Joh_14:15). ‘Nay’, says S. John, ‘your own argument shews your error: you cannot keep His commandments without loving your brother’. Thus then we have two revelations of God: our brother, who is His image; and His commandment, which is His will. Not to love our brother is a flagrant violation of both. As Pascal puts it, we must know men in order to love them, but we must love God in order to know Him.

that he who loveth God love his brother also] “The final particle (ἵνα) gives more than the simple contents of the commandment. It marks the injunction as directed to an aim” (Westcott). See on 1Jn_1:9.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Ver. 21. And this commandment we have from him] Lo, here a singular evidence of God’s great love to us, that he commandeth us also the love of our neighbour as well as of himself: quasi non tam de se amando fuerit sollicitus, quam de proximo nostro diligendo, saith Aretius. Our Saviour therefore, summing up the law, joineth those two precepts, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all," &c., and "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Yea, God prefers mercy before sacrifice; and is content that his own immediate service should be intermitted, rather than offices of love to our brother omitted. "Leave there thy gift, and go thy way; first be reconciled," Mat 5:24.

Love his brother also] If he be a good man, love him in God; if bad, for God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And this commandment have we from him - That is, the command to love a brother is as obligatory as that to love God. If one is obeyed, the other ought to be also; if a man feels that one is binding on him, he should feel that the other is also; and he can never have evidence that he is a true Christian, unless he manifests love to his brethren as well as love to God. See the notes at Jam 2:10.

That he who loveth God love his brother also - See the notes at Joh 13:34-35. Compare Joh 15:12, Joh 15:17.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Both ought to be conjoined, being required both by the same authority.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. And this whole doctrine of love takes the form of a commandment. Not only we may, but we must. It is a divine invariable law, that the lover of God be a lover of his brother. Our highest blessedness is our highest duty.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That he who loveth God love his brother also. This is the great commandment, on which hang all the Law and the prophets (Mat_22:37, Mat_22:39; Luk_10:27; Joh_13:34) and, whateverwe may think of the relation between seeing and loving, there is the Divine command to love, not only the invisible God, but the visible brother in whom the invisible God dwells. Sight may hinder as well as help; it is hard to love what is squalid and hideous. In such cases let us remember the Divine command; let us remember the Divinity which even the most debased humanity contains.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And this commandment have we from him - Both God and his opinions or mode of worship be, purely because he is the child, and bears the image, of God. Bigotry is properly the want of this pure and universal love. A bigot only loves those who embrace his opinions, and receives his way of worship; and he loves them for that, and not for Christ's sake.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This commandment; this great and chief commandment, above the rest, this summary and comprehensive commandment, including all the rest, namely, to love God above all, for his own sake, and to love our brother as ourselves, for God’s sake, this command, so full of wisdom, so agreeable to right reason, and so much our duty and interest to comply with, have we received from God; and it is most certain that we love him not, if we keep it not; This commandment have we from God, that he who loveth God, loveth his brother also.

Learn thence, 1. That the great God, by his gracious command, requires that we love him and place the supremacy of our love upon him.

2. That as God requires us to love him above ourselves, so does he oblige us, by virtue of his command, to love our brother as ourselves; as sincerely, though not so intensely, as ourselves.

Learn, 3. That the same commandment that requires us to love God, requires love to our brethren also; God interprets the neglect of our duty to our brother, as a neglect of our obligation to himself.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. This commandment. It is God's will that he who loves the Father should love the children also.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

21.] And besides this argument from common sense, there is another most powerful one, which the Apostle here adds. “Quomodo diligis eum, cujus odisti præceptum?” as Aug. And this commandment we have from Him (God: not, Christ: see below), that he who loveth God, love also his brother (where have we this commandment? In the great summary of the law, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, … and thy neighbour as thyself,” so often cited by our Lord; see Mat 22:37-39).

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21. The duty of love not only follows necessarily from what God has done for us, it rests on His direct commandment.

ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ] naturally refers to God, as the variant in the Vulgate interprets it, though here as elsewhere, in the language of meditation, when the writer is of Semitic origin, a change of person is by no means impossible.

The most direct statement of the command is Mar 12:29 ff., where the Lord quotes the command of Deu 6:4, Deu 6:5. The writer no doubt knew the Marcan passage, even if he had not himself heard the saying which it records, when it was originally spoken. Cf. also Joh 13:34.

εχομεν] accepimus sah. boh-codd.

απ αυτου] απο του θεου A vg. am. demid. harl. tol.

om. θεον… τον 2:0 B* A* (uid.).

om. και 2:0 13. 34.

αυτου (? 2:0)] εαυτου Ic 114 (335).

Ψ̠δ6. Athos. Lawra 172 (β52) (viii.-ix.).

אԠא. δ2. Codex Sinaiticus. Petersburg (iv.).

A δ4. Codex Alexandrinus. London. Brit. Mus. Royal Libr. I. D. v.-viii. (v.).

B δ1. Codex Vaticanus. Rome. Vat. Gr. 1209 (iv.).

C δ3. Codex Ephraimi. Paris. Bibl. Nat. 9 (v.); 1Jn 1:1 τους—(2) εωρα[κομεν]. 4:2 εστιν—(3Jn 1:2) ψυχη.

L α5. Rome. Angel. 39 (ol. A. 2. 15) (ix.).

13 13 ( = 33gosp.). δ48. Paris. Bibl. Nat. Gr. 14 (ix.-x.).

1 Cf. Holtzmann on 3Jn 1:9.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That [ινα] . Not defining the contents of the commandment, but expressing intent. Compare Joh 13:34, and see on Joh 14:13. His brother. "To the persecutor Saul, Christ said, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? I have ascended into heaven, yet still I lie upon earth. Here I sit at the right hand of the Father; there I still hunger, thirst, and am a stranger '" (Augustine).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

21. καὶ ταύτην τ, é.|] That which is a spiritual necessity is also an express injunction. The commandment of love which has been implied in the preceding verses is now defined. Comp. 6. iii. 23.

an’ αὐτοῦ] a Deo V., ab ipso Lat. Vet., from Him, from God. The con- © text makes it probable that, though the Divine Person is not clearly defined, the reference is to the Father (v. 19), Who by sending His Son shewed the way of love. The commandment was given in substance by Christ (John xiii. 34), but it came from God (ἀπό) as its final source. Compare i. 5; ii. 27 notes; and con-

John viii. 26, 40; x. 18.

ἵνα...) that... The final particle gives more than the simple contents of the commandment, It marks the injunction as directed to an aim ; and implies that the effort to obtain it can never be relaxed (ἵνα... ἀγαπᾷ). Comp. John xiii. 34 note.

Augustine (on. 6. v. 3) uses the words of the ascended Lord to Saul to illustrate and enforce the lesson : Persecutori Saulo [Christus] dixit desuper: Saule, Saule, guid me persequeris ? Ascendiin ceelum, sed adhuc in terra jaceo. Hic ad dexteram patris sedeo: ibi adhuc esurio, sitio et peregrinus sum.

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.