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Selected Verse: 1 John 4:16 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
1Jo 4:16 |
King James |
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
And we--John and his readers (not as Jo1 4:14, the apostles only).
known and believed--True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith [LUECKE].
to us--Greek, "in our case" (see on Jo1 4:9).
dwelleth--Greek, "abideth." Compare with this verse, Jo1 4:7. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
And we have known and believed ... - We all have assurance that God has loved us, and the fullest belief in the great fact of redemption by which he has manifested his love to us.
God is love - Notes, Jo1 4:8. It is not uncommon for John to repeat an important truth. He delights to dwell on such a truth as that which is here expressed; and who should not? What truth is there on which the mind can dwell with more pleasure; what is there that is better fitted to win the heart to holiness; what that will do more to sustain the soul in the sorrows and trials of this life? In our trials; in the darkness which is around us; in the perplexities which meet and embarrass us in regard to the divine administration; in all that seems to us incomprehensible in this world, and in the prospect of the next, let us learn to repeat this declaration of the favored disciple, ""God is love."" What trials may we not bear, if we feel assured of that! What dark cloud that seems to hang over our way, and to involve all things in gloom, will not be bright, if from the depths of our souls we can always say, "God is love!"
And he that dwelleth in love ... - Religion is all love. God is love; he has loved us; we are to love him; we are to love one another; we are to love the whole world. Heaven is filled with love, and there is nothing else there. The earth is filled with love just as far as religion prevails, and would be entirely if it should prevail everywhere. Love would remove all the corrupt passions, the crimes, the jealousies, the wars on the earth, and would diffuse around the globe the bliss of heaven. If a man, therefore, is actuated by this, he has the spirit of the heavenly world reigning in his soul, and lives in an atmosphere of love. |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
The love which God hath
On this use of ἔχειν to have, see on Joh 16:22. Compare Joh 8:35.
To us (ἐν ἡμῖν)
Rev., in us. Compare God abideth in Him.
Dwelleth in love, etc.
See Joh 15:9, Joh 15:10. Rev., abideth. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
And we know and believe - By the same Spirit, the love that God hath to us. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
God is love - See on Jo1 4:8 (note). He that dwelleth in love - he who is full of love to God and man is full of God, for God is love; and where such love is, there is God, for he is the fountain and maintainer of it. |
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
9 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.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.