Click
here to show/hide instructions.
Instructions on how to use the page:
The commentary for the selected verse is is displayed below.
All commentary was produced against the King James, so the same verse from that translation may appear as well. Hovering your mouse over a commentary's scripture reference attempts to show those verses.
Use the browser's back button to return to the previous page.
Or you can also select a feature from the Just Verses menu appearing at the top of the page.
Selected Verse: 1 John 3:8 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
1Jo 3:8 |
Strong Concordance |
He that committeth [4160] sin [266] is [2076] of [1537] the devil [1228]; for [3754] the devil [1228] sinneth [264] from [575] the beginning [746]. For [1519] this purpose [5124] the Son [5207] of God [2316] was manifested [5319], that [2443] he might destroy [3089] the works [2041] of the devil [1228]. |
|
King James |
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. |
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] |
He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL].
sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any began to sin [ALFORD]: from the time that he became what he is, the devil. He seems to have kept his first estate only a very short time after his creation [BENGEL]. Since the fall of man [at the beginning of our world] the devil is (ever) sinning (this is the force of "sinneth"; he has sinned from the beginning, is the cause of all sins, and still goes on sinning; present). As the author of sin, and prince of this world, he has never ceased to seduce man to sin [LUECKE].
destroy--break up and do away with; bruising and crushing the serpent's head.
works of the devil--sin, and all its awful consequences. John argues, Christians cannot do that which Christ came to destroy. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
He that committeth sin - Habitually, willfully, characteristically.
Is of the devil - This cannot mean that no one who commits any sin, or who is not absolutely perfect, can be a Christian, for this would cut off the great mass, even according to the belief of those who hold that the Christian may be perfectly holy, from all claim to the Christian character. But what the apostle here says is true in two senses:
(1) That all who commit sin, even true believers, so far as they are imperfect, in this respect resemble Satan, and are under his influence, since sin, just so far as it exists at all, makes us resemble him.
(2) all who habitually and characteristically sin are of the devil." This latter was evidently the principal idea in the mind of the apostle. His object here is to show that those who sinned, in the sense in which it would seem some maintained that the children of God might sin, could have no real evidence of piety, but really belonged to Satan.
For the devil sinneth from the beginning - The beginning of the world; or from the first account we have of him. It does not mean that he sinned from the beginning of his existence, for he was made holy like the other angels. Notes, Jde 1:6. The meaning is, that he introduced sin into the universe, and that he has continued to practice it ever since. The word sinneth here implies continued and habitual sin. He did not commit one act of sin and then reform; but he has continued, and still continues, his course of sin. This may confirm what has been already said about the kind of sin that John refers to. He speaks of sinning habitually, continuously, willfully; and anyone who does this shows that he is under the influence of him whose characteristic it has been and is to sin.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested - Became incarnate, and appeared among people, Jo1 3:5. Compare the notes at Ti1 3:16.
That he might destroy the works of the devil - All his plans of wickedness, and his control over the hearts of people. Compare the Mat 8:29 note; Mar 1:24 note; Heb 2:14 note. The argument here is, that as the Son of God came to destroy all the works of the devil, he cannot be his true follower who lives in sin. |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
The Devil
See on Jo1 2:13. Compare Joh 8:44. "The devil made no one, he begot no one, he created no one; but whosoever imitates the devil, is, as it were, a child of the devil, through imitating, not through being born of him" (Augustine).
Sinneth
The present tense indicates continuousness. He sinned in the beginning, and has never ceased to sin from the beginning, and still sinneth.
The Son of God
For the first time in the Epistle. Hitherto the title has been the Son, or His Son. See on Jo1 1:7.
Might destroy (λύσῃ)
Lit., dissolve, loosen. Compare Act 27:41; Act 13:43. "The works of the devil are represented as having a certain consistency and coherence. They show a kind of solid front. But Christ, by His coming, has revealed them in their complete unsubstantiality. He has 'undone' the seeming bonds by which they were held together" (Westcott). |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
He that committeth sin is a child of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning - That is, was the first sinner in the universe, and has continued to sin ever since. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil - All sin. And will he not perform this in all that trust in him? |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He that committeth sin is of the devil - Hear this, also, ye who plead for Baal, and cannot bear the thought of that doctrine that states believers are to be saved from all sin in this life! He who committeth sin is a child of the devil, and shows that he has still the nature of the devil in him; for the devil sinneth from the beginning - he was the father of sin, brought sin into the world, and maintains sin in the world by living in the hearts of his own children, and thus leading them to transgression; and persuading others that they cannot be saved from their sins in this life, that he may secure a continual residence in their heart. He knows that if he has a place there throughout life, he will probably have it at death; and, if so, throughout eternity.
For this purpose - Εις τουτο· For this very end - with this very design, was Jesus manifested in the flesh, that he might destroy, ἱνα λυσῃ, that he might loose, the bonds of sin, and dissolve the power, influence, and connection of sin. See on Jo1 3:3 (note). |
44 Ye [5210] are [2075] of [1537] your father [3962] the devil [1228], and [2532] the lusts [1939] of your [5216] father [3962] ye will [2309] do [4160]. He [1565] was [2258] a murderer [443] from [575] the beginning [746], and [2532] abode [2476] not [3756] in [1722] the truth [225], because [3754] there is [2076] no [3756] truth [225] in [1722] him [846]. When [3752] he speaketh [2980] a lie [5579], he speaketh [2980] of [1537] his own [2398]: for [3754] he is [2076] a liar [5583], and [2532] the father [3962] of it [846].
10 In [1722] this [5129] the children [5043] of God [2316] are [2076] manifest [5318], and [2532] the children [5043] of the devil [1228]: whosoever [3956] doeth [4160] not [3361] righteousness [1343] is [2076] not [3756] of [1537] God [2316], neither [2532] he that loveth [25] not [3361] his [846] brother [80].
7 Little children [5040], let [4105] no man [3367] deceive [4105] you [5209]: he that doeth [4160] righteousness [1343] is [2076] righteous [1342], even as [2531] he [1565] is [2076] righteous [1342].
14 Forasmuch [1893] then [3767] as the children [3813] are partakers [2841] of flesh [4561] and [2532] blood [129], he [3348] also [2532] himself [846] likewise [3898] took part [3348] of the same [846]; that [2443] through [1223] death [2288] he might destroy [2673] him that had [2192] the power [2904] of death [2288], that is [5123], the devil [1228];
24 Saying [3004], Let us alone [1436]; what [5101] have we [2254] to do [2532] with thee [4671], thou Jesus [2424] of Nazareth [3479]? art thou come [2064] to destroy [622] us [2248]? I know [1492] thee [4571] who [5101] thou art [1488], the Holy One [40] of God [2316].
29 And [2532], behold [2400], they cried out [2896], saying [3004], What [5101] have we [2254] to do with [2532] thee [4671], Jesus [2424], thou Son [5207] of God [2316]? art thou come [2064] hither [5602] to torment [928] us [2248] before [4253] the time [2540]?
16 And [2532] without controversy [3672] great [3173] is [2076] the mystery [3466] of godliness [2150]: God [2316] was manifest [5319] in [1722] the flesh [4561], justified [1344] in [1722] the Spirit [4151], seen [3700] of angels [32], preached [2784] unto [1722] the Gentiles [1484], believed on [4100] in [1722] the world [2889], received up [353] into [1722] glory [1391].
5 And [2532] ye know [1492] that [3754] he [1565] was manifested [5319] to [2443] take away [142] our [2257] sins [266]; and [2532] in [1722] him [846] is [2076] no [3756] sin [266].
6 And [5037] the angels [32] which kept [5083] not [3361] their [1438] first estate [746], but [235] left [620] their own [2398] habitation [3613], he hath reserved [5083] in everlasting [126] chains [1199] under [5259] darkness [2217] unto [1519] the judgment [2920] of the great [3173] day [2250].
43 Now [1161] when the congregation [4864] was broken up [3089], many [4183] of the Jews [2453] and [2532] religious [4576] proselytes [4339] followed [190] Paul [3972] and [2532] Barnabas [921]: who [3748], speaking [4354] to them [846], persuaded [3982] them [846] to continue [1961] in the grace [5485] of God [2316].
41 And [1161] falling [4045] into [1519] a place [5117] where two seas met [1337], they ran [2027] the ship [3491] aground [2027]; and [2532] the forepart [4408] [3303] stuck fast [2043], and remained [3306] unmoveable [761], but [1161] the hinder part [4403] was broken [3089] with [5259] the violence [970] of the waves [2949].
7 But [1161] if [1437] we walk [4043] in [1722] the light [5457], as [5613] he [846] is [2076] in [1722] the light [5457], we have [2192] fellowship [2842] one with another [3326] [240], and [2532] the blood [129] of Jesus [2424] Christ [5547] his [846] Son [5207] cleanseth [2511] us [2248] from [575] all [3956] sin [266].
44 Ye [5210] are [2075] of [1537] your father [3962] the devil [1228], and [2532] the lusts [1939] of your [5216] father [3962] ye will [2309] do [4160]. He [1565] was [2258] a murderer [443] from [575] the beginning [746], and [2532] abode [2476] not [3756] in [1722] the truth [225], because [3754] there is [2076] no [3756] truth [225] in [1722] him [846]. When [3752] he speaketh [2980] a lie [5579], he speaketh [2980] of [1537] his own [2398]: for [3754] he is [2076] a liar [5583], and [2532] the father [3962] of it [846].
13 I write [1125] unto you [5213], fathers [3962], because [3754] ye have known [1097] him that is from [575] the beginning [746]. I write [1125] unto you [5213], young men [3495], because [3754] ye have overcome [3528] the wicked one [4190]. I write [1125] unto you [5213], little children [3813], because [3754] ye have known [1097] the Father [3962].
3 And [2532] every man [3956] that hath [2192] this [5026] hope [1680] in [1909] him [846] purifieth [48] himself [1438], even as [2531] he [1565] is [2076] pure [53].