Lectionary Calendar
Monday, December 29th, 2025
the Monday after Christmas
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New Life Version

1 John 3:15

A man who hates his brother is a killer in his heart. You know that life which lasts forever is not in one who kills.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Brother;   Commandments;   Hatred;   Homicide;   Life;   Malice;   Sin;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Hatred;   John, Beloved Disciple;   Love-Hatred;   Murder;   Whosoever;   The Topic Concordance - Eternal Life;   Hate;   Violence;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Hatred;   Life, Eternal;   Murder;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Murder;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Assurance;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Eternal Life, Eternality, Everlasting Life;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Murder;   Union to Christ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Murder;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Old Testament;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John, the Letters of;   Murder;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Assurance;   John, Epistles of;   John, Theology of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Faith ;   Hating, Hatred;   Hatred;   John Epistles of;   Mercy;   Salvation Save Saviour;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Vicarious Sacrifice;   Worldliness;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - 38 Murderer Manslayer Assassin;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - John the Baptist;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Law of Moses, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hate;   John, the Epistles of;   Murder;   Ten Commandments, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
King James Version (1611)
Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a murtherer, and yee knowe that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him.
King James Version
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
English Standard Version
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
New American Standard Bible
Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
New Century Version
Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderers have eternal life in them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Berean Standard Bible
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
Contemporary English Version
If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know that murderers do not have eternal life.
Complete Jewish Bible
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Darby Translation
Every one that hates his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Easy-to-Read Version
Anyone who hates a fellow believer is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a manslayer: and ye know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him.
George Lamsa Translation
Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Good News Translation
Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them.
Lexham English Bible
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.
Literal Translation
Everyone hating the brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have everlasting life abiding in him.
Amplified Bible
Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God's standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
American Standard Version
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Bible in Basic English
Anyone who has hate for his brother is a taker of life, and you may be certain that no taker of life has eternal life in him.
Hebrew Names Version
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
International Standard Version
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.Matthew 5:21-22; Galatians 5:21; 1 John 4:20; Revelation 21:8;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
For every one who hateth his brother is a man-killer; and we know that in no man-killer can abide the life which is eternal.
Murdock Translation
For every one that hateth his brother, is a man-slayer; and ye know, that no man-slayer can have eternal life abiding in him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a manslear: And ye knowe that no manslear, hath eternall life abidyng in hym.
English Revised Version
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
World English Bible
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer, and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Weymouth's New Testament
Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Ech man that hatith his brother, is a man sleere; and ye witen, that ech mansleere hath not euerlastinge lijf dwellinge in hym.
Update Bible Version
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever hateth his brother, is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
New English Translation
Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
New King James Version
Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
New Living Translation
Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them.
New Revised Standard
All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whosoever is hating his brother, is, a murderer; and ye know that, no murderer, hath life age-during, within him abiding.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.
Revised Standard Version
Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Whosoever hateth his brother is a man slear. And ye knowe that no man slear hath eternall lyfe abydinge in him.
Young's Literal Translation
Every one who is hating his brother -- a man-killer he is, and ye have known that no man-killer hath life age-during in him remaining,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who soeuer hateth his brother, is a mansleyer. And ye knowe that a mansleyer hath not eternall life abydinge in him.
Mace New Testament (1729)
whosoever hateth his brother, has the disposition of a murderer: and you know that no murderer has any title to eternal life.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Haters don't have life in them. They are murderers and murderers don't live forever.

Contextual Overview

14 We know we have passed from death into life. We know this because we love the Christians. The person who does not love has not passed from death into life. 15 A man who hates his brother is a killer in his heart. You know that life which lasts forever is not in one who kills. 16 We know what love is because Christ gave His life for us. We should give our lives for our brothers. 17 What if a person has enough money to live on and sees his brother in need of food and clothing? If he does not help him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 My children, let us not love with words or in talk only. Let us love by what we do and in truth. 19 This is how we know we are Christians. It will give our heart comfort for sure when we stand before Him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hateth: Genesis 27:41, Leviticus 19:16-18, 2 Samuel 13:22-28, Proverbs 26:24-26, Matthew 5:21, Matthew 5:22, Matthew 5:28, Mark 6:19, Acts 23:12, Acts 23:14, James 1:15, James 4:1, James 4:2

hath: John 4:14, Galatians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:23, Revelation 21:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:2 - a keeper Deuteronomy 15:9 - sin unto thee 1 Samuel 19:4 - sin against Zechariah 7:10 - imagine John 3:36 - that believeth on Ephesians 4:31 - with 1 John 3:10 - neither

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was more able to fool others than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say that you should not eat from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:3
But from the tree which is in the center of the garden, God has said, ‘Do not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
Genesis 3:4
The snake said to the woman, "No, you for sure will not die!
Genesis 3:6
The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and pleasing to the eyes, and could fill the desire of making one wise. So she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate.
Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were without clothes. So they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves clothing.
Genesis 3:8
Then they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the evening. The man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:10
And the man said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden. I was afraid because I was without clothes. So I hid myself."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The snake fooled me, and I ate."
Genesis 3:14
Then the Lord God said to the snake, "Because you have done this, you will be hated and will suffer more than all cattle, and more than every animal of the field. You will go on your stomach and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15
And I will make you and the woman hate each other, and your seed and her seed will hate each other. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer,.... A soul murderer, as the Ethiopic version renders it; not only of himself, for every sinner, by sinning, wrongs and destroys his own soul; but of his brother whom he hates: he is a murderer of him in his heart, even as he that lusts after a woman hath committed adultery with her in his heart, out of which arise murders, as well as adulteries; it is not only taking away life, but also causeless anger, malice, and hatred, that is a breach of the sixth command; see Matthew 5:21;

and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him; he has not the grace of life, or the beginning of eternal life in him; he has no meetness for it, being unregenerate; and no right unto it, being unrighteous; nor has he the earnest and pledge of it, being destitute of the Spirit of God; all which a regenerate man has, and has them abiding in him: not but that the sin of murder may be forgiven; a man guilty of it may truly repent, and have pardoning grace applied unto him, and enjoy eternal life, through the grace of the Spirit, and the blood and righteousness of Christ; but without these he is so far from having eternal life, that he is not only punishable with a corporeal death, according to the laws of God and man; but he is exposed unto, and will die the second, or an eternal death.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer ... - That is, he has the spirit of a murderer; he has that which, if it were acted out, would lead him to commit murder, as it did Cain. The private malice, the secret grudge, the envy which is cherished in the heart, is murderous in its tendency, and were it not for the outward restraints of human laws, and the dread of punishment, it would often lead to the act of murder. The apostle does not say that he who hates his brother, though he does not in fact commit murder, is guilty to the same degree as if he had actually done it; but he evidently means to say that the spirit which would lead to murder is there, and that God will hold him responsible for it. Nothing is missing but the removal of outward restraints to lead to the commission of the open deed, and God judges people as he sees them to be “in their hearts.” What a fearful declaration, then, is this! How many real murderers there are on the earth besides those who are detected and punished, and besides those open violators of the laws of God and man who go at large! And who is them that should not feel humbled and penitent in view of his own heart, and grateful for that sovereign mercy which has restrained him from open acts of guilt - for who is there who has not at some period of his life, and perhaps often, indulged in feelings of hatred, and envy, and malice toward others, which, if acted out, would have led to the commission of the awful crime of taking human life? Any man may well shudder at the remembrance of the secret sins of his own heart, and at the thought of what he would have been but for the restraining grace of God. And how wonderful is that grace which, in the case of the true Christian, not only restrains and checks, but which effectually subdues all these feelings, and implants in their place the principles of love!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer — He has the same principle in him which was in Cain, and it may lead to the same consequences.

No murderer hath eternal life — Eternal life springs from an indwelling God; and God cannot dwell in the heart where hatred and malice dwell. This text has been quoted to prove that no murderer can be saved. This is not said in the text; and there have been many instances of persons who have been guilty of murder having had deep and genuine repentance, and who doubtless found mercy from his hands who prayed for his murderers, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do! It is, however, an awful text for the consideration of those who shed human blood on frivolous pretences, or in those wars which have their origin in the worst passions of the human heart.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile