1 John 2 · Verse 17

1 John 2:17

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1 John 2:17, King James Version

1 John 2:17 in other translations

BSBThe world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
WEBThe world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
ASVAnd the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
YLTand the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain--to the age.
DARBYAnd the world is passing, and its lust, but he that does the will of God abides for eternity.
BBEAnd the world and its desires is coming to an end: but he who does God's pleasure is living for ever.
WebsterAnd the world passeth away, and the lust of it: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

What does 1 John 2:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. the world--with all who are of the world worldly. passeth away--Greek, "is passing away" even now. the lust thereof--in its threefold manifestation (1Jo 2:16). he that doeth the will of God--not his own fleshly will, or the will of the world, but that of God (1Jo 2:3, 6), especially in respect to love. abideth for ever--"even as God also abideth for ever" (with whom the godly is one; compare Psa 55:19, "God, even He that abideth of old): a true comment, which Cyprian and Lucifer have added to the text without support of Greek manuscripts. In contrast to the three passing lusts of the world, the doer of God's will has three abiding goods, "riches, honor, and life" (Pr 22:4).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. And the world passeth away. Everything properly constituting this world where religion is excluded. The reference here does not seem to be so much to the material world, as to the scenes of show and vanity which make up the world. These things are passing away like the shifting scenes of the stage. 1Cor 7:31.

And the lust thereof. All that is here so much the object of desire. These things are like a pageant, which only amuses the eve for a moment, and then disappears for ever.

But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. This cannot mean that he will never die; but it means that he has built his happiness on a basis which is secure, and which can never pass away. Mt 7:24; seq.

(e) "And the world" Ps 39:6, 1Cor 7:31

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 The world passeth away - All these things are continually fading and perishing; and the very state in which they are possessed is changing perpetually, and the earth and its works will be shortly burnt up. And the lust thereof - The men of this world, their vain pursuits, and delusive pleasures, are passing away in their successive generations, and their very memory perishes; but he that doeth the will of God - that seeks the pleasure, profit, and honor that comes from above, shall abide for ever, always happy through time and eternity, because God, the unchangeable source of felicity, is his portion.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 2:15-17

The things of the world may be desired and possessed for the uses and purposes which God intended, and they are to be used by his grace, and to his glory; but believers must not seek or value them for those purposes to which sin abuses them. The world draws the heart from God; and the more the love of the world prevails, the more the love of God decays. The things of the world are classed according to the three…

Read the full comment on 1 John 2:15-17 →

1 John 2:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ὁhotheG3588
κόσμοςkosmosworldG2889
παράγεταιparagetaiis passing awayG3855
καὶkaiandG2532
ἡhētheG3588
ἐπιθυμίαepithumiadesireG1939
αὐτοῦ·autouof it;G846
ὁhothe [one]G3588
δὲdehoweverG1161
ποιῶνpoiōndoingG4160
τὸtotheG3588
θέλημαthelēmawillG2307
τοῦtou<the>G3588
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
μένειmeneiabidesG3306
εἰςeistoG1519
τὸνtontheG3588
αἰῶνα.¶aiōnaage.G165

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 John 2:17

  • Matthew 24:35

    Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

  • 1 Corinthians 7:31

    And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

  • Romans 12:2

    And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

  • 1 Peter 4:2

    That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

  • Hebrews 10:36

    For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

  • Mark 3:35

    For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

  • Isaiah 40:6-8

    The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

  • 1 Peter 1:24-25

    For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

  • John 10:28-30

    And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:3

    For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

  • 1 Peter 1:5

    Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

  • Psalms 143:10

    Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the world.
Ps 39:6; 73:18-20; 90:9; 102:26; Isa 40:6-8; Mt 24:35; 1Co 7:31
Jas 1:10,11; 4:14; 1Pe 1:24
but.
Ps 143:10; Mt 7:21; 21:31; Mr 3:35; Joh 7:17; Ro 12:2; Col 1:9; 4:12
1Th 4:3; 5:18; Heb 10:36; 1Pe 4:2
abideth.
Ps 125:1,2; Pr 10:25; Joh 4:14; 6:58; 10:28-30; 1Pe 1:5,25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 John 2:16

    For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

  • 1 John 2:17

    And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

  • 1 John 2:18

    Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Read all of 1 John 2

1 John 2:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el mundo se pasa, y su concupiscencia; mas el que hace la voluntad de Dios, permanece para siempre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et le monde s’en va et sa convoitise, mais celui qui fait la volonté de Dieu demeure éternellement.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Welt vergeht und ihre Lust; wer aber den Willen Gottes tut, bleibt in Ewigkeit.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et mundus transit, et concupiscentia ejus: qui autem facit voluntatem Dei manet in æternum.