1 John 2 · Verse 9

1 John 2:9

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1 John 2:9, King James Version

1 John 2:9 in other translations

BSBIf anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
WEBHe who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now.
ASVHe that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
YLThe who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the darkness he is till now;
DARBYHe who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now.
BBEHe who says that he is in the light, and has hate in his heart for his brother, is still in the dark.
WebsterHe that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

What does 1 John 2:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 2:9-11
9-11. There is no mean between light and darkness, love and hatred, life and death, God and the world: wherever spiritual life is, however weak, there darkness and death no longer reign, and love supplants hatred; and Lu 9:50 holds good: wherever life is not, there death, darkness, the flesh, the world, and hatred, however glossed over and hidden from man's observation, prevail; and Lu 11:23 holds good. "Where love is not, there hatred is; for the heart cannot remain a void" [Bengel]. in the light--as his proper element. his brother--his neighbor, and especially those of the Christian brotherhood. The very title "brother" is a reason why love should be exercised. even until now--notwithstanding that "the true light already has begun to shine" (1Jo 2:8).

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 9. He that saith he is in the light. That he has true religion, or is a Christian. See 1Jn 1:7.

And hateth his brother. The word brother seems here to refer to those who professed the same religion. The word is indeed sometimes used in a larger sense, but the reference here appears to be to that which is properly brotherly love among Christians. Comp. Lucke, in loc.

Is in darkness even unto now. That is, he cannot have true religion unless he has love to the brethren. The command to love one another was one of the most solemn and earnest which Christ ever enjoined, (Jn 15:17;) he made it the peculiar badge of discipleship, or that by which his followers were to be everywhere known, (Jn 13:35;) and it is, therefore, impossible to have any true religion without love to those who are sincerely and truly his followers. If a man has not that, he is in deep darkness, whatever else he may have, on the whole subject of religion. Comp. 1Thes 4:9.

(e) "darkness" 2Pet 1:9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 He that saith he is in the light - He that professes to be a convert to Christianity, even in the lowest degree; and hateth his brother - not only does not love him, but wills and does him evil, as the Jews did the Gentiles; is in darkness - has received no saving knowledge of the truth; and, whatever he may pretend, is in heathen ignorance, or even worse than heathen ignorance, to the present time, notwithstanding the clear shining of the light of the Gospel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 2:3-11

What knowledge of Christ can that be, which sees not that he is most worthy of our entire obedience? And a disobedient life shows there is neither religion nor honesty in the professor. The love of God is perfected in him that keeps his commandments. God's grace in him attains its true mark, and produces its sovereign effect as far as may be in this world, and this is man's regeneration; though never absolutely…

Read the full comment on 1 John 2:3-11 →

1 John 2:9 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.

ὁhoThe [one]G3588
λέγωνlegōnclaimingG3004
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
φωτὶphōtilightG5457
εἶναιeinaito beG1511
καὶkaiandG2532
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀδελφὸνadelphonbrotherG80
αὐτοῦautouof himG846
μισῶνmisōnhatingG3404
ἐνeninG1722
τῇtēatheG3588
σκοτίᾳskotiadarknessG4653
ἐστὶνestinisG1510
ἕωςhe'ōsuntilG2193
ἄρτι.artinow.G737

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

Cross references for 1 John 2:9

  • 1 John 4:20

    If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

  • 1 John 2:11

    But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

  • 1 John 3:13-17

    Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. …

  • Psalms 82:5

    They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

  • 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

    Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

  • 2 Peter 1:9

    But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

  • 1 John 2:4

    He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

  • 1 John 1:6

    If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

  • John 9:41

    Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

  • Romans 2:18-21

    And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
that saith.
4
he is.
1:6; Joh 9:41; Ro 2:18-21
and hateth.
3:13-17
is in.
11; Ps 82:5; 1Co 13:1-3; 2Pe 1:9

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

Context

  • 1 John 2:8

    Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

  • 1 John 2:9

    He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

  • 1 John 2:10

    He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

Read all of 1 John 2

1 John 2:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El que dice que está en luz, y aborrece á su hermano, el tal aun está en tinieblas todavía.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Celui qui dit être dans la lumière et qui hait son frère, est dans les ténèbres jusqu’à maintenant.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wer da sagt, daß er in dem Lichte sei und haßt seinen Bruder, ist in der Finsternis bis jetzt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui dicit se in luce esse, et fratrem suum odit, in tenebris est usque adhuc.