1 John 3 · Verse 7

1 John 3:7

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1 John 3:7, King James Version

1 John 3:7 in other translations

BSBLittle children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
WEBLittle children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
ASVMy little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:
YLTLittle children, let no one lead you astray; he who is doing the righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous,
DARBYChildren, let no man lead you astray; he that practises righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
BBEMy little children, let no man take you out of the true way: he who does righteousness is upright, even as he is upright;
WebsterLittle children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

What does 1 John 3:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 3:7-8
7-8. The same truth stated, with the addition that he who sins is, so far as he sins, "of the devil." let no man deceive you--as Antinomians try to mislead men. righteousness--Greek, "the righteousness," namely, of Christ or God. he that doeth ... is righteous--Not his doing makes him righteous, but his being righteous (justified by the righteousness of God in Christ, Ro 10:3-10) makes him to do righteousness: an inversion common in familiar language, logical in reality, though not in form, as in Lu 7:47; Joh 8:47. Works do not justify, but the justified man works. We infer from his doing righteousness that he is already righteous (that is, has the true and only principle of doing righteousness, namely, faith), and is therefore born of God (1Jo 3:9); just as we might say, The tree that bears good fruit is a good tree, and has a living root; not that the fruit makes the tree and its root to be good, but it shows that they are so. he--Christ.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 7. Little children. 1Jn 2:1.

Let no man deceive you. That is, in the matter under consideration; to wit, by persuading you that a man may live in sinful practices, and yet be a true child of God. From this it is clear that the apostle supposed there were some who would attempt to do this, and it was to counteract their arts that he made these positive statements in regard to the nature of true religion.

He that doeth righteousness is righteous. This is laid down as a great and undeniable principle in religion--a maxim which none could dispute, and as important as it is plain. And it is worthy of all the emphasis which the apostle lays on it. The man who does righteousness, or leads an upright life, is a righteous man, and no other one is. No matter how any one may claim that he is justified by faith; no matter how he may conform to the external duties and rites of religion; no matter how zealous he may be for orthodoxy, or for the order of the church; no matter what visions and raptures he may have, or of what peace and joy in his soul he may boast; no matter how little he may fear death, oil hope for heaven--unless he is in fact a righteous man, in the proper sense of the term, he cannot be a child of God. Compare Mt 7:16-23. If he is, in the proper sense of the word, a man who keeps the law of God, and leads a holy life, he is righteous, for that is religion. Such a man, however, will always feel that his claim to be regarded as a righteous man is not to be traced to what he is in himself, but to what he owes to the grace of God.

Even as he is righteous. 1Jn 3:3. Not necessarily in this world to the same degree, but with the same kind of righteousness. Hereafter he will become wholly free from all sin, like his God and Saviour, 1Jn 3:2.

(*) "Little Children" "My Children" (a) "that doeth righteousness" Eze 18:5-9, ro 2:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 Let no man deceive you - Either by asserting that "you cannot be saved from sin in this life," or "that sin will do you no harm and cannot alter your state, if you are adopted into the family of God; for sin cannot annul this adoption." Hear God, ye deceivers! He that doeth righteousness is righteous, according to his state, nature, and the extent of his moral powers. Even as he is righteous - Allowing for the disparity that must necessarily exist between that which is bounded, and that which is without limits. As God, in the infinitude of his nature, is righteous; so they, being filled with him, are in their limited nature righteous.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 3:3-10

The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow any thing unholy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is the rejecting the…

Read the full comment on 1 John 3:3-10 →

1 John 3:7 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.

Τεκνία,Teknialittle children,G5040
μηδεὶςmēdeisno oneG3367
πλανάτωplanatōshould lead astrayG4105
ὑμᾶς·humasyou;G4771
ὁhowhoG3588
ποιῶνpoiōnare practicingG4160
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
δικαιοσύνηνdikaiosunēnrighteousnessG1343
δίκαιόςdikaiosrighteousG1342
ἐστινestinisG1510
καθὼςkathōseven asG2531
ἐκεῖνοςekeinosHeG1565
δίκαιόςdikaiosrighteousG1342
ἐστιν.estinis.G1510

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

Cross references for 1 John 3:7

  • 1 John 2:29

    If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

  • Romans 2:13

    (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

  • 1 Peter 1:15-16

    But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

  • 1 John 3:3

    And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

  • 1 John 2:26

    These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

  • Psalms 45:7

    Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

  • 1 John 2:1

    My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

  • Acts 10:35

    But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

  • Galatians 6:7-8

    Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

  • Psalms 106:3

    Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

  • Ephesians 5:9

    (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

  • Romans 6:16-18

    Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
let.
2:26,29; Ro 2:13; 1Co 6:9; Ga 6:7,8; Eph 5:6; Jas 1:22; 2:19; 5:1-3
he that.
Ps 106:3; Eze 18:5-9; Mt 5:20; Lu 1:75; Ac 10:35; Ro 2:6-8,13
Ro 6:16-18; Eph 5:9; Php 1:11; 1Pe 2:24
even.
3; 2:1; Ps 45:7; 72:1-7; Heb 1:8; 7:2; 1Pe 1:15,16

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

Context

  • 1 John 3:6

    Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

  • 1 John 3:7

    Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

  • 1 John 3:8

    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.

Read all of 1 John 3

1 John 3:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Hijitos, no os engañe ninguno: el que hace justicia, es justo, como él también es justo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Enfants, que personne ne vous égare: celui qui pratique la justice est juste, comme lui est juste.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Kinder, daß niemand euch verführe! Wer die Gerechtigkeit tut, ist gerecht, gleichwie er gerecht ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit justitiam, justus est, sicut et ille justus est.