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 4:20 in other translations
| BSB | If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. |
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| WEB | If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? |
| ASV | 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, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. |
| YLT | if any one may say--‘I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God--whom he hath not seen--how is he able to love? |
| DARBY | If any one say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? |
| BBE | If a man says, I have love for God, and has hate for his brother, his words are false: for how is the man who has no love for his brother whom he has seen, able to have love for God whom he has not seen? |
| Webster | If a man sayeth, 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? |
What does 1 John 4:20 mean?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain
Barnes' Notes
He is a liar. Comp. 1Jn 1:6. It is not necessary, in order to a proper interpretation of this passage, to suppose that he intentionally deceives. The sense is, that this must be a false profession. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, etc. It is more reasonable to expect that we should love one whom we have seen and known personally, than that we should love one whom we have not seen. The apostle is arguing from human nature as it is, and every one feels that we are more likely to love one with whom we are familiar than one who is a stranger. If a professed Christian, therefore, does not love one who bears the Divine image, whom he sees and knows, how can he love that God whose image he bears, whom he has not seen? Comp. 1Jn 3:17.
(d) "how can" 1Jn 3:17
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 4:14-21
The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a…
1 John 4:20 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for 1 John 4:20
- 1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
- 1 John 2:9
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
- 1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
- 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 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 Peter 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
- 1 John 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
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Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Context
- 1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
- 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 4:21
And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1 John 4:20 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Si alguno dice, Yo amo á Dios, y aborrece á su hermano, es mentiroso. Porque el que no ama á su hermano al cual ha visto, ¿cómo puede amar á Dios á quien no ha visto? |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Si quelqu’un dit: J’aime Dieu, et qu’il haïsse son frère, il est menteur; car celui qui n’aime pas son frère qu’il voit, comment peut-il aimer Dieu qu’il ne voit pas? |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Wenn jemand sagt: Ich liebe Gott, und haßt seinen Bruder, so ist er ein Lügner. Denn wer seinen Bruder nicht liebt, den er gesehen hat, wie kann der Gott lieben, den er nicht gesehen hat? |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Si quis dixerit: Quoniam diligo Deum, et fratrem suum oderit, mendax est. Qui enim non diligit fratrem suum quem vidit, Deum, quem non vidit, quomodo potest diligere? |