John 13 · Verse 34

John 13:34

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:34, King James Version

John 13:34 in other translations

BSBA new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
WEBA new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.
ASVA new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
YLT‘A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; according as I did love you, that ye also love one another;
DARBYA new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
BBEI give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.
WebsterA new commandment I give to you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

What does John 13:34 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 13:33-35

33-35. Little children--From the height of His own glory He now descends, with sweet pity, to His "little children," all now His own. This term of endearment, nowhere else used in the Gospels, and once only employed by Paul (Ga 4:19), is appropriated by the beloved disciple himself, who no fewer than seven times employs it in his first Epistle. Ye shall seek me--feel the want of Me. as I said to the Jews--(Joh 7:34…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 34. A new commandment. This command he gave them as he was about to leave them, to be a badge of discipleship, by which they might be known as his friends and followers, and by which they might be distinguished from all others. It is called new, not because there was no command before which required men to love their fellow-men, for one great precept of the law was that they should love their neighbour as themselves (Lev 19:18); but it was new because it had never before been made that by which any class or body of men had been known and distinguished. The Jew was known by his external rites, by his peculiarity of dress, &c.; the philosopher by some other mark of distinction; the military man by another, &c. In none of these cases had love for each other been the distinguishing and peculiar badge by which they were known. But in the case of Christians they were not to be known by distinctions of wealth, or learning, or fame; they were not to aspire to earthly honours; they were not to adopt any peculiar style of dress or badge, but they were to be distinguished by tender and constant attachment to each other. This was to surmount all distinction of country, of colour, of rank, of office, of sect. Here they were to feel that they were on a level, that they had common wants, were redeemed by the same sacred blood, and were going to the same heaven. They were to befriend each other in trials; be careful of each other's feelings and reputation; deny themselves to promote each other's welfare. See 1Jn 3:23, 1Thes 4:9, 1Pet 1:22, 2Thes 1:3; Gal 6:2, 2Pet 1:7. In all these places the command of Jesus is repeated or referred to, and it shows that the first disciples considered this indeed as the peculiar law of Christ. This command or law was, moreover, new in regard to the extent to which this love was to be carried; for he immediately adds, "As I have loved you, that ye also love one another." His love for them was strong, continued, unremitting, and he was now about to show his love for them in death. Jn 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." So in 1Jn 3:16 it is said that "we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren." This was a new expression of love; and it showed the strength of attachment which we ought to have for Christians, and how ready we should be to endure hardships, to encounter dangers, and to practise self-denial, to benefit those for whom the Son of God laid down his life.

(x) "new commandment" Lev 19:18, Jn 15:12,17, Eph 5:2, 1Thes 4:9 Jas 2:8, 1Pet 1:22, 1Jn 2:7,8, 3:11,23, 4:20,21

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 34 A new commandment I give unto you - In what sense are we to understand that this was a new commandment? Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, was a positive precept of the law, Lev 19:18, and it is the very same that Christ repeats here; how then was it new? Our Lord answers this question, Even As I have loved you. Now Christ more than fulfilled the Mosaic precept; he not only loved his neighbor As himself, but he loved him More than himself, for he laid down his life for men. In this he calls upon the disciples to imitate him; to be ready on all occasions to lay down their lives for each other. This was, strictly, a new commandment: no system of morality ever prescribed any thing so pure and disinterested as this. Our blessed Lord has outdone all the moral systems in the universe in two words: 1. Love your enemies; 2. Lay down your lives for each other.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 13:31-35

Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow him hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do…

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John 13:34 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.

ἘντολὴνEntolēnA commandmentG1785
καινὴνkainēnnewG2537
δίδωμιdidōmiI giveG1325
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
ἵναinathatG2443
ἀγαπᾶτεagapateyou may loveG25
ἀλλήλους,allēlousone another,G240
καθὼςkathōseven asG2531
ἠγάπησαēgapēsaI have lovedG25
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ἵναinasoG2443
καὶkaialsoG2532
ὑμεῖςhumeisyou yourselvesG4771
ἀγαπᾶτεagapatemay loveG25
ἀλλήλους.allēlousone another.G240

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

Cross references for John 13:34

  • Ephesians 5:2

    And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

  • Leviticus 19:18

    Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

  • John 15:17

    These things I command you, that ye love one another.

  • 1 Peter 1:22

    Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

  • 1 John 3:23

    And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

  • Galatians 6:2

    Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

  • 1 Corinthians 12:26-27

    And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

  • 1 John 4:21-5:1

    And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

  • James 2:8

    If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

  • Colossians 3:12-13

    Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

  • 1 John 4:7-11

    Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. …

  • 1 John 2:7-10

    Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 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. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A new.
Ga 6:2; 1Jo 2:8-10; 3:14-18,23; 2Jo 1:5
That ye love.
15:12,13,17; 17:21; Le 19:18,34; Ps 16:3; 119:63; Ro 12:10
1Co 12:26,27; 13:4-7; Ga 5:6,13,14,22; 6:10; Eph 5:2; Php 2:1-5
Col 1:4; 3:12,13; 1Th 3:12; 4:9,10; 2Th 1:3; Heb 13:1; Jas 2:8
1Pe 1:22; 3:8,9; 2Pe 1:7; 1Jo 4:7-11,21; 5:1

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

Context

  • John 13:33

    Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

  • John 13:34

    A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

  • John 13:35

    By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Read all of John 13

John 13:34 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Un mandamiento nuevo os doy: Que os améis unos á otros: como os he amado, que también os améis los unos á los otros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Je vous donne un commandement nouveau, que vous vous aimiez l’un l’autre; comme je vous ai aimés, que vous aussi vous vous aimiez l’un l’autre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ein neues Gebot gebe ich euch, daß ihr einander liebet, auf daß, gleichwie ich euch geliebt habe, auch ihr einander liebet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem: sicut dilexi vos, ut et vos diligatis invicem.