John 13 · Verse 35

John 13:35

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35, King James Version

John 13:35 in other translations

BSBBy this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
WEBBy this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
ASVBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
YLTin this shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye may have love one to another.'
DARBYBy this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves.
BBEBy this it will be clear to all men that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.
WebsterBy this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

What does John 13:35 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 35. By this shall all men, &c. That is, your love for each other shall be so decisive evidence that you are like the Saviour, that all men shall see and know it. It shall be the thing by which you shall be known among all men. You shall not be known by peculiar rites or habits; not by a peculiar form of dress or manner of speech; not by peculiar austerities and unusual customs, like the Pharisees, the Essenes, or the scribes, but by deep, genuine, and tender affection. And it is well known it was this which eminently distinguished the first Christians, and was the subject of remark by the surrounding pagans. "See," said the heathen, "see how they love one another! They are ready to lay down their lives for each other." Alas! how changed is the spirit of the Christian world since then! Perhaps, of all the commands of Jesus, the observance of this is that which is least apparent to a surrounding world. It is not so much that they are divided into different sects, for this may be consistent with love for each other; but it is the want of deep-felt, genuine love toward Christians even of our own denomination; the absence of genuine self-denial; the pride of rank and wealth; and the fact that professed Christians are often known by anything else rather than by true attachment to those who bear the same Christian name and image. The true Christian loves religion wherever it is found--equally in a prince or in a slave, in the mansion of wealth or in the cottage of poverty, on the throne or in the hut of want. He overlooks the distinction of sect, of colour, and of nations; and wherever he finds a man who bears the Christian name and manifests the Christian spirit, he loves him. And this, more and more as the millennium draws near, will be the peculiar badge of the professed children of God. Christians will love their own denominations less than they love the spirit and temper of the Christian, wherever it may be found.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 35 By this shall all men know, etc. - From this time forward, this mutual and disinterested love shall become the essential and distinctive mark of all my disciples. When they love one another with pure hearts, fervently, even unto death, then shall it fully appear that they are disciples of that person who laid down his life for his sheep, and who became, by dying, a ransom for all. The disciples of different teachers were known by their habits, or some particular creed or rite, or point of austerity, which they had adopted; but the disciples of Christ were known by this love which they bore to each other. The primitive Christians were particularly known by this among the Gentiles. Tertullian, in his Apology, gives us their very words: Vide, inquiunt, ut se diligunt; et pro alterutro mori parati sunt. "See, said they, how they love one another, and are ready to lay down their 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 13:35 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.

ἐνenByG1722
τούτῳtoutōthisG3778
γνώσονταιgnōsontaiwill knowG1097
πάντεςpantesallG3956
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ἐμοὶemoito MeG1473
μαθηταίmathētaidisciplesG3101
ἐστε,esteyou are,G1510
ἐὰνeanifG1437
ἀγάπηνagapēnloveG26
ἔχητεechēteyou shall haveG2192
ἐνenamongG1722
ἀλλήλοις.allēloisone another.G240

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

Cross references for John 13:35

  • 1 John 4:20-21

    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? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

  • 1 John 2:10

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

  • 1 John 3:10-14

    In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. …

  • John 17:21

    That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

  • 1 John 2:5

    But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

  • Acts 4:32-35

    And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

  • Genesis 13:7-8

    And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.

  • Acts 5:12-14

    And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:21; Ge 13:7,8; Ac 4:32-35; 5:12-14; 1Jo 2:5,10; 3:10-14; 4:20,21

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

Context

  • 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.

  • John 13:36

    Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

Read all of John 13

John 13:35 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		En esto conocerán todos que sois mis discípulos, si tuviereis amor los unos con los otros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		À ceci tous connaîtront que vous êtes mes disciples, si vous avez de l’amour entre vous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Daran werden alle erkennen, daß ihr meine Jünger seid, wenn ihr Liebe untereinander habt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		In hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis, si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem.