Jude 1 · Verse 21

Jude 1:21

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 1:21, King James Version

Jude 1:21 in other translations

BSBkeep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.
WEBKeep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
ASVkeep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
YLTyourselves in the love of God keep ye, waiting for the kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ--to life age-during;
DARBYkeep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
BBEKeep yourselves in the love of God, looking for life eternal through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
WebsterKeep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

What does Jude 1:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. In Jude 20, 21, Jude combines the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: and faith, hope, and love. Keep yourselves--not in your own strength, but "in the love of God," that is, God's love to you and all His believing children, the only guarantee for their being kept safe. Man's need of watching is implied; at the same time he cannot keep himself, unless God in His love keep him. looking for--in hope. the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ--to be fully manifested at His coming. Mercy is usually attributed to the Father: here to the Son; so entirely one are they.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Still adverting to their own agency. On the duty here enjoined, Jn 15:9, The phrase "the love of God" may mean either God's love to us, or our love to him. The latter appears, however, to be the sense here, because it is not a subject which could be enjoined, that we should keep up God's love to us. That is a point over which we can have no control, except so far as it may be the result of our obedience; but we may be commanded to love him, and to keep ourselves in that love.

Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Particularly when he shall come to receive his people to himself. Tit 2:13; 2Pet 3:12; 2Ti 4:8.

(g) "yourselves" Jn 15:2,10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God - By building up yourselves on your most holy faith, and praying in the Holy Ghost; for without this we shall soon lose the love of God. Looking for the mercy of our Lord - For although they were to build themselves up, and to pray in the Holy Ghost, and keep themselves in the love of God, yet this building, praying, and keeping, cannot merit heaven; for, after all their diligence, earnestness, self-denial, watching, obedience, etc., they must look for the Mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ, to bring them to Eternal Life.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jude 1:17-23

Sensual men separate from Christ, and his church, and join themselves to the devil, the world, and the flesh, by ungodly and sinful practices. That is infinitely worse than to separate from any branch of the visible church on account of opinions, or modes and circumstances of outward government or worship. Sensual men have not the spirit of holiness, which whoever has not, does not belong to Christ. The grace of…

Read the full comment on Jude 1:17-23 →

Jude 1:21 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.

ἑαυτοὺςhe'autousyourselvesG1438
ἐνeninG1722
ἀγάπῃagapē[the] loveG26
θεοῦtheouof GodG2316
τηρήσατε,tērēsatedo keep,G5083
προσδεχόμενοιprosdechomenoiawaitingG4327
τὸtotheG3588
ἔλεοςeleosmercyG1656
τοῦtouof theG3588
κυρίουkuriouLordG2962
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
ΧριστοῦChristouChristG5547
εἰςeisuntoG1519
ζωὴνzōēnlifeG2222
αἰώνιον.aiōnioneternal.G166

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

Cross references for Jude 1:21

  • 1 John 4:16

    And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

  • Lamentations 3:25-26

    The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

  • Hebrews 9:28

    So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

  • John 15:9-10

    As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

  • 2 Peter 3:12

    Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

  • 2 Thessalonians 3:5

    And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

  • Revelation 12:11

    And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

  • Titus 2:13-14

    Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

  • John 14:21

    He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • 2 Timothy 1:2

    To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • Romans 8:39

    Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Keep.
24; Joh 14:21; 15:9,10; Ac 11:23; 1Jo 4:16; 5:18,21; Re 12:11
in.
Ro 5:5; 8:39; 2Th 3:5; 1Jo 3:16,17
looking.
Job 14:14; La 3:25,26; Mt 24:42-51; Lu 12:36-40; 2Ti 4:8
Tit 2:13,14; Heb 9:28; 2Pe 3:12
the mercy.
Joh 1:17; 1Ti 1:2; 2Ti 1:2,16,18
unto.
Ro 5:21; 6:23; 1Jo 5:10,11

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

Context

  • Jude 1:20

    But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

  • Jude 1:21

    Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

  • Jude 1:22

    And of some have compassion, making a difference:

Read all of Jude 1

Jude 1:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Conservaos en el amor de Dios, esperando la misericordia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, para vida eterna.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		conservez-vous dans l’amour de Dieu, attendant la miséricorde de notre seigneur Jésus Christ pour la vie éternelle;
German
Elberfelder 1871		erhaltet euch selbst in der Liebe Gottes, indem ihr die Barmherzigkeit unseres Herrn Jesu Christi erwartet zum ewigen Leben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		vosmetipsos in dilectione Dei servate, exspectantes misericordiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi in vitam æternam.