1 John 4:9

In this was manifested Or, for the sake of uniformity with 1 John 4:10; 1Jn 4:13; 1 John 4:17, Herein was manifested:we have the same Greek in all four verses. -Herein" plainly refers to what follows: comp. 1 John 3:16 and see on 1 John 3:19. For -manifest" see on 1 John 1:2. This is a second reason for our loving one another. We must do this (1) because love is the very Being of Him whose children we are; (2) because of the transcendent way in which His love was manifested. The context shews that -the love of God", which usually in this Epistle means our love to God, here means His love to us: comp. 1 John 3:16.

towards us Rather, in us:we are the sphere in which God's love is exhibited: comp. 1 John 4:16 and John 9:3, which is very parallel. The latter passage tends to shew that -in us" is to be joined with -manifested" rather than with -the love of God": Herein was the love of God manifested in us. The rendering -in our case" (R. V. margin) is improbable: comp. 1 John 4:12.

because that God sent Better, because God hath sent:we do not need both -because" and -that"; and the verb is a perfect, indicating the permanent result of Christ's mission. In the next verse we have aorists, speaking of past acts without reference to the present.

his only begotten Son Literally, His Son, His only begotten: comp. John 3:16. As in -the life, the eternal life" (1 John 1:2), the repetition of the article makes both ideas, -son" and -only-begotten", prominent and distinct. Comp. 1 John 1:3 1 John 2:7-8; 2 John 1:11; 2 John 1:13. His Son was much to send, but it was also His only Son. The word for -only begotten" (μονογενὴς) as applied to Christ is peculiar to S. John; it occurs four times in the Gospel (John 1:14; John 1:18; John 3:16; John 3:18) and here. -Only-born" would be a more accurate rendering: Christ is the only bornSon as distinct from the many who have becomesons. The word occurs in LXX. to translate a Hebrew word (yachid), which is elsewhere rendered -beloved" or -darling" (ἀγαπητός): and oddly enough where the Greek has -only" the A. V. has -darling" and vice versâ. Contrast Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:12; Genesis 22:16 with Psalms 22:21; Psalms 35:17. The Vulgate has unigenitusand unicus. Comp. Romans 5:8; Romans 8:32.

that we might live through him These are the important words, setting forth that in which God's love is so conspicuous and so unique. The only Son has been sent for this purpose(ἵνα), that we may live, and not die, as we should otherwise have done: comp. 1Jn 3:14, 1 John 5:11; John 3:16-17; John 3:36.