Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

1 John 3:16

Know we

(εγνωκαμεν). Perfect active indicative, "we have come to know and still know." See 1 John 2:3 for "hereby" (εν τουτω).Love

(την αγαπην). "The thing called love" (D. Smith).He for us

(εκεινος υπερ ημων). Εκεινος as in 1 John 2:6; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 3:5, υπερ here alone in this Epistle, though common in John's Gospel (1 John 10:11; 1 John 10:15; 1 John 11:50, etc.) and in 3 John 1:7.Laid down his life

(την ψυχην αυτου εθηκεν). First aorist active indicative of τιθημ, the very idiom used by Jesus of himself in John 10:11; John 10:17.We ought

(ημεις οφειλομεν). Emphatic ημεις again. For οφειλω see 1 John 2:6. Of course our laying down our lives for the brethren has no atoning value in our cases as in that of Christ, but is a supreme proof of one's love (John 13:37; John 15:13), as often happens.

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Robertson's Word Pictures of the NT

1 John 3:16

Old Testament

New Testament