1 John 3:16

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Hereby {G5129} know we love, {G2316} because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι εκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν: καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς τιθέναι.

Transliteration

By this we have egnōkamen the agapēn, that ekeinos for us the psychēn of him ethēken: and we opheilomen for the adelphōn the psychas to tithenai.

Grammar Details

• *egnōkamen*: perfect active, 1st plural - we have known
• *agapēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - love
• *ekeinos*: demonstrative pronoun, nominative, masculine, singular - that one
• *psychēn*: accusative, feminine, singular - life/soul
• *ethēken*: aorist active, 3rd singular - he laid down
• *opheilomen*: present active, 1st plural - we ought
• *adelphōn*: genitive, masculine, plural - of brothers
• *psychas*: accusative, feminine, plural - lives/souls
• *tithenai*: present active infinitive - to lay down

Word Meanings

• *egnōkamen*: we have known/understood/perceived
• *agapēn*: love/charity
• *ekeinos*: that one/he (emphatic reference)
• *psychēn*: life/soul/self
• *ethēken*: laid down/gave up/placed
• *opheilomen*: we ought/are obligated/must
• *adelphōn*: brothers'/fellow believers'
• *psychas*: lives/souls/selves
• *tithenai*: to lay down/give up/place

Referenced Verses

• John 3:16 : 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
• 1 John 4:9-9 : 9 Herein {G5129} was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 Herein {G5129} is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• John 13:34 : 34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
• Eph 5:2 : 2 and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
• Rev 1:5 : 5 and from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;
• Phil 2:17 : 17 Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all:
• Rom 5:8 : 8 But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
• Titus 2:13 : 13 looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
• Matt 20:28 : 28 even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
• 1 Pet 3:18 : 18 Because Christ also {G3958} suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
• 1 John 2:6 : 6 he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.
• Rom 16:4 : 4 who {G5294} for my life laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles:
• John 15:12-13 : 12 This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
• Acts 20:28 : 28 Take heed {G3767} unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
• John 10:15 : 15 even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
• Eph 5:25 : 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;
• Rev 5:9 : 9 And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood [men] of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,
• 1 Pet 1:18 : 18 knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers;
• Phil 2:30 : 30 because for the work of Christ he came nigh unto death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.
• 1 Pet 2:24 : 24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.