1 John 4:6

Bible in Basic English (1941)

We are of God: he who has the knowledge of God gives ear to us; he who is not of God does not give ear to us. By this we may see which is the true spirit, and which is the spirit of error.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμεν: ὁ γινώσκων τὸν Θεὸν ἀκούει ἡμῶν· ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. Ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης.

Transliteration

Hēmeis from the Theou esmen: the [one] ginōskōn the Theon akouei us; who ouk estin from the Theou ouk akouei us. From toutou ginōskomen the pneuma of the alētheias, and the pneuma of the planēs.

Grammar Details

• *Hēmeis*: nominative, plural - we
• *Theou*: genitive, masculine, singular - of God
• *esmen*: present indicative, 1st plural - we are
• *ginōskōn*: present active participle, nominative, masculine, singular - knowing/one who knows
• *Theon*: accusative, masculine, singular - God
• *akouei*: present active indicative, 3rd singular - hears/listens to
• *ouk*: negative particle - not
• *estin*: present indicative, 3rd singular - is
• *toutou*: genitive, neuter, singular - from this/by this
• *ginōskomen*: present active indicative, 1st plural - we know
• *pneuma*: accusative, neuter, singular - spirit
• *alētheias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of truth
• *planēs*: genitive, feminine, singular - of error/deception

Word Meanings

• *ginōskōn*: knowing/one who knows/recognizing
• *akouei*: hears/listens to/pays attention to
• *ginōskomen*: we know/we recognize/we discern
• *pneuma*: spirit/breath
• *alētheias*: truth/reality
• *planēs*: error/deception/wandering/straying

Referenced Verses

• John 14:17 : 17 Even the Spirit of true knowledge. That Spirit the world is not able to take to its heart because it sees him not and has no knowledge of him: but you have knowledge of him, because he is ever with you and will be in you.
• John 10:27 : 27 My sheep give ear to my voice, and I have knowledge of them, and they come after me:
• 1 Cor 14:37 : 37 If any man seems to himself to be a prophet or to have the Spirit, let him take note of the things which I am writing to you, as being the word of the Lord.
• 1 John 4:1 : 1 My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.
• 1 John 4:4 : 4 You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
• John 15:26 : 26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of true knowledge who comes from the Father--he will give witness about me;
• John 18:37 : 37 Then Pilate said to him, Are you then a king? Jesus made answer, You say that I am a king. For this purpose was I given birth, and for this purpose I came into the world, that I might give witness to what is true. Every lover of what is true gives ear to my voice.
• John 20:21 : 21 And Jesus said to them again, May peace be with you! As the Father sent me, even so I now send you.
• Rom 1:1 : 1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an Apostle by the selection of God, given authority as a preacher of the good news,
• Rom 11:8 : 8 As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this day.
• 1 Cor 2:12-14 : 12 But we have not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which comes from God, so that we may have knowledge of the things which are freely given to us by God. 13 And these are the things which we say, not in the language of man's wisdom, but in words given to us by the Spirit, judging the things of the spirit by the help of the Spirit. 14 For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.
• John 16:13 : 13 However, when he, the Spirit of true knowledge, has come, he will be your guide into all true knowledge: for his words will not come from himself, but whatever has come to his hearing, that he will say: and he will make clear to you the things to come.
• John 13:20 : 20 Truly I say to you, He who takes to his heart anyone whom I send, takes me to his heart; and he who so takes me, takes him who sent me.
• Isa 8:20 : 20 Then say to them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ...
• Isa 29:10 : 10 For the Lord has sent on you a spirit of deep sleep; and by him your eyes, the prophets, are shut, and your heads, the seers, are covered.
• Hos 4:12 : 12 My people get knowledge from their tree, and their rod gives them news; for a false spirit is the cause of their wandering, and they have been false to their God.
• Mic 2:11 : 11 If a man came with a false spirit of deceit, saying, I will be a prophet to you of wine and strong drink: he would be the sort of prophet for this people.
• Mic 3:8 : 8 But I truly am full of the spirit of the Lord, with power of judging and with strength to make clear to Jacob his wrongdoing and to Israel his sin.
• Luke 10:22 : 22 All things have been given to me by my Father: and no one has knowledge of the Son, but only the Father: and of the Father, but only the Son, and he to whom the Son will make it clear.
• John 8:19 : 19 Then they said to him, Where is your Father? Jesus said in answer, You have no knowledge of me or of my Father: if you had knowledge of me you would have knowledge of my Father.
• John 8:45-50 : 45 But because I say what is true, you have no belief in me. 46 Which of you is able truly to say that I am a sinner? If I say what is true, why have you no belief in me? 47 He who is a child of God gives ear to the words of God: your ears are not open to them because you are not from God. 48 The Jews said to him in answer, Are we not right in saying that you are of Samaria and have an evil spirit? 49 And this was the answer of Jesus: I have not an evil spirit; but I give honour to my Father and you do not give honour to me. 50 I, however, am not in search of glory for myself: there is One who is searching for it and he is judge.
• John 10:16 : 16 And I have other sheep which are not of this field: I will be their guide in the same way, and they will give ear to my voice, so there will be one flock and one keeper.
• 1 John 4:8 : 8 He who has no love has no knowledge of God, because God is love.
• Jude 1:17 : 17 But you, my loved ones, keep in memory the words which were said before by the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
• 2 Cor 10:7 : 7 Give attention to the things which are before you. If any man seems to himself to be Christ's, let him keep in mind that we are as much Christ's as he is.
• 2 Thess 1:8 : 8 To give punishment to those who have no knowledge of God, and to those who do not give ear to the good news of our Lord Jesus:
• 2 Thess 2:9-9 : 9 Even the one whose coming is marked by the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 And with every deceit of wrongdoing among those whose fate is destruction; because they were quite without that love of the true faith by which they might have salvation. 11 And for this cause, God will give them up to the power of deceit and they will put their faith in what is false:
• 1 Tim 4:1 : 1 But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits,
• 2 Pet 3:2 : 2 So that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles.