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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

1 John 3:20

Because, if our own heart condemn us, greater, is God, than our heart, and perceiveth all things.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Commandments;   Conscience;   God Continued...;   Remorse;   Righteousness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Attributes of God;   Condemnation;   Divine;   God's;   Knowledge;   Knowledge, Divine;   Knowledge-Ignorance;   Omniscience;   Self-Condemnation;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Wisdom-Folly;   The Topic Concordance - God;   Greatness;   Heart;   Knowledge;   Man;   Truth;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Self-Examination;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Assurance;   Conscience;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heart;   Know, Knowledge;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Omniscience of God;   Union to Christ;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Conscience;   Heart;   John, the Letters of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Heart;   John, Epistles of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Assurance (2);   Boldness;   God;   Guilt (2);   Heart ;   John Epistles of;   Self- Examination;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Condemn;   Interrogation;   John, the Epistles of;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for February 28;   Every Day Light - Devotion for November 5;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For if our heart condemne vs, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things.
Christian Standard Bible®
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.
Hebrew Names Version
because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Darby Translation
that if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Amplified Bible
whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands].
American Standard Version
because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Berean Standard Bible
If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
Contemporary English Version
But even if we don't feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
Complete Jewish Bible
if our hearts know something against us, God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
International Standard Version
If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.1 Corinthians 4:4;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And if our heart condemn us, how much (more) Aloha, who is greater than our heart, and knoweth every thing !
Murdock Translation
But if our heart condemneth us, how much greater is God than our heart, and knowing all things?
King James Version (1611)
For if our heart condemne vs, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For yf our heart condempne vs, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all thynges.
English Revised Version
whereinsoever our heart condemn us; because God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
King James Version
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Lexham English Bible
that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Literal Translation
that if our heart accuses us, we know that God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
New American Standard Bible
that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things.
New Century Version
This is the way we know that we belong to the way of truth. When our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
New English Translation
that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.
New King James Version
For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
New Living Translation
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
New Revised Standard
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Douay-Rheims Bible
For if our heart reprehend us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
George Lamsa Translation
For if our hearts condemns us, how much more, then, will God who is greater than our hearts and knows all things.
Good News Translation
If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything.
World English Bible
because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Weymouth's New Testament
in whatever matters our hearts condemn us--because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if oure herte repreueth vs, God is more than oure hert, and knowith alle thingis.
Webster's Bible Translation
For if our heart condemneth us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
Revised Standard Version
whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But yf oure hertes condempne vs God is gretter then oure hertes and knoweth all thinges.
Update Bible Version
because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Young's Literal Translation
because if our heart may condemn -- because greater is God than our heart, and He doth know all things.
Bible in Basic English
When our heart says that we have done wrong; because God is greater than our heart, and has knowledge of all things.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But yf oure hert condemne vs, God is greater the oure hert, and knoweth all thinges.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for if our conscience condemn us, God knows us better than we do our selves, he knoweth all things.
New Life Bible
Our heart may say that we have done wrong. But remember, God is greater than our heart. He knows everything.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Even if we might feel guilty, God is bigger than our feelings because he knows everything.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

Contextual Overview

20 Because, if our own heart condemn us, greater, is God, than our heart, and perceiveth all things. 21 Beloved! if our heart be not condemning us, boldness, have we, towards God; 22 And, whatsoever we are asking, we are receiving from him, because, his commandments, are we keeping, and, the things that are pleasing before him, are we doing.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Job 27:6, John 8:9, Acts 5:33, Romans 2:14, Romans 2:15, 1 Corinthians 4:4, 1 Corinthians 14:24, 1 Corinthians 14:25, Titus 3:11

God: 1 John 4:4, Job 33:12, John 10:29, John 10:30, Hebrews 6:13

and: Psalms 44:20, Psalms 44:21, Psalms 90:8, Psalms 139:1-4, Jeremiah 17:10, Jeremiah 23:24, John 2:24, John 2:25, John 21:17, Hebrews 4:13, Revelation 2:23

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:10 - and I was 1 Samuel 3:13 - which he knoweth 1 Samuel 24:5 - David's heart 2 Samuel 24:10 - David's heart 1 Kings 2:44 - Thou knowest Job 9:3 - he cannot Job 9:21 - yet would Job 9:32 - not a man Job 13:15 - but I will Job 22:26 - lift up Psalms 66:19 - General Psalms 119:2 - keep Psalms 119:6 - shall I Psalms 145:18 - call upon Jeremiah 12:3 - knowest Matthew 21:25 - Why 1 Corinthians 11:28 - let a 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine 1 Thessalonians 3:13 - he may 1 Timothy 2:8 - lifting Hebrews 10:22 - an evil

Cross-References

Genesis 2:20
So the man gave names to all the tame-beasts, and to the birds of the heavens, and to all the wild-beasts of the field, - but, for man, had there not been found a helper as his counterpart.
Genesis 2:23
And the man said, This, one, now, is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh! This, one shall be called Woman, for, out of a man, hath this one been taken.
Genesis 5:29
and he called his name Noah saying, - This, one shall give us rest from our work, And from the grievous toil of our hands, By reason of the ground which Yahweh hath cursed,
Genesis 16:11
And the messenger of Yahweh said to her, Behold thee! with child, and about bearing a son - and thou shalt call his name Ishmael for Yahweh hath hearkened unto thy humiliation.
Genesis 35:18
And it came to pass when her soul was going forth - for she died, that she called his name Ben-oni, - but, his father, called him, Ben-jamin.
Exodus 2:10
And the child grew, and she brought him in to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said - For out of the water, I drew him.
1 Samuel 1:20
And so it was, when the days had come round during which Hannah was with child, that she bare a son, - and called his name Samuel, Because, of Yahweh, I asked him.
Matthew 1:21
Moreover she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, - for, he, will save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:23
Lo! a Virgin, shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, - and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which is, being translated, God with us.
Acts 17:26
he made also, of one, every nation of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, - marking out fitting opportunities, and the bounds of their dwelling place,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if our heart condemn us,.... Of want of love to the brethren, and of hypocrisy in it, as well as of any other sin; for the conscience, which is meant by the heart here, is accuser, witness and judge; it accuses of the evil of sin, and is as good as a thousand witnesses; and upon its own testimony pronounces guilty, and condemns.

God is greater than our heart: for he is the Maker of it, and he has the power over it, and the management of it; it is in his hands, and to be turned by him as he pleases; and he is the searcher and trier of it; and besides, is a swifter witness than conscience, and a superior Judge unto it.

And knoweth all things; that are in the heart; the principles of actions, and all the actions of men, for which their hearts condemn them; and all the sinfulness in them, and the aggravations of them; wherefore, as he knows them more perfectly, he judges of them more exactly, and will reprove more sharply, and condemn more severely for them: hence, if the condemnation of men's hearts and consciences be so very great, as sometimes to be intolerable and insupportable, what will be the righteous judgment, and dreadful condemnation of God? how fearful a thing will it be to fall into the hands of the living God! this sense is confirmed by the Syriac version rendering it, "how much greater is God than our hearts?" there is another sense given by some, which is not by way of terror, but comfort, and that is, that if the hearts of believers accuse, reprove, and condemn for sin through unbelief, or want of clear view of pardon and righteousness by Christ, God is greater, as in power, so in knowledge, than the hearts of men; and he knows the thoughts he has towards them, which are of peace, and not of evil; the covenant he has made with his Son, of which he is ever mindful; and what his Son has done, that he has made full satisfaction for sin, and brought in an everlasting righteousness: so that let sin, or Satan, or the world, or the law, or their own hearts condemn them, there is no condemnation of any avail unto them. But the former sense seems best to agree with the context.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if our heart condemn us - We cannot hope for peace from any expectation that our own hearts will never accuse us, or that we ourselves can approve of all that we have done. The reference here is not so much to our past lives, as to our present conduct and deportment. The object is to induce Christians so to live that their hearts will not condemn them for any secret sins, while the outward deportment may be unsullied. The general sentiment is, that if they should so live that their own hearts would condemn them for present insincerity and hypocrisy, they could have no hope of peace, for God knows all that is in the heart. In view of the past - when the heart accuses us of what we have done - we may find peace by such evidences of piety as shall allay the troubles of an agitated soul, 1 John 3:9, but we cannot have such peace if our hearts condemn us for the indulgence of secret sins, now that we profess to be Christians. If our hearts condemn us for present insincerity, and for secret sins, we can never “persuade” or soothe them by any external act of piety. In view of the consciousness of past guilt, we may find peace; we can find none if there is a present purpose to indulge in sin.

God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things - We cannot hope to find peace by hiding anything from his view, or by any supposition that he is not acquainted with the sins for which our consciences trouble us. He knows all the sins of which we are conscious, and sees all their guilt and aggravation as clearly as we do. He knows more than this. He knows all the sins which we have forgotten; all those acts which we endeavor to persuade ourselves are not sinful, but which are evil in his sight; and all those aggravations attending our sins which it is impossible for us fully and distinctly to conceive. He is more disposed to condemn sin than we are; he looks on it with less allowance than we do. We cannot hope, then, for a calm mind in any supposition that God does not see our sins as clearly as we do, or in any hope that he will look on them with more favor and indulgence. Peace cannot be found in the indulgence of sin in the hope that God will not perceive or regard it, for we can sooner deceive ourselves than we can him; and while therefore, 1 John 3:19, in reference to the past, we can only “persuade” our hearts, or soothe their agitated feelings by evidence that we are of the truth now, and that our sins are forgiven; in reference to the present and the future, the heart can be kept calm only by such a course of life that our own hearts and our God shall approve the manner in which we live.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. If our heart condemn us — If we be conscious that our love is feigned, we shall feel inwardly condemned in professing to have what we have not. And if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, for he knows every hypocritical winding and turning of the soul, he searches the heart, and tries the reins, and sees all the deceitfulness and desperate wickedness of the heart which we cannot see, and, if we could see them, could not comprehend them; and as he is the just Judge, he will condemn us more strictly and extensively than we can be by our own conscience.


 
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