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1 John 3:12
New English Translation
1 John 3:12
New English Translation
12 not like Cain[a] who was of the evil one and brutally[b] murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
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- 1 John 3:12 sn Since the author states that Cain…was of the evil one (ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ, ek tou ponērou), in the immediate context this imagery serves as an illustration of 3:8a: The person who practices sin is of the devil (ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου, ek tou diabolou). This is similar to John 8:44, where Jesus told his opponents “you people are from your father the devil…[who] was a murderer from the beginning.” In both Jewish and early Christian writings Cain is a model for those who deliberately disbelieve; Testament of Benjamin 7:5 looks forward to the punishment of those who “are like Cain in the envy and hatred of brothers.” It is not difficult to see why the author of 1 John used Cain here as a model for the opponents in light of their failure to “love the brothers” (see 1 John 3:17).
- 1 John 3:12 tn For the Greek verb σφάζω (sphazō) L&N 20.72 states, “to slaughter, either animals or persons; in contexts referring to persons, the implication is of violence and mercilessness—‘to slaughter, to kill.’” As a reflection of this nuance, the translation “brutally murdered” has been used.
1 John 3:12
New International Version
1 John 3:12
New International Version
12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(A) and murdered his brother.(B) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(C)
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV)
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