1 John · Chapter 4 · Love
1 John 4:8 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.
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About 1 John 4:8
John's first epistle returns to love as the central evidence of knowing God. The Greek noun agape is the love that gives without first being earned. The verse is structured as a tight equation: God is love. Not God has love or God shows love — God is love. Therefore the absence of love in a person is not just a moral failure but a sign of not knowing God at all. Read together with verse 7 (love comes from God) and verse 19 (we love because he first loved us), the call is not to manufacture affection but to receive a love already extended, and let it flow back out.
Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love."
KJV · King James Version
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses that, loveth, not, knoweth, while the WEB renders these as who, doesn't, know. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
1 John 4:8 in 1 John 4
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 1 John 4:8 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 1 John 4. Read the full chapter →
- v.6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
- v.7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.
- v.8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
- v.9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
- v.10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Book background
About the Book of 1 John
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- General epistle
- Author
- John the apostle
- Date written
- c. 85–95 AD
- Audience
- Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy
- Chapters
- 5
1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. He gives three running tests of authentic Christian life: belief in Jesus, obedience, and love. The famous declaration "God is love" (4:8) and the assurance that "you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) are at its core.
Setting: Written from Ephesus late in John's life.
Key themes: love · truth · assurance · fellowship · eternal life
Memorisation aid
How to memorise 1 John 4:8
1 John 4:8 contains 11 words in 2 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
He who doesn't love doesn't know God
HWDLDK
- 2
for God is love.
FGIL
Frequently asked
FAQ about 1 John 4:8
What does 1 John 4:8 say?
1 John 4:8 reads: "He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love." — from the New Testament, 1 John (General epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is 1 John 4:8 in?
1 John 4:8 is in the book of 1 John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle and written around c. 85–95 AD. 1 John is general epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy. Best known for "God is love" and assurance of eternal life.
What is 1 John 4:8 about?
1 John 4:8 is primarily a Bible verse about Love, with related themes including Faith, God's Love. Within 1 John, 1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between 1 John 4:8 in WEB and KJV?
1 John 4:8 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is 1 John 4:8?
1 John 4:8 is 11 words in the WEB translation (54 characters), broken into 2 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 3 seconds.
How can I memorise 1 John 4:8?
To memorise 1 John 4:8, split it into its 2 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does 1 John 4:8 matter in 1 John?
1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. He gives three running tests of authentic Christian life: belief in Jesus, obedience, and love. The famous declaration "God is love" (4:8) and the assurance that "you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) are at its core. 1 John 4:8 sits within this larger story — 1 John as a whole emphasises love, truth, assurance.
How can I apply 1 John 4:8 today?
Many readers use 1 John 4:8 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 1 John 4:8 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
More designs
10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Read context →
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Romans 8:28
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Read context →
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1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not pr…”
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Matthew 22:39
“A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Read context →
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John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.”
Read context →
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1 Corinthians 13:13
“But now faith, hope, and love remain — these three. The greatest of these is love.”
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
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Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”
Read context →
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Ruth 1:16
“Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be…”
Read context →
More featured verses in 1 John 4
Read full chapter → 1 John 4:7
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God.”
Read context →
1 John 4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.”
Read context →
1 John 4:19
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
Read context →
More featured verses in 1 John
Browse 1 John →
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
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1 John 3:1
“See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.”
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1 John 3:18
“My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.”
Read context →