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1 John 5:21

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

KJV

Τεκνία, φυλάξατε ἑαυτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων.

Greek NT

Filioli, custodite vos a simulacris. Amen.

Vulgate

My little children, guard yourselves from idols.

ASV

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

6 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

εἴδωλον
eidolon
noun · 11×
τεκνίον
teknion
noun · 8×
φυλάσσω
phulasso
verb · 31×
ἀπό
apo
preposition · 640×
ἑαυτοῦ
eautou
reflexive_pronoun · 316×
o
article · 19778×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

notable
SBLGNT: εἰδώλων | WH/Treg/NIV: εἰδώλων | RP: + Ἀμήν
  • εἰδώλωνSBLGNT
  • εἰδώλωνWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • + ἈμήνRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Historic Christian voices

4 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Q. What does the Lord require in the first commandment? A. That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry, magic, superstitious rites, and prayer to saints or to other creatures. That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, love him, fear him, and honor him with all my hea…

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 10:7 — Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
  • 1Cor 10:7 — Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
  • 1Cor 10:14 — Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
  • 1Cor 10:14 — Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
  • 1John 2:1 — My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
  • 1John 2:1 — My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
  • 1John 5:18 — We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
  • 1Thess 1:9 — For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
  • 2Cor 6:16 — And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my p
  • Acts 15:29 — That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
  • Deut 6:14 — Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
  • Deut 11:16 — Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
  • Exod 20:3 — Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  • Gal 4:19 — My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
  • Josh 6:18 — And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
  • Jude 1:21 — Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
  • Lev 19:4 — Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
  • Matt 6:13 — And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
  • Rev 9:20 — And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, a
  • Rev 13:14 — And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to