1 John 5:16

Anyone who realizes that his brother has sinned, with a sin that is not unto death, let him pray, and life shall be given to him who has sinned not unto death. There is a sin which is unto death. I am not saying that anyone should ask on behalf of that sin.

Catholic Public Domain Version

In The King James Version

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

In Context

15And we know that he hears us, no matter what we request; so we know that we can obtain the things that we request of him.

17All that is iniquity is sin. But there is a sin unto death.

Read all of 1 John 5

Cross References

Genesis 20:17Then when Abraham prayed, God healed Abimelech and his wife, and his handmaids, and they gave birth.

Exodus 32:31And returning to the Lord, he said: “I beg you, this people has sinned the greatest sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. Either release them from this offense,

Numbers 12:13And Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, I beg you: heal her.”

Numbers 15:30Yet truly, the soul who commits any of these acts through arrogance, whether he is a citizen or a sojourner, because he has rebelled against the Lord, shall perish from among his people.

Deuteronomy 9:18And I fell prostrate before the Lord, just as before, for forty days and nights, not eating bread, and not drinking water, because of all your sins, which you had committed against the Lord, and because you provoked him to anger.

2 Chronicles 30:18And now a great portion of the people from Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Issachar, and Zebulun, who had not been sanctified, ate the Passover, which is not in accord with what was written. And Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “The good Lord will be forgiving

Matthew Henry on 1 John 5:15-18

The Sin unto Death. ( a. d. 80.) 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 John 5:16