Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 5:15
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
15. if we know that he hear us we know that we have ] The one certitude depends upon the other: if we trust God’s goodness, we are perfectly certain that our trust is not misplaced. Comp. ‘All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them’ (Mar 11:24). ‘Whatsoever we ask’ belongs to the conditional clause.
that we have ] Not merely that we shall have: our prayers are already granted, although no results may be perceptible. ‘Everyone that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth ’ (Mat 7:8).
that we desired of him ] Better, that we have asked of Him: it is the perfect tense of the same verb as is used in ‘whatsoever we ask.’ Comp. Mat 20:20. ‘Of Him’ or ‘from Him’ ( ‘ ) can be taken with ‘that we have’.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And if we know that he hear us – That is, if we are assured of this as a true doctrine, then, even though we may not see immediately that the prayer is answered, we may have the utmost confidence that it is not disregarded, and that it will be answered in the way best adapted to promote our good. The specific thing that we asked may not indeed be granted, (compare Luk 22:42; 2Co 12:8-9), but the prayer will not be disregarded, and the thing which is most for our good will be bestowed upon us. The argument here is derived from the faithfulness of God; from the assurance which we feel that when he has promised to hear us, there will be, sooner or later, a real answer to the prayer.
We know that we have the petitions … – That is, evidently, we now that we shall have them, or that the prayer will be answered. It cannot mean that we already have the precise thing for which we prayed, or that will be a real answer to the prayer, for
(a)The prayer may relate to something future, as protection on a journey, or a harvest, or restoration to health, or the safe return of a son from a voyage at sea, or the salvation of our souls – all of which are future, and which cannot be expected to be granted at once; and,
(b)The answer to prayer is sometimes delayed, though ultimately granted. There may be reasons why the answer should be deferred, and the promise is not that it shall be immediate. The delay may arise from such causes as these:
- To try our faith, and see whether the blessing is earnestly desired.
(2)Perhaps it could not be at once answered without a miracle.
(3)It might not be consistent with the divine arrangements respecting others to grant it to us at once.
(4)Our own condition may not be such that it would be best to answer it at once.
We may need further trial, further chastisement, before the affliction, for example, shall be removed; and the answer to the prayer may be delayed for months or years. Yet, in the meantime, we may have the firmest assurance that the prayer is heard, and that it will be answered in the way and at the period when God shall see it to be best.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 15. And if we know that he hear us] Seeing we are satisfied that he hears the prayer of faith, requesting the things which himself has promised; we know, consequently, that we have the petitions-the answer to the petitions, that we desired of him; for he cannot deny himself; and we may consider them as sure as if we had them; and we shall have them as soon as we plead for and need them. We are not to ask to-day for mercy that we now need, and not receive it till to-morrow, or some future time. God gives it to him who prays, when it is needful.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In the latter, in that, or somewhat equivalent, or better; for if he determine that thing to be best for us, all circumstances considered, we shall have it; if he determine otherwise, (supposing we pray according to his will), we desire it not: for every one intends good to himself, when he prays for any thing, not hurt. And God answers his children according to that general meaning of their prayers, not always according to the particular (which may be often a much mistaken) meaning. According whereto, supposing the thing would be really and in truth hurtful, (and Gods judgment is always according to truth), they constructively pray to be denied it; and the denial is the equivalent, nay, the better thing than what they particularly prayed for; and so they truly have their petitions: see 1Jo 3:22. Nor can any be understood to pray according to Gods will as the rule, if it be not to his glory as the end, as the order and connexion of petitions shows in that admirable platform prescribed by our Lord himself. And is it possible to be the sense of any one that hath a sincere heart in prayer, that God would gratify him against himself? Therefore that latitude allowed the apostles, Joh 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23, &c., must be understood to respect the service of the Christian interest, and is to be limited thereby, as some of the expressions show.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. hearGreek, “thatHe heareth us.”
we have the petitions that wedesired of himWe have, as present possessions,everything whatsoever we desired (asked) from Him.Not one of our past prayers offered in faith, according toHis will, is lost. Like Hannah, we can rejoice over them asgranted even before the event; and can recognize the event when itcomes to pass, as not from chance, but obtained by our past prayers.Compare also Jehoshaphat’s believing confidence in the issue of hisprayers, so much so that he appointed singers to praise the Lordbeforehand.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And if we know that he hear us,…. As it may be assured he does hear and answer all such persons that ask according to his will:
whatsoever we ask, we know, or are assured,
that we have the petitions that we desired of him: for as it is the nature of that holy confidence, which believers have in God, to believe whatever they ask according to his will, in general, shall be grappled, so every request in particular; yea, before the mercy desired, or the favour asked for is conferred, they are as sure of having it in God’s own time and way, as if they now had it in hand and fact.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And if we know ( ). Condition of first class with (usually ) and the perfect active indicative, assumed as true. See 1Thess 3:8; Acts 8:31 for the indicative with as in the papyri. “An amplification of the second limitation” (D. Smith).
Whatsoever we ask ( ). Indefinite relative clause with modal (=) and the present middle (as for ourselves) subjunctive of . This clause, like , is also the object of .
We know that we have ( ). Repetition of , the confidence of possession by anticipation.
The petitions ( ). Old word, from , requests, here only in John, elsewhere in N.T. Luke 23:24; Phil 4:6. We have the answer already as in Mr 11:24.
We have asked (). Perfect active indicative of , the asking abiding.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Whatsoever we ask. The whole phrase is governed by the verb hear. If we know that He heareth our every petition.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And if we know that He hear us.” If He is alive to hear, if we know or understand from past experience, from the testimony of others, and from His word, that He hears us. 1Jn 2:1-2; Heb 7:25.
2) “Whatsoever we ask.” He gives heed to grant, defer, or reject our petitions, according to His knowledge of our need and our good.
3) “We know that we have the petitions “ (echomen ta aitemata) we have the requests – objects of our pleas – This expresses bold confidence of possession by anticipation, by faith in his word. Joh 14:13-14.
4) “That we desire.” (ha hetekamen ap autou) which we earnestly request from Him. The picture is that of a child’s trust in a care filled father who never turns away his child’s request in time of need. Joh 15:16; Joh 16:23-24
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
15 And if we know This is not a superfluous repetition, as it seems to be; for what the Apostle declared in general respecting the success of prayer, he now affirms in a special manner that the godly pray or ask for nothing from God but what they obtain. But when he says that all the petitions of the faithful are heard, he speaks of right and humble petitions, and such as are consistent with the rule of obedience. For the faithful do not give loose reins to their desires, nor indulge in anything that may please them, but always regard in their prayers what God commands.
This, then, is an application of the general doctrine to the special and private benefit of every one, lest the faithful should doubt that God is propitious to prayers of each individual, so that with quiet minds they may wait until the Lord should perform what they pray for, and that being thus relieved from all trouble and anxiety, they may cast on God the burden of their cares. This ease and security ought not, however, to abate in them their earnestness in prayer, for he who is certain of a happy event ought not to abstain from praying to God. For the certainty of faith by no means generates indifference or sloth. The Apostle meant; that every one should be tranquil in these necessities when he has deposited his sighs in the bosom of God.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
15. Know that he hear us If we live in a consciousness that we have access to the divine ear. We also know, in spite of apparent failures, that we have the petitions or askings, either in the things themselves or some blessed equivalents.
We desired Rather, (in the perfect tense,) we have ever asked of him. Our askings have never been in vain, even though the specified thing has never come. They all redound upon us in divine blessedness.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Jn 5:15 . . By the indicative after (see on this, Winer, p. 264; VII. p. 277; Al. Buttmann, p. 191 ff.) this knowledge is emphasized as something undoubtedly belonging to the believer; differently 1Jn 5:16 : .
, ( ) ] Resumption of what was previously stated.
, . . .] In the certainty that God hears us lies also the certainty: ( ) .
is neither = , nor is the present put for the future (Grotius); the present is rather to be kept in its proper meaning; the believer always has that for which he has asked God ( ); he has God, and in Him all things.
are the res petitae (Lorinus).
from its position is not to be connected with , but with ; comp. Mat 20:20 ; Act 3:2 ; differently chap. 1Jn 3:22 : .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Ver. 15. We know that we have ] Iste vir potuit quod voluit, That man could do what he would with God, said one concerning Luther. See Trapp on “ Joh 15:16 “
We have the petitions that we desired of him ] If we can perceive and discern that God listeneth, the thing is done. Now the former we may find, first, by a cast of God’s countenance, by a smile of his face, Psa 22:24 ; Psa 34:15 , for a godly man is admitted to see as well as speak; like a good angel, he is ever looking on the face of God; and can gather by that how he shall speed in his suit. The upright shall dwell in his presence, Psa 140:13 , when the hypocrite shall not come before him, Job 13:16 . Secondly, By the answer of a man’s own conscience, 1Jn 3:20 . God answers us by this, as he did the high priest by Urim and Thummim, and as he answered Elijah by fire from heaven that consumed his sacrifice. This faithful petitioners seldom fail of,Psa 35:13Psa 35:13 ; Psa 6:8-9 Phi 4:6-7 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
15 .] And if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask (= our every petition: the condition, , is omitted this time as being supposed to be fulfilled), we know that we have the petitions ( , ‘res petitas,’ as Huther from Lorinus) which we have asked from Him (notice the pres. with the perf. .The perf. reaches through all our past prayers to this moment. All these we : not one of them is lost: He has heard, He has answered them all: we know that we have them in the truest sense, in possession. If the perf. were pres., , the assertion would be merely of habit, on each occasion: as it is, it is of the present possession of all past requests.
The belongs, by the arrangement of the words, to , not to , as Huther).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Jn 5:15 . An amplification of the second limitation. “We have our requests” not always as we pray but as we would pray were we wiser. God gives not what we ask but what we really need. cf. Shak., Ant. and Cleop. i. ii.:
“We, ignorant of ourselves,
Beg often our own harms, which the wise powers
Deny us for our good; so find we profit,
By losing of our prayers”.
Prayer is not dictation to God but (Joan. Damasc. De. Fid. Orthod. , iii. 24). Clem. Alex.: “Non absolute dixit quod petierimus sed quod oportet petere’.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
if. App-118.
petitions. App-134. Compare Mat 7:7. Joh 14:13; Joh 15:7.
desired = have desired. Same as “ask”, 1Jn 5:14.
of. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
15.] And if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask (= our every petition: the condition, , is omitted this time as being supposed to be fulfilled), we know that we have the petitions ( , res petitas, as Huther from Lorinus) which we have asked from Him (notice the pres. with the perf. .The perf. reaches through all our past prayers to this moment. All these we : not one of them is lost: He has heard, He has answered them all: we know that we have them in the truest sense, in possession. If the perf. were pres., , the assertion would be merely of habit, on each occasion: as it is, it is of the present possession of all past requests.
The belongs, by the arrangement of the words, to , not to , as Huther).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Jn 5:15. ) if we know. sometimes takes an indicative, of past time; and it does so here to give strength.-, we have) even before the event itself (comp. 1Sa 1:17-18); and we know that the event itself is not from chance, but obtained by prayers.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
if: Pro 15:29, Jer 15:12, Jer 15:13
we know: Mar 11:24, Luk 11:9, Luk 11:10
Reciprocal: Gen 18:32 – Oh Exo 33:17 – I will do 1Sa 1:27 – and the Lord 1Ki 3:5 – Ask what 1Ki 3:12 – I have done 2Ki 19:20 – I have heard 1Ch 17:25 – found 2Ch 1:7 – Ask 2Ch 7:12 – I have heard Job 22:27 – make thy Psa 5:1 – Give Psa 20:4 – General Psa 37:4 – and Psa 65:2 – thou Psa 145:19 – fulfil Pro 10:24 – the desire Isa 30:19 – he will Isa 38:5 – I have heard Isa 65:24 – General Mic 7:7 – my God Mat 7:7 – and it Mat 21:22 – General Act 12:12 – where Rom 8:27 – according Rom 12:12 – continuing 2Co 6:13 – be Jam 1:5 – let 2Jo 1:6 – this is love
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Jn 5:15. This verse explains what it means to be heard for our prayers. When we have the petitions (granted) then we know that they were scriptural or God would not have granted them.