1 John 5:12
New International Version
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

New Living Translation
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

English Standard Version
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Berean Literal Bible
The one having the Son has life; the one not having the Son of God does not have life.

King James Bible
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

New King James Version
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

New American Standard Bible
The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

NASB 1995
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

NASB 1977
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have that life.

Amplified Bible
He who has the Son [by accepting Him as Lord and Savior] has the life [that is eternal]; he who does not have the Son of God [by personal faith] does not have the life.

Christian Standard Bible
The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.

American Standard Version
He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.

Contemporary English Version
And so, if we have God's Son, we have this life. But if we don't have the Son, we don't have this life.

English Revised Version
He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The person who has the Son has this life. The person who doesn't have the Son of God doesn't have this life.

Good News Translation
Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

International Standard Version
The person who has the Son has this life. The person who does not have the Son of God does not have this life.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

NET Bible
The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.

New Heart English Bible
He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have God's Son does not have the life.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.

Weymouth New Testament
He who has the Son has the Life: he who has not the Son of God has not the Life.

World English Bible
He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
he who is having the Son has life; he who is not having the Son of God does not have life.

Berean Literal Bible
The one having the Son has life; the one not having the Son of God does not have life.

Young's Literal Translation
he who is having the Son, hath the life; he who is not having the Son of God -- the life he hath not.

Smith's Literal Translation
He having the Son has life; and he not having the Son of God has not life.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that hath the Son, hath life. He that hath not the Son, hath not life.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Whoever has the Son, has Life. Whoever does not have the Son, does not have Life.

New American Bible
Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

New Revised Standard Version
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He who believes on the Son has life; he who does not believe on the Son of God does not have life.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Everyone who lays hold of The Son lays hold also of The Life, and everyone who does not lay hold of The Son of God does not have The Life in him.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
He that has the Son, has life: he that has not the Son of God, has not life.

Godbey New Testament
The one having the Son has the life; the one not having the Son of God has not the life.

Haweis New Testament
He that hath the Son, hath this life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not this life.

Mace New Testament
he that receives the son, is intitled to life; and he that does not receive the son of God, has no title to life.

Weymouth New Testament
He who has the Son has the Life: he who has not the Son of God has not the Life.

Worrell New Testament
He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son of God has not the life.

Worsley New Testament
He that hath the Son hath life: he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Testimony about His Son
11And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.…

Cross References
John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

John 5:24
Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 1:4
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 6:47
Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.

Romans 8:9-10
You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. / But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

1 John 2:23
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

1 John 4:9
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.

John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Ephesians 2:1
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,


Treasury of Scripture

He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.

that hath the.

1 John 2:23,24
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also

John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

and he.

Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jump to Previous
God's Life
Jump to Next
God's Life
1 John 5
1. He who loves God loves his children, and keeps his commandments;
3. which to the faithful are not grievous.
9. Jesus is the Son of God;
14. and able to hear our prayers.














Whoever has the Son
The phrase "Whoever has the Son" emphasizes the personal and relational aspect of faith in Jesus Christ. The Greek word for "has" is "ἔχει" (echei), which implies possession or holding onto something. In the context of 1 John, this possession is not merely intellectual acknowledgment but a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus. Historically, the early church faced challenges from Gnostic teachings that denied the incarnation of Christ. John counters this by affirming that true life is found in a personal relationship with Jesus, the incarnate Son of God.

has life
The term "life" here is translated from the Greek word "ζωή" (zoe), which refers to eternal life, a quality of life that is both abundant and everlasting. This life is not just future-oriented but begins in the present for those who are in Christ. Theologically, this life is a gift from God, made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a life that transcends physical existence and is characterized by a restored relationship with God, peace, joy, and spiritual fulfillment.

whoever does not have the Son of God
This phrase serves as a stark contrast to the previous statement. The absence of the Son signifies a lack of relationship with Jesus. The use of "does not have" (Greek: "οὐκ ἔχει," ouk echei) underscores the exclusivity of salvation through Christ alone. In the historical context of John's epistle, this was a direct refutation of false teachings that offered alternative paths to God. The phrase "Son of God" affirms the divine nature of Jesus, a central tenet of Christian faith that was under attack by early heresies.

does not have life
The repetition of "does not have" emphasizes the consequence of rejecting or not accepting Jesus. Without the Son, one is devoid of "life" (zoe), which is not merely physical death but spiritual death—a separation from God. This underscores the urgency and necessity of evangelism and discipleship in the Christian mission. Theologically, it highlights the belief that eternal life is exclusively found in Jesus Christ, aligning with the broader biblical narrative that presents Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Verse 12. - Eternal life is not granted to the whole world, or even to all Christians en masse; it is given to individuals, soul by soul, according as each does or does not accept the Son of God. The order of the Greek is noteworthy - in the first half of the verse the emphasis is on "hath," in the second on "life." Here, as in John 1:4, the article before ζωή should be translated, "hath the life... hath not the life." The insertion of τοῦ Θεοῦ in the second half of the verse points to the magnitude of the loss: the possessor has no need to be told whose Son he has.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Whoever
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

has
ἔχων (echōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

has
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

life;
ζωήν (zōēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.

whoever
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

does not have
ἔχων (echōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of God
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

does not have
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

life.
ζωὴν (zōēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.


Links
1 John 5:12 NIV
1 John 5:12 NLT
1 John 5:12 ESV
1 John 5:12 NASB
1 John 5:12 KJV

1 John 5:12 BibleApps.com
1 John 5:12 Biblia Paralela
1 John 5:12 Chinese Bible
1 John 5:12 French Bible
1 John 5:12 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
1 John 5:11
Top of Page
Top of Page