KJV: I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
YLT: I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them -- Diotrephes -- doth not receive us;
Darby: I wrote something to the assembly; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, receives us not.
ASV: I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
| Ἔγραψά | I have written |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular Root: γράφω Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters. |
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| τι | something |
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Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular Root: τὶς Sense: a certain, a certain one. |
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| τῇ | to the |
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Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| ἐκκλησίᾳ | church |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular Root: ἐκκλησία Sense: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. |
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| ὁ | the [one] |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| φιλοπρωτεύων | loving to be first |
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Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: φιλοπρωτεύω Sense: to aspire to pre-eminence, to desire to be first. |
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| αὐτῶν | among them |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| Διοτρεφὴς | Diotrephes |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Διοτρέφης Sense: a proud arrogant Christian mentioned in 3 Jo. |
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| ἐπιδέχεται | welcomes |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: ἐπιδέχομαι Sense: to receive hospitality. |
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| ἡμᾶς | us |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Plural Root: ἐγώ Sense: I, me, my. |
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Greek Commentary for 3 John 1:9
A few MSS. add αν an to indicate that he had not written (conclusion of second-class condition), clearly spurious. Not epistolary aorist nor a reference to 2 John as Findlay holds, but an allusion to a brief letter of commendation (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1; Colossians 4:10) sent along with the brethren in 3 John 1:5-7 or to some other itinerant brethren. Westcott wrongly thinks that τι ti is never used of anything important in the N.T. (Acts 8:9; Galatians 6:3), and hence that this lost letter was unimportant. It may have been brief and a mere introduction. Διοτρεπες Diotrephes This ambitious leader and sympathiser with the Gnostics would probably prevent the letter referred to being read to the church, whether it was 2 John condemning the Gnostics or another letter commending Demetrius and John‘s missionaries. Hence he sends Gaius this personal letter warning against Diotrephes. [source]
Present active articular participle of a late verb, so far found only here and in ecclesiastical writers (the example cited by Blass being an error, Deissmann, Light etc., p. 76), from πιλοπρωτος philoprōtos fond of being first (Plutarch), and made like πιλοπονεω philoponeō (papyri), to be fond of toil. This ambition of Diotrephes does not prove that he was a bishop over elders, as was true in the second century (as Ignatius shows). He may have been an elder (bishop) or deacon, but clearly desired to rule the whole church. Some forty years ago I wrote an article on Diotrephes for a denominational paper. The editor told me that twenty-five deacons stopped the paper to show their resentment against being personally attacked in the paper.Receiveth us not (ουκ επιδεχεται ημας ouk epidechetai hēmās). Present active indicative of this old compound, in N.T. only here and 3 John 1:10. Diotrephes refused to accept John‘s authority or those who sided with him, John‘s missionaries or delegates (cf. Matthew 10:40). [source]
Present active indicative of this old compound, in N.T. only here and 3 John 1:10. Diotrephes refused to accept John‘s authority or those who sided with him, John‘s missionaries or delegates (cf. Matthew 10:40). [source]
The best texts insert τι somewhatwhich indicates that the apostle did not regard the communication as specially important. [source]
The name is from Δίος ofZeus (Jove), and τρέφω tonourish, and means Jove-nursed. [source]
From the adjective φιλόπρωτος fondof being first. The word occurs here only. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 3 John 1:9
See on 1 John 1:8. for the phrase walk in, see on 2 John 1:6. Thou is emphatic, suggesting a contrast with less faithful ones, as Diotrephes, 3 John 1:9. [source]
Genitive absolute with present middle participle of ερχομαι erchomai and so with μαρτυρουντων marturountōn (bare witness, present active participle of μαρτυρεω martureō). Present participle here denotes repetition, from time to time.To the truth (τηι αλητειαι tēi alētheiāi). Dative case. “As always in the Johannine writings, ‹truth‘ covers every sphere of life, moral, intellectual, spiritual” (Brooke).Even as thou walkest in truth “Thou” in contrast to Diotrephes (3 John 1:9) and others like him. On περιπατεω peripateō see 1 John 1:6 and on εν αλητειαι en alētheiāi see 2 John 1:4. [source]
“Thou” in contrast to Diotrephes (3 John 1:9) and others like him. On περιπατεω peripateō see 1 John 1:6 and on εν αλητειαι en alētheiāi see 2 John 1:4. [source]
Condition of third class with εαν ean and second aorist active subjunctive of ερχομαι erchomai He hopes to come (3 John 1:14), as he had said in 2 John 1:12 (one argument for identifying 2 John with the letter in 3 John 1:9). [source]