“And wherefore slew he him?”
The full verse · 1 John 3:12 · KJV
, who that wicked , . he ? his , .
Asked by
John: the apostle who, by long church tradition, wrote this letter to believers he calls "little children" (1 John 2:18)
Asked to
Reader: the believers John first wrote to, reminded of "the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another" (1 John 3:11), and anyone who reads the letter today
The Scene
John has just said the children of God and the children of the devil are known by whether they love their brother (1 John 3:10-11), and he turns to Cain as the example to avoid (Genesis 4:8).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJohn asks this so his readers will look past the murder to its root. Anyone can see that Cain killed Abel; John wants them to see why. Barnes answers plainly: "He acted under the influence of envy." Gill says Cain's offering was made "with an evil mind, and with an hypocritical heart," while Abel's was accepted, and this filled Cain with envy. The question exposes a hard truth: Cain did not hate Abel for doing wrong. He hated him for doing right.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJohn answers at once: "Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12). He then draws the lesson for his readers: "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you" (1 John 3:13). Love is the mark of new life: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). And hatred is murder in the heart: "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe story is in Genesis 4. Cain and Abel both brought offerings, "And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth" (Genesis 4:4-5). Later, in the field, Cain "rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him" (Genesis 4:8).
The Greek verb for "slew" is sphazo, which Thayer's lexicon defines as "to slay, slaughter, butcher." It is a strong word. Outside this verse, the New Testament uses it only in Revelation, including for the Lamb "that was slain" (Revelation 5:12; compare 5:6). John's phrase "of that wicked one" means, in Barnes' words, "Of the devil; that is, he was under his influence, and acted from his instigation."
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJohn uses the first murder in Scripture to show what hatred really is. It is not just a bad feeling. Left alone, it leads where Cain's led, which is why John says, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15). Matthew Henry puts it simply: "Sin, indulged, knows no bound." Barnes draws the hopeful other side: "Nothing but love would be necessary to put an end to the crimes, and consequently to a large part of the misery, of the world."
The contrast John sets up is between Cain and Christ. Cain took his brother's life; Christ "laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). God's children are marked by the second pattern, not the first.
Look Closer
According to John, why did Cain kill his brother?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, Cain resented his brother for doing right; is there anyone whose goodness I resent instead of thanking You for it?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Why do you think another person's good example can stir up envy instead of gratitude?
- When have you seen someone answer jealousy or hostility with love? What happened?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Envy often hides behind other names. It can look like criticism, distance, or a cold silence toward someone who is doing well. John asks you to look under the surface, the way he looked under Cain's act to its cause.
If you find envy there, the answer is not to try harder to like someone. It is to turn toward the love God showed when Christ "laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16), and to let that love shape how you treat your brother or sister. And if someone resents you for doing right, John says not to be surprised (1 John 3:13).
Scripture's own application: 1 John 3:11-16
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Why art thou wroth?”
“Am I my brother's keeper?”
“What hast thou done?”
“But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”