1 John 3:12 (DBY)

Passage

not as Cain was of the wicked one, and slew his brother; and on account of what slew he him? because his works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:10 In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, and he who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message which ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another:

1 John 3:12 not as Cain was of the wicked one, and slew his brother; and on account of what slew he him? because his works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous.

1 John 3:13 Do not wonder, brethren, if the world hate you.

1 John 3:14 *We* know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [his] brother abides in death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cain", "wicked", "slew", "brother", "account", and "works". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cain" and "wicked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For this is the message which ye..." into verse 13's "Do not wonder brethren if the world...", so "cain" and "wicked" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cain" and "wicked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.