What Does 1 John 2:17 Mean in the King James?

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 John 2:17 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The world’s desire is already passing, while the one who does God’s will remains into the age.

THE MEANING

The world around you and the desire it offers are passing even now; their pull does not make them permanent. The one who does God’s will remains into the age, living in what outlasts the passing order.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

It undoes the belief that what feels powerful or desirable now must last. The verse places the world’s desire in motion toward passing, while the one who does God’s will remains.

THE ROOT

εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

eis ton aiōna

GROWS FROM

αἰών

aiōn

Age; a span or era of time.

The phrase gives abiding the shape of continuing into the age: the one doing God’s will remains ⁨εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα⁩ (eis ton aiōna, into the age). This opens the KJV’s “for ever” onto the Greek image of enduring into the age.

ALSO GROWS

aiōnios: Of the age; age-long.

αἰώνιος

This related word keeps the age-shaped sense of ⁨αἰών⁩ visible in descriptions of duration.

aiōnes: Ages.

αἰῶνες

The plural makes the language of successive ages explicit, echoing the verse’s movement into the age.

παράγεται

paragetai

GROWS FROM

ἄγω

agō

To lead, bring, or carry.

“passeth away” in this verse is paragetai. The form ⁨παράγεται⁩ (paragetai) is present: the world is passing by now. Its compound carries the sense of going past, showing the world and its desire already in motion toward passing.

ALSO GROWS

agō: Lead, bring, carry.

ἄγω

This is the root beneath the verse’s word for passing, giving the movement a sense of being carried along.

paragō: Pass by, go past.

παράγω

This related form makes clear that the verse describes the world as passing by in the present.

μένει

menei

GROWS FROM

μένω

menō

Remain, stay, continue.

“abideth” in this verse is menei. The one doing God’s will does not merely survive the world’s passing; this verb carries the sense of staying. Its word family also names a dwelling, opening abiding as a continuing place of presence.

ALSO GROWS

monē: Dwelling place, residence.

μονή

This related noun lets “abideth” carry the feeling of a settled dwelling, not just lasting through time.

diamenō: Continue, remain.

διαμένω

The compound keeps the same root of staying and continuing, reinforcing the contrast with what passes.

THE PATTERN

The present world is already passing, while a life enacted in God’s will continues into the age.

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Isaiah 40:8 · KJVThe grass and flower recede while God’s word stands, echoing the contrast between what passes and what endures.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 24:35 · KJVJesus sets passing heaven and earth beside words that remain, expanding the verse’s contrast to cosmic scale.

And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1 Corinthians 7:31 · KJVThe present form of the world is described as passing away, making its transience something already underway.

THE THREAD

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

1 John 2:8 · KJV

This verse uses ⁨παράγεται⁩ (paragetai) for darkness, the same verb used here for the world and its desire. In both verses, the passing is underway now, set beside what remains.

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