1 John 2:11
“But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Hatred leaves a person in darkness, blind and stumbling without knowing the way.
What Does 1 John 2:11 Mean?
John shows the misery of hatred. The one who hates his brother is in darkness, walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, for the darkness has blinded his eyes. Hatred not only marks the dark; it deepens it.
Sin has a blinding power. The longer hatred is nursed, the less a person can see, until the very direction of life is lost. This is a warning wrapped in compassion. John does not want his readers to wander sightless. The remedy is the light of Christ and the love it kindles, which open the eyes and set the feet on a path that can be seen and trusted.
In the Original Language
typhloo (τυφλόω), 'to blind' -- to deprive of sight, here the effect of darkness on the one who hates.