1 John 5:17

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and [there] is a sin not [leading] to death.)

1 John 5:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 5:17

All unrighteousness is sin
All unrighteousness against God or man is a sin against the law of God, and the wrath of God is revealed against it, and it is deserving of death; yet all unrighteousness is not unto death, as the sins of David, which were unrighteousness both to God and man, and yet they were put away, and he died not; Peter sinned very foully, and did great injustice to his dear Lord, and yet his sin was not unto death; he had repentance unto life given him, and a fresh application of pardoning grace:

and there is a sin not unto death;
this is added for the relief of weak believers, who hearing of a sin unto death, not to be prayed for, might fear that theirs were of that kind, whereas none of them are; for though they are guilty of many unrighteousnesses, yet God is merciful to them and forgives, ( Hebrews 8:12 ) , and so they are not unto death.

1 John 5:17 In-Context

15 And if we know that he hears us [in] whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.

16 If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not [leading] to death, he should ask, and he will grant life to him, to those who sin not [leading] to death. ([There] is a sin [leading] to death; I do not say that he should ask about that.

17 All unrighteousness is sin, and [there] is a sin not [leading] to death.)

18 We know that everyone who is fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God, he protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in [the power of] the evil one.