1 John 5
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the one who begot loves the one begotten of him — one verb in three forms at v.1, binding begetting and being born. His commandments are not heavy — the word by which the burdens were heavy at Matt 23:4. Everything born of God overcomes the world — v.4 is neuter, divided from the person of v.1, and the ‘victory’ that overcame the world is once in the New Testament, sharing a root with the verb in the same verse, which English loses. This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ — v.6 names water and blood twice, first genitive then dative. The base text carries only three witnesses — the Spirit, the water and the blood — and not the three heavenly witnesses the Received Text inserts here. The three are ‘unto the one’, not ‘are one’: a construction with a preposition. μαρτυρέω and μαρτυρία come five times each at vv.6-11. The one who has the Son has the life. These things were written so that you may know you have eternal life — John 20:31 said ‘that you may believe’, here ‘that you may know’. If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us — ‘ask for’ comes five times and the verb changes to ‘ask’ at v.16, a change the text does not explain. There is a sin unto death — what it is, and who gives the life, are not said. All unrighteousness is sin — built like ‘sin is lawlessness’ at 3:4. vv.18, 19 and 20 open alike with ‘we know’, the only three in a row in this letter. The one begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him — other editions read ‘keeps himself’, and ‘touch’ is the verb by which he touched and cleansed at Matt 8:3. The whole world lies in the evil one. The Son of God has come and has given us a mind to know the true one — ‘true’ comes three times at v.20 and closes with ‘the true God’, whose subject, Father or Son, is not said. Little children, keep yourselves from the idols — the letter closes in one line with no greeting and no blessing, and idols come here for the first and last time.
Why this rendering
1John.5.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται — γεννάω comes three times at v.1 — aorist participle (the one who begot), perfect passive participle (the one begotten), perfect passive (has been born) — begetting and being born on one verb · νίκη ‘victory’ is once in the New Testament, one root with νικάω ‘overcome’ in the same verse, so v.4 stacks the verb and the noun · πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον at v.4 is neuter — a ‘what’, unlike the person of v.1 · βαρύς ‘heavy’ is the word of Matt 23:4, where the burdens are heavy · ⸀ποιῶμεν ‘do’ at v.2 stands against ‘keep’ at v.3, two verbs kept apart · vv.1 and 5 pair on ‘the one who believes that Jesus is …’ — the Christ, and the Son of God · v.5 comes as a question and puts a person to the ‘victory’ of the verse before.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text uses one verb in three forms.
Basis νίκη is once in the New Testament and shares a root with the verb in the same verse.
Basis v.1 is a person and v.4 neuter.
Lost in translation
γεννάω three times (v.1) — begetting and being born on one verb. Both keep one root.
νικάω / νίκη (v.4) — one root in one verse. English splits ‘overcome’ and ‘victory’.
The neuter (v.4) — divided from the person of v.1. Both render the neuter.
ποιέω / τηρέω (vv.2 · 3) — doing and keeping the commandments. Both keep them apart.
βαρύς (v.3) — the word of Matt 23:4. Both stand alike.
The pair at vv.1 and 5 — ‘the one who believes that Jesus is …’ twice. Both match the shape.
Why this rendering
1John.5.12 Observation
Syntactic observation
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός — the base text carries only three witnesses at vv.7-8 — the Spirit, the water and the blood; the Received Text inserts three heavenly witnesses here, which the base text does not carry · εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν ‘are unto the one’ — not ‘are one’, but a construction with a preposition, rendered as it stands · μαρτυρέω five times and μαρτυρία five times at vv.6-11, one root ten times · v.6 names water and blood twice, first in the genitive and then in the dative — come through, and come in · whether the second ⸀ὅτι of v.9 is ‘that’ or ‘because’ the text does not say · ⸀αὑτῷ at v.10 is reflexive, ‘in himself’ · ψεύστην πεποίηκεν is perfect, taking up the phrase of 1:10 · v.11 puts ‘gave’ in the aorist and v.12 ‘has’ in the present.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The base text does not carry the three heavenly witnesses the Received Text inserts.
Basis The text uses a preposition — ‘are one’ would lose the construction.
Basis The text sets ἐν twice.
Lost in translation
Three witnesses (vv.7-8) — the base text carries only three. Neither locale adds.
εἰς τὸ ἕν (v.8) — a preposition. Both render it.
One root ten times (vv.6-11): μαρτυρέω and μαρτυρία, five each. Both keep ‘witness’.
Genitive and dative (v.6) — come through, and come in. Neither locale carries the split.
ὅτι (v.9) — ‘that’ or ‘because’ is not said. Both must choose.
ψεύστην πεποίηκεν (v.10) — taking up the phrase of 1:10. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1John.5.17 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ⸀ὑμῖν ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι ζωὴν ⸂ἔχετε αἰώνιον⸃ — v.13 pairs with John 20:31 — the Gospel says ‘that you may believe’, the letter ‘that you may know’ · παρρησία ‘openness’ comes a third time after 2:28 and 3:21 · αἰτέω comes five times at vv.14-16, middle and active mixed, and αἴτημα shares its root · v.16 shifts to ἐρωτάω — not ‘ask for’ but ‘ask’, and the text does not explain the change · what ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον ‘a sin unto death’ is the text does not say · who gives the life at v.16 is not said — the one who asks, or God · v.17 sets ‘all unrighteousness is sin’ on the pattern of ‘sin is lawlessness’ at 3:4 · οὐ and μή are divided between vv.16 and 17.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text does not say.
Basis Whether the asker or God the text does not say.
Basis vv.14-16 use αἰτέω and the end of v.16 ἐρωτάω.
Lost in translation
v.13 and John 20:31 — ‘know’ against ‘believe’. Both render the difference.
αἰτέω / αἴτημα (vv.14-16) — one root six times. English keeps ‘ask’ and ‘request’ apart.
αἰτέω / ἐρωτάω (v.16) — two verbs in one verse. Both keep them apart.
‘A sin unto death’ (v.16) — what it is is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
The giver (v.16) — who is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
The shape of v.17 — built like ‘sin is lawlessness’ at 3:4. Both match it.
Why this rendering
1John.5.21 Observation
Syntactic observation
Οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει … vv.18, 19 and 20 open alike with ‘we know’ — three in a row, the only such place in this letter · v.18 divides a perfect passive participle from an aorist passive participle — the one born and the one begotten, and the text does not say who the second is · ⸀αὐτόν ‘him’ — other editions read ‘himself’, which changes who keeps whom · ἅπτω ‘touch’ is the verb of Matt 8:3 — there he touched and cleansed; here the evil one does not touch · κεῖμαι ‘lie’ is the verb of 1 Cor 3:11, and the whole world lies in him · ἀληθινός ‘true’ comes three times at v.20 and closes with ‘the true God’, the place of John 17:3 · who the subject of οὗτός ἐστιν is the text does not say — the Father or the Son · v.21 closes in one line with no commandment and no greeting — idols come here for the first and last time in this letter · ἑαυτά is neuter plural.
Rendering options · 3
Basis Other editions read ‘keeps himself’, which changes who keeps whom.
Basis The text does not say whether the Father or the Son.
Basis It closes in one line with no greeting or blessing.
Lost in translation
‘We know’ three times (vv.18 · 19 · 20) — opening alike. Both match the shape.
Perfect and aorist participles (v.18) — the born and the begotten. English marks it with the two words.
⸀αὐτόν (v.18) — other editions read ‘himself’. Both follow the base text.
ἅπτω (v.18) — the verb of Matt 8:3. Both stand alike.
οὗτός ἐστιν (v.20) — who the subject is is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
The ending at v.21 — no greeting, no blessing. Neither locale adds.