2 John 1
The elder writes to the chosen lady and her children — he names himself only ‘the elder’, with no name, and whether ‘lady’ is a person or a congregation is not said. ‘Whom’ is masculine plural, taking up a feminine singular and a neuter plural together. ‘Truth’ comes five times at vv.1-4, and the truth that abides in us will be with us unto the age. Grace, mercy, peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father — the greeting is a future indicative and not a wish, the three stand with no conjunction, and ‘the Son of the Father’ stands in the singular where Matt 5:45 has the plural. I rejoiced greatly to have found some of your children walking in truth — a partitive, and how many is not said. And now, lady, I ask you — not a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning, repeating 1 John 2:7 almost word for word. Love is walking according to his commandments, and the commandment is to walk in it — the two lock into each other, and whether ‘it’ is the love or the commandment is not said, both being feminine. ‘Walk’ comes three times, and singular and plural ‘you’ are mixed within one letter. Many deceivers have gone out into the world — taking up 1 John 4:1-3, but the participle changes from perfect to present, and the plural ‘deceivers’ gathers into the singular ‘the deceiver’. Watch yourselves, that you may not lose what we worked for but may receive back a full wage. Everyone who goes before and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God — the verb by which Jesus goes before at Mark 16:7, used here of a bad thing. Do not receive into a house anyone who does not bring this teaching, and do not say ‘Greetings’ to him — the greeting of Jas 1:1 and Acts 15:23, quoted here twice. Having many things to write, I did not want to do it with paper and ink — ‘paper’ is once in the New Testament, a sheet of papyrus. I hope to come and speak mouth to mouth — differing from ‘face to face’ at 3 John 14. The children of your chosen sister greet you — and it closes with no blessing and no Amen.
Why this rendering
2John.1.3 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς — the writer names himself only ‘the elder’, with no name; 3 John does the same, and 1 John has no opening at all · κυρία ‘lady’ stands only at vv.1 and 5, the feminine of κύριος ‘lord’ — whether it is a name or names a congregation the text does not say · οὓς ‘whom’ is masculine plural where a feminine singular and a neuter plural precede — one form taking up both · ἀλήθεια ‘truth’ comes five times at vv.1-4 · the greeting is in the future — ‘will be’, not ‘may be’ · χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη stand in a row with no conjunction — the same three as in the letters to Timothy, where ‘and’ joins them · ⸀παρά comes twice, dividing from the Father and from the Son · ‘the Son of the Father’ stands in the singular here, where Matt 5:45 has ‘sons of your Father’ in the plural.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text gives no name — supplying ‘John’ would add one it does not have.
Basis Whether a person or a congregation the text does not say.
Basis Other letters greet with a wish; this one uses a future indicative.
Lost in translation
‘The elder’ (v.1) — no name. Both leave it unfilled.
κυρία (vv.1 · 5) — the feminine of κύριος. English keeps ‘lady’ apart from ‘lord’.
Masculine οὕς (v.1) — taking up a feminine singular and a neuter plural. Neither locale carries the gender.
The future greeting (v.3) — a future, not a wish. Both render the future.
Three with no conjunction (v.3). Both supply commas or ‘and’.
ἀλήθεια five times (vv.1-4) — threading the opening. Both keep one word.
Why this rendering
2John.1.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἐχάρην λίαν ὅτι εὕρηκα ἐκ τῶν τέκνων σου περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ — ἐκ τῶν τέκνων is partitive, and how many of the children the text does not say · singular and plural are mixed — ‘you’ is singular at vv.4-5 and plural at the end of v.6 and at vv.8, 10, 12 · v.5 repeats 1 John 2:7 almost word for word · ἐρωτάω ‘ask’ is the verb of 1 John 5:16, kept apart from αἰτέω · περιπατέω ‘walk’ comes three times at vv.4 and 6 — walking in truth, walking according to the commandments, walking in it · v.6 locks love and commandment into each other · ἵνα comes three times at vv.5-6, each time ‘that we/you should’ · whether ἐν αὐτῇ ‘in it’ is the love or the commandment the text does not say — both are feminine.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text uses a partitive — ‘your children’ would say all of them.
Basis The text mixes singular and plural within one letter.
Basis Love or commandment the text does not say, and both are feminine.
Lost in translation
ἐκ τῶν τέκνων (v.4) — how many is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
Singular and plural (vv.4-12) — mixed within one letter. English has one ‘you’ for both.
v.5 and 1 John 2:7 — repeated almost word for word. Both use the same wording.
περιπατέω three times (vv.4 · 6). Both keep one word.
ἐν αὐτῇ (v.6) — love or commandment is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
ἐρωτάω (v.5) — the verb of 1 John 5:16. Both keep it apart from αἰτέω.
Why this rendering
2John.1.13 Observation
Syntactic observation
ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ⸀ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον … v.7 takes up 1 John 4:1-3 but changes the participle — perfect there (having come), present here (coming) · the plural πλάνοι gathers into the singular ὁ πλάνος — many counted as one · χάρτης ‘paper’ is once in the New Testament, a sheet of papyrus · μέλαν ‘ink’ stands with 2 Cor 3:3 and 3 John 13 · στόμα πρὸς στόμα ‘mouth to mouth’ differs from ‘face to face’ at 3 John 14 · the close of v.12 is nearly the same as 3 John 13-14 · προάγω ‘go before’ is used of a bad thing — at Mark 16:7 Jesus goes before · χαίρειν ‘greetings’ is the infinitive of a greeting, the form of Jas 1:1 and Acts 15:23, and vv.10-11 quote it twice · v.13 closes with a greeting, with no blessing and no Amen.
Rendering options · 3
Basis 1 John 4:2 has a perfect; here it is present.
Basis The text puts the greeting’s infinitive as the object.
Basis It is the verb by which Jesus goes before at Mark 16:7, used here of a bad thing.
Lost in translation
The present participle (v.7) — against the perfect of 1 John 4:2. Both render the change.
Plural to singular (v.7) — many gathered into one. Both render the number.
χαίρειν (vv.10 · 11) — the greeting quoted. Both keep the quotation.
προάγω (v.9) — the verb of Mark 16:7. Both stand alike.
στόμα πρὸς στόμα (v.12) — differing from ‘face to face’ at 3 John 14. Both keep them apart.
The close of v.13 — no blessing, no Amen. Neither locale adds.