OET interlinear 1YHN (1JHN) 2:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

πάλιν

again

John is using the term Again in the sense of “Looking at this again from another perspective.” Alternate translation: “On the other hand”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν

/a/_commandment new ˱I˲_/am/_writing ˱to˲_you_all

John is referring to the same commandment as in 2:7, the commandment that Jesus gave to love one another, which the believers have had all along. So he does not mean that he is now writing a new and different commandment, but rather that this same commandment, which he called “old” there, can also be considered new in a certain sense. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly which commandment John is referring to, and you could give the likely reason why it can be considered new as well as “old.” Alternate translation: “the commandment that I am writing to you, to love one another, is also, in a sense, a new commandment, because it is characteristic of a new way of life”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται, καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει

which is true in him and in you_all because the darkness /is_being/_passed_away and the light ¬the true already /is/_shining

If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these clauses, since the second clause gives the reason for the result that the first clause describes. It may also be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Because the darkness is going away and the true light is already shining, this commandment is true in Jesus and in you”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν

which is true in him and in you_all

Since Jesus consistently obeyed the commandment to love, it is likely that John is emphasizing that believers are doing the same thing themselves. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could bring out this implicit emphasis in your translation. It may also be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Jesus truly obeyed this commandment, and you are now truly obeying it as well”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν

which is true in him and in you_all

John is speaking as if this commandment were true inside of Jesus and these believers. Alternate translation, as a new sentence: “Jesus truly obeyed this commandment, and you are now truly obeying it as well”

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτῷ

him

The pronoun him refers to Jesus. John is using him as the supreme example of loving others. Alternate translation: “Jesus”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἡ σκοτία παράγεται, καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει

the darkness /is_being/_passed_away and the light ¬the true already /is/_shining

As in 1:5, John is using the word darkness to represent evil and the word light to represent what is holy, right, and good. The shining of the light represents its influence on people. Alternate translation: “what is evil is going away and people are able to see what is genuinely good more and more”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν

the light ¬the true

Since John calls God “the True One” in 5:20, he may be referring to God’s goodness and holiness when he says the true light. Alternate translation: “the goodness of God” or “the holiness of God”