OET interlinear 1 YHN (1 JHN) 4:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ἐάν τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν Θεόν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν

if anyone ˓may˒_say ¬that ˱I˲_˓am˒_loving ¬the God and the brother ˱of˲_him ˓may_be˒_hating ˓a˒_liar is

John is using a hypothetical situation to help his readers recognize the importance of consistency between their words and their actions. Alternate translation: [Suppose someone says, “I love God,” but he hates his brother. Then he is a liar]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

καὶ

and

John is using the word translated as and to introduce a contrast between what would be expected, that someone who loved God would also love his fellow believers, and what would actually be true of this hypothetical person. Alternate translation: [but]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ

¬the the brother ˱of˲_him

See how you translated his brother in [2:9](../02/09.md). Alternate translation: [one of his fellow believers]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

ὁ & μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ & τὸν Θεὸν & οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν

the_‹one› & not loving the brother ˱of˲_him & ¬the God & not ˓is˒_able ˓to_be˒_loving

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this double negative by translating it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: [only the person who loves his fellow believers … is able to love God]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἑώρακεν, τὸν Θεὸν, ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν, οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν

the_‹one› for not loving the brother ˱of˲_him whom ˱he˲_˓has˒_seen ¬the God whom not ˱he˲_˓has˒_seen not ˓is˒_able ˓to_be˒_loving

If it would be helpful in your language, you could state explicitly why this is true. Alternate translation: [This is true because it is much easier to love your fellow believer who is right in front of you than to love God, whom you could not even see.]