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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
1 Yhn 5 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V21
◄ ← 1 YHN (1 JHN) 5:20 ↓ → ║ ©
OET (OET-LV) And we_have_known that the son of_ the _god is_coming, and has_given to_us a_mind, in_order_that we_are_knowing the true one, and we_are in the true one, in the son of_him, Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen_one/messiah.
This one is the true god and eternal life.
OET (OET-RV) We know that God’s son has come and helped our minds so that we could know the true one, and we are in the true one and also in his son, Yeshua the messiah—the true God and eternal life itself.
Read 5:13–21 carefully.
Section Theme: John ends his letter by reassuring his readers that they do have eternal life and that they do truly know God.
Read 5:18–21 in both BSB and GNT. Compare the two versions.
Paragraph Theme: Finally John reminds the readers that God protects them from the temptation to sin and that they really do know God, so they should reject all false teaching.
And we know that the Son of God has come
We(incl) know that God’s Son has come to this world
has come: (Meaning) This refers to the fact that Jesus came into the world.
and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true;
and has caused us to be able to know the only true/real God.
has given us understanding: (Collocation) In your language it may not be possible to “give” an abstract thing like understanding, or it may not be clear in what way this is done. Here the basic meaning is that Jesus has caused us to understand or know something.
understanding: (Lexical Problem) The thing that is understood is not mentioned here, but its result is given in the next clause, “so that we may know him….” Therefore John’s meaning is that Jesus has given us the ability or power to know him who is true.
Him who is true: (Meaning) John is here referring to God, whom Jesus has caused us to know. He is saying that this is the real God, in contrast to the false gods of other religions and in contrast to false teachings about the God of Christianity.
and we are in Him who is true—
We are united with this only true/real God
in Him: (Collocation) As in 2:5c, this means that we are in union with God, in a close personal relationship with him.
in His Son Jesus Christ.
because we are united with his Son, Jesus Christ.
in: (Ellipsis) This clause explains how we are “in God.” The full meaning is “because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ.”
He is the true God
There is no other true/real God.
He: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different views about who the pronoun He refers to:
It probably refers to God.
Some think it refers to Christ. (LB)
and eternal life.
God is the only one who gives people eternal heavenly life.
He is the only one who can make people live with him for ever.
and eternal life: (Meaning) John means that God is the only source of eternal life. We have eternal life by being united to God.
Note 1 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples
ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ
the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
Son of God is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἥκει
˓is˒_coming
If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state more explicitly what this means, as you may have done in [5:6](../05/06.md). Alternate translation: [has come to earth from God]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν
˓has˒_given ˱to˲_us ˓a˒_mind
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun understanding with a verb such as “understand.” Alternate translation: [has enabled us to understand]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν
˓has˒_given ˱to˲_us ˓a˒_mind
If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly what Jesus has enabled us to understand. Alternate translation: [has enabled us to understand the truth] or [has enabled us to understand the truth about God]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
τὸν Ἀληθινόν & τῷ Ἀληθινῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
John is using the adjective True as a noun in order to indicate a specific being. ULT adds One to show this. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: [the One who is true … the One who is true]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
τὸν Ἀληθινόν & τῷ Ἀληθινῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
John is speaking of God by association with the way that he is True. This could mean: (1) The God who is genuine, in contrast to false gods. Alternate translation: [the real God … the real God] (2) The God who is true in all that he says and does. Alternate translation: [God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do … God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
As in [2:5](../02/05.md), John is speaking as if believers could be inside of God and Jesus. This expression describes having a close relationship with God and Jesus. Alternate translation: [we have a close relationship with the true God, with his Son Jesus Christ]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
This second occurrence of the True One could refer to: (1) Jesus, as the rest of the clause makes clear. In this case, John is saying that both God and Jesus are the true God, and we are in both. See the UST. (2) God, just as the first occurrence of the True One refers to God. In this case, John is saying that we are in God because of being in Jesus. Alternate translation: [we are in the True One through being in Jesus Christ, his Son]
Note 9 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples
τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ
the the Son ˱of˲_him
Son is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God.
Note 10 topic: writing-pronouns
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
This could refer either to (1) Jesus, who was mentioned just before, or (2) God, who was mentioned earlier.
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys
ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος
the the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
John is expressing a single idea by using two noun phrases connected with and. The phrase eternal life describes a quality of the true God, that he gives eternal life. Alternate translation: [the true God, who gives eternal life]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ζωὴ αἰώνιος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οἴδαμεν Δέ ὅτι ὁ Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ ἥκει καί δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκομεν τόν Ἀληθινόν καί ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ Οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ ἀληθινός Θεός καί ζωή αἰώνιος)
As in [4:9](../04/09.md), eternal life means both receiving power from God in this life to live in a new way and living forever in the presence of God after death. See how you translated the expression eternal life there.
5:20 The NLT interprets the phrase the true God as referring to God, since the next phrase refers to his Son, Jesus Christ. John is also saying that Jesus Christ is the only true God (see John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1).
• To have fellowship with Jesus Christ is to have eternal life, because he is eternal life (1 Jn 5:12; see John 1:4; 3:16; 14:6; 20:31).
OET (OET-LV) And we_have_known that the son of_ the _god is_coming, and has_given to_us a_mind, in_order_that we_are_knowing the true one, and we_are in the true one, in the son of_him, Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa) chosen_one/messiah.
This one is the true god and eternal life.
OET (OET-RV) We know that God’s son has come and helped our minds so that we could know the true one, and we are in the true one and also in his son, Yeshua the messiah—the true God and eternal life itself.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.