OET interlinear 1YHN (1JHN) 5:9

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνομεν

if the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_humans ˱we˲_/are/_receiving

John is speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something this way if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what John is saying is not certain, then you could translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: “Since we receive the testimony of men”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

τὴν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνομεν

the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_humans ˱we˲_/are/_receiving

This is an idiom. Alternate translation: “we believe people when they give testimony”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τῶν ἀνθρώπων

¬the ˱of˲_humans

Although the term men is masculine, John is using the word in a generic sense that could include both men and women. Alternate translation: “of people”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν

the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_God greater is

The word greater implicitly means that the testimony of God is more reliable than human testimony since God knows everything and God always tells the truth. Alternate translation: “the testimony of God is more reliable”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν

the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_God greater is

John is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages in order to be complete. These words can be supplied from the previous phrase. Alternate translation: “we should certainly receive the testimony of God since it is greater” or “we should certainly believe God when he gives testimony since his testimony is even more reliable”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ

because this is the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_God that ˱he˲_/has/_testified concerning the Son ˱of˲_him

Here, For could be introducing: (1) the content of God’s testimony to his Son. In that case, the content itself comes in 5:11 after he repeats, “this is the testimony.” Verse 10 talks about the importance of believing God’s testimony. Alternate translation: “Now this is the testimony that God himself has given regarding his Son” (2) the reason why the testimony of God is greater than human testimony. Alternate translation: “After all, this is God who has told us about his own Son.”

Note 7 topic: writing-pronouns

αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ Θεοῦ

this is the testimony ¬the ˱of˲_God

Here, this could refer to: (1) God’s testimony, which John says in 5:11. Alternate translation: “I will tell you what God’s testimony is” (2) the three testimonies from 5:8. Alternate translation: “those things are the testimony of God”

Note 8 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples

τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ

¬the ¬the the Son ˱of˲_him

Son is an important title for Jesus. Alternate translation: “his Son Jesus”