THE HOLY BIBLE (Darby Translation) Darby's Notes on 1 John

1:2b, 1:3b report: 'Bring back the report of,' from something we have learnt.
1:2c which: Hostis: as Matt. 7:24. The character, not merely the statement of the fact, 'which was such a one as that.'
1:3d fellowship: Koinonia: see Heb. 2:14.
1:6e, 1:8e, 1:10e say, 1:7e walk, 1:9e confess: In all these cases the verb is in the subjunctive, and puts the case of so doing. I should have translated them 'if we should say,' &c., but that it is the case in ver. 9 also, where it cannot be done.
1:7f, 1:9f all: Or 'every.'
2:1g children: Teknia (a diminutive). It is a term of parental affection. It applies to Christians irrespective of growth. Used in vers. 12:28; chs. 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; John 13:33; Gal. 4:19
2:1h patron: Parakletos, as 'comforter,' John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7. Christ manages all our affairs for us above; the Holy Spirit below. I use 'patron' in the sense rather of the Roman patron, who maintained the interests of his clients in every way. So Christ on high; the Spirit here for saints.
2:3a know, 2:13a, 2:14a known: Ginosko: and so throughout chapter, except vers. 11, 20, 21, 29 (first), oida. Perfect tense here: 'have come to know him, and continue so to do;' and so vers. 4, 13, 14.
2:5b keeps: A subjunctive, or 'shall keep.'
2:7c had: Or 'ye had.'
2:9d the: 'The darkness.' Though a little harsh in these cases in English, 'the' ought to be retained, because it is not simply a state -- a man being in darkness; but a specific darkness, the ignorance and non-revelation of God is spoken of: only it is abstract, and so absolute. 'The darkness' is the natural condition of sinful man without God, who is light; the creature without God. Hence in John 1:5 'the light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not.' 'Is passing' (ver. 8) is abstract. 'The true light shines:' that is absolute; it shines, whether seen or not. But though some had received the light, he could not say the darkness was all gone, for it was not, but only with some who 'were once darkness, but now light in the Lord.' Thus it was not as in the gospel, when Christ was upon earth; for then the darkness apprehended not the light shining in darkness. It was putting the light out. As long as he was in the world, he was the light of the world. Now it was not so: there was a passing away of the darkness.
2:13e, 2:14e overcome: The perfect tense: the state produced continues.
2:13f children: Paidion (diminutive); it has reference to growth. It stands in contrast to 'young men' and 'fathers.'
2:17g does: See Note e at ch. 3:10.
2:18f children: Paidion (diminutive); it has reference to growth. It stands in contrast to 'young men' and 'fathers.'
2:18a hour: John uses 'hour' continually in the sense of 'time,' as John 5:35, 'a season.' It is properly a given point of time. With John it is constantly a period characterized by one thing, and hence looked at as only one time. As we say 'the hour of Napoleon's greatness.'
2:18b come: 'There have come' (ginomai: John 1:17) is not from the same word as 'comes' in this verse. It is what did not exist before, but begins or becomes. 'There have come' I believe nearest the sense. The perfect tense conveys the thought that they still exist.
2:27c *yourselves*: Personal pronouns, used as the subject of a verb, are normally emphatic in Greek, but in John their use is almost universal. Still, there is some distinctive emphasis here, as also ver. 24, where 'you' seems in contrast with 'those that denied the Son.'
2:28d if: 'If ' (so 3John 10) sets out what supposes and depends on the fact, not referring to time. Here, if at any moment it happened, we should be so and so: if that, this might be too.
2:29e know: Here eidete from oida, conscious knowledge; then ginoskete from ginosko, knowledge of something from without, from witness to us.
2:29f know: Or 'ye know.'
3:1g children: Teknon (not a diminutive), as vers. 2, 10; ch. 5:2; 2John 1, 4, 13; 3John 4.
3:2h manifested: Actual manifestation is here meant; not merely a revelation for faith.
3:2i know: Oida, as ch. 2:29.
3:2k it: Or 'he.'
3:3l him: Him who is to be manifested.
3:4m lawlessness: To translate this 'sin is the transgression of the law,' as in A.V., is wrong, and gives a false definition of sin, for sin was in the world, and death as a consequence, before the giving of the law: see Rom. 5:13; 7:13. The Greek reads 'sin is lawlessness,' that is, the absence of the principle of law (not the law), or, in other words, of the control of God over the soul. I ought to have no will of my own, but be in obedience. The statement is reciprocal, and may be read 'lawlessness is sin.'
3:5a, 3:14a, 3:15a know: Oida, as ch. 2:29.
3:6b whoever: Lit. 'every one that.'
3:6c known: Ginosko: perfect tense; implying here the continuously present state of not seeing or knowing.
3:9d Whoever: Or 'no one that has been begotten (or 'is born') of God practises:' see vers. 6, 10; ch. 2:29.
3:10e, 3:22e practise: Poieo, as ch. 1:6; 2:17 (does), 29; 3:4, 7, 8, 9, 22: see Rom. 1:32.
3:14f his: Lit. 'the.'
3:16g known: Perfect tense, as ch. 2:3.
3:17h substance: 'What is necessary to life,' 'subsistence.'
3:19i persuade: Or 'assure.'
3:20k us: Subjunctive. 'That,' ver. 20, refers to 'hereby' in ver. 19. It is showing what tests 'in truth.' The repetition of 'that' is nothing uncommon. It is found in Eph. 2:11, 12. What 'hereby' refers to very commonly follows in John, as in vers. 16, 24, and ch. 4:17, and elsewhere, frequently indeed with 'that.' 'God being greater' is evidently a testing, searching thing.
3:21l not: Subjunctive, as ver. 20, and ch. 1:6, 7.
4:2a know: Ginosko: and so throughout chapter: see 1Cor. 8:1.
4:7b, 5:1b, 5:4b begotten: Or 'is born.' as ch. 3:9.
4:9c us: 'In our case,' in respect of us. The idea of the love of God remains absolute: only it has been shown 'as respects us in this,' &c.
4:12d in us, 4:16d to us: En, 'of which we are the objects;' but it is more than 'towards.'
5:6a the: Or 'truth:' the proposition is reciprocal, as ch. 3:4, John 1:4. And 'truth' amounts only to true; whereas 'the truth' is the whole thing.
5:7b three: What is omitted here has no real manuscript authority.
5:8c agree: 'Are to one point or purpose' -- to one thing in their testimony. It is more than 'agree.'
5:10d made: Poieo, as 'make,' ch. 1:10: see Note k, Rom. 1:32.
5:13e know: Oida: 'conscious knowledge;' so vers. 15, 18, 19, 20, first: ginosko, vers. 2:20, second.
5:18f one: As 'whoever,' ch. 3:6.
5:18g begotten: Or 'is born,' as chs. 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4,
5:19h wicked: Or 'in wickedness.' This word, which may mean both, is also used for 'the wicked one,' as ch. 3:12.

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