complete verse (1 John 2:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:13:

  • Uma: “Fathers, I write to you this letter, because you know the one who was from the first. Young-men, young-women, I write to you this letter, because you have defeated the evil-one(s) / evil-spirits.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I write to you old people, because you know Almasi, in the beginning of time he was already beforehand. I write to you young men, because you are not carried-along/influenced by the temptations of the leader of demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for you older people, the reason I write to you is because you have been made the friends of Christ. He existed before anything was created. As for you young people, I write to you for you have defeated Satan. As for you children, I write to you for you are now the friends of our Father God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I have also written to you fathers/elders, because you know him who already-existed since the very-beginning. And you young-men also, I have written to you because you have defeated Satanas.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I am writing to you elders/parents because you indeed know him who existed already from long ago when there wasn’t yet any world. I am writing to you young-folk because, through your trust in the Lord/Chief, you have now been able to have victory over Satanas who is the Epitome of Evil. I am writing to you who are like my children because you really know our Father who is God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now the old people, I write this word to you here in the letter because you have come to know him who was living before all the things that exist were made. Now the young men, I write this word here in the letter to you because you have won over against the devil. Listen, my children, I write this word to you here in the letter because you have come to know God our Father.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “I am writing to you parents of children because you are acquainted with Jesus Christ who was already present when the world began. I am writing to you young people, because you have already won out over the deceiver. I am writing to you children, because you are acquainted with our father God.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “I’m writing to you, you men, and you know what I’m saying, because you know him who was living when unending time. I’m writing to you, boys, you also know him, because you have overcome the big-evil-one. I’m writing to you my dear children, because all of you know the Father.”
  • Tzotzil: “I am talking to you, you who area already old (men), because you have already known Christ whose character is he is. I am talking to you also, you who are young men still because all the time you are conquering the devil. My children, because you have already known our (in) Father God therefore I have written to you this.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“is/be present”)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, o-rare-ru (おられる) or “is/be present” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 John 2:13

Fathers: having spoken to the congregation as a whole, John now proceeds to address two age groups, here the older, and in verse 13b the younger generation. The same sequence is to be found in verses 13c, 14a, 14b. In some languages the term ‘fathers’ can be used in this expanded sense. Where this is not the case, one may use such renderings as ‘old(er) ones,’ ‘elders,’ ‘you who are already old.’

You know, see comments on 1 John 2.3.

Him who is from the beginning is an allusion to the Word which from the beginning was with God and has appeared in the person of Jesus Christ, see comments on 1.1a. This allusion should, however, not be made explicit in the translation unless this is strictly required by idiom.

On the other hand the translator should make fairly clear that the reference is not to a thing or situation but to a person. In English one does so by the use of the pronouns him who; elsewhere it may have to be done otherwise. Thus in one Philippine language, for example, one has to use the verb ‘to know’ in a form that is only used when the goal is a person.

The term young men, or ‘young people,’ refers to persons who are no longer adolescents but who stand at the beginning of adulthood, in the transitional period before they are fully settled. The connotation is that of the freshness and vigor that is inherent in youth (compare 14b). In some versions the rendering used is even derived from a word for strength or vigor; for example, in one American Indian language one commonly refers to young men by a term which literally means ‘ones who-have-become-strong.’

Terms for “young man” often also have the implication of being marriageable but as yet still unmarried. This component of meaning is not of relevance here. Therefore a rendering primarily meaning “bachelor” is not advisable.

You have overcome the evil one is in the perfect tense, referring to something that has happened in the past and is a fact in the present. The basic victory over the evil one can be viewed as a fact now because in the past Jesus Christ has conquered the devil (compare 4.4; 5.4-5). But John and his readers are fully aware that their own struggle with the evil one is still going on.

† “To overcome,” or ‘to defeat/master/subdue/conquer,’ has been rendered also by ‘to be stronger than,’ ‘to be more than.’ The verb occurs also in 2.14; 4.4; 5.4-5.

† The evil one (here and in verse 14; 3.12; 5.18-19) has also been rendered ‘he who is the embodiment of evil,’ ‘the owner of evil’ (that is, the one who is characteristically bad). Both renderings have been chosen in order to reinforce the expression and thus to show that it does not mean merely ‘a bad person.’ Sometimes the rendering used refers to doing bad rather than to being bad; for example, ‘the evil-doer.’

The expression is one of the names of the devil, the supreme ruler of the forces of evil. Therefore the normal rendering of “devil” (see comments on 3.8) may be substituted in cases where a more literal rendering would not have the required connotations.

Children is in this context virtually synonymous with “little children,” as used in verse 12. The only difference between the two is that, in the Greek term used here, a relationship with the speaker is not basically implicit. It may have to be added all the same.

Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The First Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:13

2:13a

fathers: (Alternative Interpretations) John is addressing a group among his readers who are in some respect older than the others. Note that they are not “fathers” to John himself, since he is a very old man at the time of writing this letter and this group is included in those he called “my children” in 2:1. However there are two interpretations of how those in this group are older than the other Christians:

(1) John probably means those who have been Christians for a longer time.

(2) Some think it means those who are older in age.

2:13b

you know: (Multiple Senses) See the note “to know Him” on 2:3a.

2:13b–c

Him who is from the beginning: (Meaning) This is referring to Jesus Christ, who existed even before the world was created. So it may be necessary to make the name explicit in translation. See also the note on 1:1 “from the beginning.”

2:13d

young men: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two interpretations of this phrase:

(1) It probably means those who have been Christians for a short time.

(2) Some think it means men between 20 and 40 years old.

2:13e

the evil one: (Meaning) This is a common way of referring to Satan in the New Testament. The name “Satan” may need to be made explicit here in order to make it clear that the phrase the evil one does not refer to just any evil person.

2:13f

I have written: (Alternative Interpretations) In 2:13f and 2:14 the Greek has the past tense, literally, “I wrote,” instead of the present tense, “I am writing,” which it has in 2:12a–13e. There are different views as to whether this change of tense indicates a different meaning or not:

(1) It is probably just a matter of style with no difference of meaning. John is continuing to refer to what he is writing in this present letter. (Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Living Bible)

(2) Some think that the past tense indicates that John is referring only to the first part of this letter or to something else which he had written. (The Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

children: (Alternative Interpretations): See the note on 2:12a.

2:13g

the Father: (Expression) In some languages it may be necessary to say “our(incl) Father.”

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