1 John 1:1-3 Interlinear - IntegritySyndicate.com

1 John 1:1-3

The prologue to 1 John provides some interesting clues to clarify the Prologue of John. We see from 1 John 1:2, eternal life was with the Father and has now been manifest. Eternal life is not a person but rather a concept. For eternal life having been with (pros) the Father is indicating that it was in view (toward/facing) the Father from the beginning. It is in a similar sense that the Logos (Word) was with (facing toward) God. Here we examine the Greek and provide a literal and interpretative translation.

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1 John 1:1-3 (NA28)

¹ Ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς —

² καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν —

³ ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν oκαὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθʼ ἡμῶν. καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Interlinear Table, 1 John 1:1-3

Below is a word for word interlinear table with the Greek, English translation, Parsings and lexicon definition of each word (Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, Barclay Newman, supplemented by BDAG)

Greek	Translation	Parsing	Glossary
¹ Ὃ	¹ What	Pronoun, Nominative, Neuter, Singular	who, which, what, that; anyone, someone, a certain one
ἦν	was	Verb, Imperfect, Active, Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular	be, exist; happen, take place; live; be located in; remain, stay; come
ἀπʼ	from	Preposition Governing the Genitive	from, away from; by means of; out of; against
ἀρχῆς	of first	Noun, Genitive, Feminine, Singular	beginning, first
ὃ	what	Pronoun, Accusative, Neuter, Singular	who, which, what, that; anyone, someone, a certain one
ἀκηκόαμεν	we heard	Verb, Perfect, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	hear; receive news of; give heed to; understand
ὃ	what	Pronoun, Accusative, Neuter, Singular	who, which, what, that; anyone, someone, a certain one
ἑωράκαμεν	we have seen	Verb, Perfect, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	see, observe, notice (pass. appear); perceive, understand, recognize; experience; visit, come to see
τοῖς	that	Verb, Imperfect, Active, Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
ὀφθαλμοῖς	in eyes (view)	Noun, Dative, Masculine, Plural	eye(s)
ἡμῶν	of us	Pronoun, Genitive, (No Gender), Plural, 1st Person	we, us, our
ὃ	what	Pronoun, Accusative, Neuter, Singular	who, which, what, that; anyone, someone, a certain one
ἐθεασάμεθα	we observed	Verb, Aorist, Middle, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	see, look at; notice, observe; visit
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
αἱ	those	Determiner, Nominative, Feminine, Plural	the; this, that; he, she, it
χεῖρες	hands (authorities)	Noun, Nominative, Feminine, Plural	Hand, power, authority; activity; finger
ἡμῶν	of us	Pronoun, Genitive, (No Gender), Plural, 1st Person	we, us, our
ἐψηλάφησαν	we touched	Verb, Aorist, Active, Indicative, 3rd Person, Plural	touch, feel
περὶ	regarding	Preposition Governing the Genitive	about, concerning, of, with reference to; for; on account of
τοῦ	the	Determiner, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
λόγου	of word	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	something said (e.g. word; saying; message, teaching; talk, conversation; reasoning
τῆς	the	Determiner, Genitive, Feminine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
ζωῆς	of life	Noun, Genitive, Feminine, Singular	life (literally or figuratively)
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἡ	the	Determiner, Nominative, Feminine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
ζωὴ	life	Determiner, Accusative, Masculine, Singular	life
ἐφανερώθη	was manifested	Verb, Aorist, Passive, Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular	to render apparent (literally or figuratively): — appear, manifestly declare, (make) manifest (forth), shew (self)
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἑωράκαμεν	we have seen	Verb, Perfect, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	see, observe, notice (pass. appear); perceive, understand, recognize; experience; visit, come to see
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
μαρτυροῦμεν	we had testified	Verb, Present, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	to be a witness, i.e. testify (literally or figuratively): — charge, give (evidence), bear record, have (obtain, of) good (honest) report, be well reported of, testify, give (have) testimony, (be, bear, give, obtain) witness
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἀπαγγέλλομεν	we declare	Verb, Present, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	to announce: — bring word (again), declare, report, shew (again), tell
ὑμῖν	to you	Pronoun, Dative, (No Gender), Plural, 2nd Person	to (with or by) you: — ye, you, your(-selves)
τὴν	the	Determiner, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
ζωὴν	life	Noun, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	life
τὴν	the	Determiner, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
αἰώνιον	eternal (extensive)	Adjective, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well): — eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began)
ἥτις	which	Pronoun, Nominative, Feminine, Singular	which some, i.e. any that; also (definite) which same: — x and (they), (such) as, (they) that, in that they, what(-soever), whereas ye, (they) which, who(-soever)
ἦν	was	Verb, Imperfect, Active, Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular	be, exist; happen, take place; live; be located in; remain, stay; come
πρὸς	toward	Preposition Governing the Accusative	(gen.) to, for; (dat.) on, at, near, by; (acc.) to, toward; with; in order to; against
τὸν	the	Determiner, Accusative, Masculine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
πατέρα	was	Noun, Accusative, Masculine, Singular	a “father” (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἐφανερώθη	was manifested	Verb, Aorist, Passive, Indicative, 3rd Person, Singular	to render apparent (literally or figuratively): — appear, manifestly declare, (make) manifest (forth), shew (self)
ὑμῖν	to us	Pronoun, Dative, (No Gender), Plural, 1st Person	to (with or by) you: — ye, you, your(-selves)
³ὃ	³what	Pronoun, Accusative, Neuter, Singular	who, which, what, that; anyone, someone, a certain one
ἑωράκαμεν	we have seen	Verb, Perfect, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	see, observe, notice (pass. appear); perceive, understand, recognize; experience; visit, come to see
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἀπαγγέλλομεν	we declare	Verb, Present, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Plural	to announce: — bring word (again), declare, report, shew (again), tell
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ὑμῖν	to you	Pronoun, Dative, (No Gender), Plural, 2nd Person	to (with or by) you: — ye, you, your(-selves)
ἵνα	In order that	Conjunction	in order that (denoting the purpose or the result): — albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to
καί	also	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ὑμεῖς	you (plural)	Pronoun, Nominative, (No Gender), Plural, 2nd Person	you (as subjective of verb): — ye (yourselves), you
κοινωνίαν	participation	Noun, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: — (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship
ἔχητε	you (plural) could have	Verb, Present, Active, Subjunctive, 2nd Person, Plural	to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possession; ability, continuity, relation, or condition)
μεθʼ	with	Conjunction	a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; “amid” (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined
ἡμῶν	us	Pronoun, Genitive, (No Gender), Plural, 1st Person	us: — our (company), us, we
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
ἡ κοινωνία	the participation	Noun, Accusative, Feminine, Singular	partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction: — (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship
μετὰ	with	Preposition Governing the Genitive	a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; “amid” (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined
τοῦ	of the	Determiner, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
πατρὸς	father	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	a “father” (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)
καί	and	Conjunction	and; and then, then; but, yet, however; also, even, likewise
μετὰ	with	Preposition Governing the Genitive	a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; “amid” (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined
τοῦ	of the	Determiner, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	the; this, that; he, she, it
υἱοῦ	son	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	a “son” (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
αὐτοῦ	of him	Pronoun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular, 3rd Person	and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons: — her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, – by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which
Ἰησοῦ	of Jesus	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	Jesus (Joshua)
Χριστοῦ	of anointed	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular	Noun, Genitive, Masculine, Singular

Literal Rendering and Interpretative Translations

Both literal and interpretative translations are provided below for 1 John 1:1-3, The Literal is a based on the interlinear table below the translations.

1 John 1:1-3, Literal Translation

¹ What was from of first,

what we heard,

what we have seen,

that in view of us,

what we observed,

those hands of us we touched,

regarding the word of life,

² And the life was manifested,

and we have seen,

and we have testified,

and we declare to you,

the eternal life,

which was toward the Father,

and was manifested to us.

³ What we have seen,

and what we declare,

and to you in order that you also,

participation you could have with us,

and the participation with the Father,

and with the Son of him,

of Jesus anointed.

1 John 1:1-3 Interpretative Translation

¹ That which was from the beginning,

what we heard,

what we have seen,

that which was before our eyes,

what we observed,

those authorities that we encountered,

regarding the plan of life,

² And the life was manifested,

and we have seen,

and we have testified,

and we declare to you,

the eternal life,

which was in view of the Father,

and was manifested to us.

³ What we have seen,

and what we declare,

to you also in order that you,

could have participation with us,

and the participation with the Father,

and with his Son,

Jesus Messiah.