1
Ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς —
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life —
Prologue (suspended protasis)asyndetonThe letter opens, like the Gospel, in mid-air: a fourfold neuter relative clause (Ὃ … ὃ … ὃ … ὃ) piled up in asyndeton, its grammatical apodosis suspended until v.3 (ἀπαγγέλλομεν). The neuter ὅ refuses to specify 'who' or 'what' — embracing the whole reality of the incarnate Word: his person, his message, the life he is — verified by hearing, sight, and touch against any docetic denial of the flesh.
ὋwhatNominativerelative pronoun (subject of ἦν)ὅς: the neuter relative ('that which') is deliberately broad — not 'he who' but 'what,' embracing the Word, his life, and the whole gospel reality; the antecedent is unstated.
ἦνwasImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (relative clause)→ imperfect of continuing existenceεἰμί: the imperfect ἦν (as in John 1:1) denotes existence already underway 'from the beginning' — pre-temporal being, not a coming-into-being.
ἀπ'frompreposition + genitive (temporal origin)
ἀρχῆςthe beginningGenitiveobject of ἀπό (point of departure)ἀρχή: 'beginning'; ἀπ' ἀρχῆς echoes John 1:1 (ἐν ἀρχῇ) — here the eternal anteriority of the Word, not merely the start of the gospel preaching.
ὃwhatAccusativerelative pronoun (object of ἀκηκόαμεν)
ἀκηκόαμενwe have heardPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀκούωmain verb (relative clause)→ intensive perfect (abiding result of hearing)ἀκούω: 'hear'; the perfect marks an apprehension that still abides — what the witnesses heard remains theirs to proclaim.
ὃwhatAccusativerelative pronoun (object of ἑωράκαμεν)
ἑωράκαμενwe have seenPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ὁράωmain verb (relative clause)→ intensive perfect (abiding result of seeing)ὁράω: 'see, perceive'; the perfect ('we have seen and still see') stresses the durable, eyewitness character of the testimony.
τοῖςwith theDativearticle
ὀφθαλμοῖςeyesDativedat. of means/instrumentὀφθαλμός: 'eye'; 'with our eyes' is emphatic and anti-docetic — a literal, bodily seeing, not a visionary one.
ἡμῶνourGenitivepossessive genitive
ὃwhatAccusativerelative pronoun (object of ἐθεασάμεθα)
ἐθεασάμεθαwe beheldAor Mid Indic 1 Pl · θεάομαιmain verb (relative clause)→ constative aoristθεάομαι: 'gaze upon, behold' (cf. John 1:14, ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν); a contemplative, wondering sight — the aorist points to the historical earthly ministry.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
αἱtheNominativearticle
χεῖρεςhandsNominativesubject of ἐψηλάφησανχείρ: 'hand'; the climactic, most concrete sense — the Word was tangible (cf. Luke 24:39), decisive against any denial of his true humanity.
ἡμῶνourGenitivepossessive genitive
ἐψηλάφησανhandledAor Act Indic 3 Pl · ψηλαφάωmain verb (relative clause)→ constative aoristψηλαφάω: 'touch, feel, handle' (the verb of Luke 24:39); a groping, tactile handling — the strongest possible witness to the incarnation's reality.
περὶconcerningpreposition + genitive (reference)
τοῦtheGenitivearticle
λόγουWordGenitiveobject of περί (the theme of the clauses)λόγος: 'Word'; the prepositional phrase resolves the neuter relatives — all the seeing and handling was 'concerning the Word of life,' i.e. the incarnate Logos of John 1.
τῆςof theGenitivearticle
ζωῆςlifeGenitivegenitive (epexegetical / of content)ζωή: 'life'; 'the Word of life' — the genitive at once names the Word's content (the message of life) and identifies him with the life itself (v.2).
2
καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν —
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us —
Parenthetical expansionκαὶA parenthesis breaking off from the suspended sentence of v.1 to define 'the Word of life': the life was manifested, and the witnesses saw, testify, and announce 'the eternal life which was with the Father' — restating the Word's pre-existent communion with the Father (πρὸς τὸν πατέρα = John 1:1, πρὸς τὸν θεόν) before its historical manifestation.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction (parenthesis)
ἡtheNominativearticle
ζωὴlifeNominativesubject of ἐφανερώθηζωή: 'life'; the abstract 'life' is now personalized — it can be 'seen' and 'handled,' for it is the living Word himself.
ἐφανερώθηwas manifestedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · φανερόωmain verb→ constative aoristφανερόω: 'make visible, reveal'; the passive marks the incarnation as the disclosure of what was hidden 'with the Father' — a key Johannine revelation-verb (cf. v.2b, 3:5, 3:8).
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἑωράκαμενwe have seenPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ὁράωmain verb→ intensive perfectὁράω: 'see'; the perfect resumes v.1 — eyewitness sight is the ground of the threefold proclamation that follows.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
μαρτυροῦμενwe bear witnessPres Act Indic 1 Pl · μαρτυρέωmain verb→ durative presentμαρτυρέω: 'testify, bear witness'; the present marks an ongoing, formal testimony — seeing (perfect) grounds the continuing witness.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἀπαγγέλλομενwe proclaimPres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀπαγγέλλωmain verb→ durative presentἀπαγγέλλω: 'report, announce, proclaim'; to declare a message received from another — the apostolic relaying of what was seen and heard (resumed as the apodosis in v.3).
ὑμῖνto youDativedat. of recipient
τὴνtheAccusativearticle
ζωὴνlifeAccusativedirect object of the verbs of proclaimingζωή: 'life'; the object of testimony is itself 'the eternal life' — the content proclaimed is a person.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle (attributive position)
αἰώνιονeternalAccusativeattributive adjectiveαἰώνιος: 'eternal, age-lasting'; the qualifier marks this life as the divine, unending life of the age to come, already disclosed in Christ.
ἥτιςwhichNominativerelative pronoun (qualitative)ὅστις: the qualitative relative ('which, being of such a kind') introduces a defining description — the life that belongs with the Father.
ἦνwasImpf Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (relative clause)→ imperfect of continuing existenceεἰμί: again the imperfect ἦν of pre-temporal being — the life 'was' (already) with the Father before its manifestation.
πρὸςwithpreposition + accusative (relationship/presence)πρός: with the accusative of personal company, 'in the presence of, face-to-face with' — the exact idiom of John 1:1 (πρὸς τὸν θεόν).
τὸνtheAccusativearticle
πατέραFatherAccusativeobject of πρόςπατήρ: 'Father'; the relational name for God, with whom the eternal life (the Son) had communion — grounding the fellowship offered in v.3.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἐφανερώθηwas manifestedAor Pass Indic 3 Sg · φανερόωmain verb (relative clause)→ constative aoristφανερόω: 'manifest'; the repeated verb frames the verse — what was with the Father (ἦν) has been disclosed (ἐφανερώθη) to the apostolic 'us.'
ἡμῖνto usDativedat. of recipient (witnesses)
3
ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ' ἡμῶν. καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
what we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Resumption / apodosis of the prologueasyndetonThe suspended sentence of v.1 finally lands: 'what we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you.' The purpose (ἵνα) is fellowship — the readers drawn into the apostolic circle — and that circle's fellowship is itself with the Father and the Son, so that to share apostolic fellowship is to share communion with God.
ὃwhatAccusativerelative pronoun (object, resuming v.1)
ἑωράκαμενwe have seenPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ὁράωmain verb (relative clause)→ intensive perfectὁράω: 'see'; the perfect again — abiding eyewitness sight, now paired with hearing as the twofold ground of the proclamation.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἀκηκόαμενwe have heardPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀκούωmain verb (relative clause)→ intensive perfectἀκούω: 'hear'; perfect of abiding result, recapping v.1.
ἀπαγγέλλομενwe proclaimPres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀπαγγέλλωmain verb (the long-delayed apodosis)→ durative presentἀπαγγέλλω: 'announce, proclaim'; the principal verb at last supplied — the apostolic 'we' relay to the readers what they witnessed.
καὶalsoadverbial/ascensive (also to you)καί: here 'also' — the readers are drawn into the same testimony the witnesses received.
ὑμῖνto youDativedat. of recipient
ἵναso thatconjunction (purpose, + subjunctive)ἵνα: purpose — the aim of the proclamation is shared fellowship.
καὶalsoadverbial (you too)
ὑμεῖςyouNominativesubject of ἔχητε (emphatic)
κοινωνίανfellowshipAccusativedirect object of ἔχητεκοινωνία: 'fellowship, communion, sharing'; the letter's keyword — common participation in the life of God, mediated through the apostolic witness.
ἔχητεyou may havePres Act Subj 2 Pl · ἔχωverb of ἵνα clause→ durative presentἔχω: 'have, hold'; the present subjunctive points to an ongoing possession of fellowship, not a single act.
μεθ'withpreposition + genitive (association)
ἡμῶνusGenitiveobject of μετά
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἡtheNominativearticle
κοινωνίαfellowshipNominativesubject (verbless clause)κοινωνία: 'fellowship'; the repeated noun lifts the readers' communion to its true source — it is finally communion with God himself.
δὲindeedconnective particle (καὶ … δέ, intensive)δέ: in the combination καὶ … δέ ('and indeed, and what is more') it adds an emphatic further point — and that fellowship is no less than communion with the Father and Son.
ἡtheNominativearticle
ἡμετέραourNominativeattributive possessive adjectiveἡμέτερος: 'our'; the possessive adjective (stronger than ἡμῶν) marks the fellowship as that which the apostolic 'we' enjoy and now share.
μετὰwithpreposition + genitive (association)
τοῦtheGenitivearticle
πατρὸςFatherGenitiveobject of μετάπατήρ: 'Father'; the fellowship's first and highest term.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
μετὰwithpreposition + genitive (association)
τοῦtheGenitivearticle
υἱοῦSonGenitiveobject of μετάυἱός: 'Son'; Father and Son set in parallel as the joint object of fellowship — an implicit high Christology.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivepossessive genitive
ἸησοῦJesusGenitiveapposition to υἱοῦ
ΧριστοῦChristGenitiveappositionΧριστός: 'Christ, Anointed'; the Son is named in full — the historical Jesus is the eternal Word, against any separation of 'Christ' from 'Jesus.'
4
καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.
And these things we write, so that our joy may be made full.
Purpose of writingκαὶThe stated aim of the letter, closing the prologue: 'we write … that our joy may be complete.' The emphatic ἡμεῖς and the better-attested first person ('our joy') make the author's own joy bound up with the readers' fellowship; the periphrastic perfect (ᾖ πεπληρωμένη) marks a joy brought to its full and abiding measure.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ταῦταthese thingsAccusativedirect object of γράφομενοὗτος: 'these things' — referring to the prologue's message (vv.1–3), and proleptically the whole letter.
γράφομενwe writePres Act Indic 1 Pl · γράφωmain verb→ durative present (epistolary)γράφω: 'write'; the present of the act of composition — the author's standard formula for stating his purpose (cf. 2:1, 5:13).
ἡμεῖςweNominativesubject (emphatic, redundant pronoun)ἡμεῖς: the expressed pronoun is emphatic — the apostolic witnesses themselves write, lending the letter their authority.
ἵναso thatconjunction (purpose, + subjunctive)
ἡtheNominativearticle
χαρὰjoyNominativesubject of ᾖ πεπληρωμένηχαρά: 'joy'; the completion of fellowship issues in fullness of joy — a Johannine theme (John 15:11; 16:24).
ἡμῶνourGenitivepossessive genitiveἡμῶν: 'our' (read with the better witnesses over ὑμῶν, 'your') — the writers' joy is fulfilled in the readers' communion.
ᾖmay bePres Act Subj 3 Sg · εἰμίauxiliary of periphrastic perfect→ durative present (as auxiliary)εἰμί: the subjunctive auxiliary forming, with the participle, a periphrastic perfect — 'may stand fulfilled.'
πεπληρωμένηmade fullPerf Pass Ptc · Nom Sg Fem · πληρόωpredicate participle (periphrastic perfect w/ ᾖ)→ intensive perfect (completed and abiding fullness)πληρόω: 'fill, complete, make full'; the perfect periphrasis stresses a joy brought to completion and remaining so — not merely begun.
5
Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.
And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you: that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
Thesis of the bodyΚαὶThe body proper opens with the gospel reduced to a metaphor: 'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.' The message is grounded in revelation 'from him' (Christ), and the double negative (οὐκ … οὐδεμία) makes the denial of darkness absolute — the premise from which the ethical tests of vv.6–10 are drawn.
Καὶandcoordinating conjunction (transitional)
ἔστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (fronted, copula)→ durative presentεἰμί: the fronted, accented ἔστιν gives weight to the announcement to come.
αὕτηthisNominativesubject (demonstrative, cataphoric)οὗτος: 'this'; points forward to the ὅτι-clause — 'this is the message: namely, that …'
ἡtheNominativearticle
ἀγγελίαmessageNominativepredicate nominativeἀγγελία: 'message, announcement'; the thing announced (cf. the cognate verb ἀναγγέλλομεν) — the gospel content the witnesses received and pass on.
ἣνwhichAccusativerelative pronoun (object of ἀκηκόαμεν)
ἀκηκόαμενwe have heardPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀκούωmain verb (relative clause)→ intensive perfectἀκούω: 'hear'; the perfect again — the message heard from Christ remains the abiding deposit now announced.
ἀπ'frompreposition + genitive (source)
αὐτοῦhimGenitiveobject of ἀπό (source = Christ)αὐτός: 'him'; the source is Jesus (the nearest antecedent, v.3) — the message has dominical authority.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἀναγγέλλομενwe announcePres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἀναγγέλλωmain verb (relative clause)→ durative presentἀναγγέλλω: 'report, announce, declare'; nearly synonymous with ἀπαγγέλλω (vv.2–3) — the relaying of a received message.
ὑμῖνto youDativedat. of recipient
ὅτιthatconjunction (content of the message)ὅτι: epexegetical — spelling out the content of 'this … message.'
ὁtheNominativearticle
θεὸςGodNominativesubjectθεός: 'God'; the subject of the great predication — 'God is light.'
φῶςlightNominativepredicate nominative (qualitative)φῶς: 'light'; anarthrous and qualitative — God's very nature is light: truth, holiness, and self-revealing purity (cf. John 1:4–9; 8:12).
ἐστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίcopula→ durative present (timeless)εἰμί: the timeless present of a defining statement about God's nature.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
σκοτίαdarknessNominativesubject of ἔστιν (negated clause)σκοτία: 'darkness'; the Johannine antithesis to light — falsehood, sin, and alienation from God (cf. John 1:5; 8:12).
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere)
αὐτῷhimDativeobject of ἐν (sphere)
οὐκnotnegative particle
ἔστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (existential, negated)→ durative presentεἰμί: 'there is'; existential, here denied of darkness.
οὐδεμίαnone at allNominativeattributive adj. (emphatic double negative)οὐδείς: 'no, none'; with οὐκ a redundant double negative for the strongest possible denial — 'no darkness whatsoever.'
6
Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν·
If we say that we have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
Conditional test (1st of three)asyndetonThe first of three antithetical 'if we say …' conditionals (vv.6, 8, 10), each exposing a false claim. Profession of fellowship plus a walk in darkness is a contradiction: such a claimant 'lies and does not do the truth.' The present περιπατῶμεν makes it a habitual manner of life, not a single lapse.
Ἐὰνifconjunction (3rd-class condition, + subjunctive)ἐάν: introduces a hypothetical case — 'if (ever) we say'; the first of the three test-conditionals.
εἴπωμενwe sayAor Act Subj 1 Pl · λέγωverb of protasis→ ingressive/constative aoristλέγω (aor. εἶπον): 'say, claim'; the aorist views the claim as a single utterance.
ὅτιthatconjunction (content of the claim)
κοινωνίανfellowshipAccusativedirect object of ἔχομενκοινωνία: 'fellowship'; the very claim of v.3, now tested against conduct.
ἔχομενwe havePres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἔχωverb of the claimed content→ durative presentἔχω: 'have'; the present asserts an ongoing possession of fellowship.
μετ'withpreposition + genitive (association)
αὐτοῦhimGenitiveobject of μετά (= God, v.5)
καὶand yetcoordinating conjunction (adversative force in context)καί: here carries an adversative nuance ('and yet') — the claim and the walk are set in jarring contradiction.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere)
τῷtheDativearticle
σκότειdarknessDativedat. of sphere (where one walks)σκότος: 'darkness'; the moral sphere opposed to God who is light (v.5) — the realm of sin and falsehood.
περιπατῶμενwe walkPres Act Subj 1 Pl · περιπατέωverb of protasis (coordinate)→ durative present (habitual conduct)περιπατέω: 'walk about'; the Hebraic idiom for one's habitual conduct of life — here a settled course in darkness.
ψευδόμεθαwe liePres Mid Indic 1 Pl · ψεύδομαιmain verb (apodosis)→ durative presentψεύδομαι: 'lie, speak falsely'; the verdict on the contradiction — the profession is simply untrue.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
οὐnotnegative particle
ποιοῦμενwe doPres Act Indic 1 Pl · ποιέωmain verb (apodosis, coordinate)→ durative presentποιέω: 'do, practice'; 'doing the truth' (a Semitic idiom) is truth lived out — not merely affirmed.
τὴνtheAccusativearticle
ἀλήθειανtruthAccusativedirect object of ποιοῦμενἀλήθεια: 'truth'; not bare correctness but reality-conforming faithfulness — truth as a way of life, which the liar fails to enact.
7
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας.
but if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Antithetical condition (positive)δὲThe positive counterpart to v.6: walking in the light, conformed to God who is in the light, yields two results — mutual fellowship and continual cleansing by the blood of Jesus. The present καθαρίζει ('keeps cleansing') is durative: the atoning blood is not a single past transaction but an ongoing purification for those who walk in the light.
ἐὰνifconjunction (3rd-class condition, + subjunctive)
δὲbutadversative particleδέ: marks the contrast with v.6 — the true alternative to walking in darkness.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere)
τῷtheDativearticle
φωτὶlightDativedat. of sphereφῶς: 'light'; the sphere of God's own being (v.5), now the believer's realm of conduct.
περιπατῶμενwe walkPres Act Subj 1 Pl · περιπατέωverb of protasis→ durative present (habitual conduct)περιπατέω: 'walk'; habitual conduct — a settled life lived in the light.
ὡςascomparative conjunctionὡς: 'as, just as'; the standard of the walk is God's own being in the light.
αὐτόςhe himselfNominativesubject (intensive pronoun)αὐτός: 'he himself' (= God, v.5); the intensive pronoun stresses the divine pattern that the walk imitates.
ἐστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (comparative clause)→ durative presentεἰμί: the timeless present of God's abiding nature.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere)
τῷtheDativearticle
φωτίlightDativedat. of sphereφῶς: 'light'; God dwells in the light — the unapproachable purity into which believers are summoned to walk.
κοινωνίανfellowshipAccusativedirect object of ἔχομενκοινωνία: 'fellowship'; the first fruit of the walk — communion 'with one another' (which presupposes communion with God).
ἔχομενwe havePres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἔχωmain verb (apodosis)→ durative presentἔχω: 'have'; ongoing possession of fellowship as the result of the walk.
μετ'withpreposition + genitive (association)
ἀλλήλωνone anotherGenitiveobject of μετά (reciprocal pronoun)ἀλλήλων: 'one another'; the horizontal fellowship that flows from a shared walk in the light — and, implicitly, with God.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
τὸtheNominativearticle
αἷμαbloodNominativesubject of καθαρίζειαἷμα: 'blood'; the sacrificial death of Jesus — the means of atonement and cleansing (cf. 2:2; 4:10).
Ἰησοῦof JesusGenitivepossessive/subjective genitive (whose blood)Ἰησοῦ: 'Jesus'; the blood is that of the historical Jesus — the cleansing is anchored in his real, incarnate death.
τοῦtheGenitivearticle
υἱοῦSonGenitiveapposition to Ἰησοῦυἱός: 'Son'; the dignity of the one whose blood cleanses — Jesus is God's Son, which gives his blood its saving efficacy.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivepossessive genitive
καθαρίζειcleansesPres Act Indic 3 Sg · καθαρίζωmain verb (apodosis, coordinate)→ durative/iterative present (ongoing cleansing)καθαρίζω: 'cleanse, purify'; the present tense is decisive — a continual, ongoing cleansing (not a one-time past act) for those who walk in the light.
ἡμᾶςusAccusativedirect object of καθαρίζει
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation)
πάσηςallGenitiveattributive adjectiveπᾶς: 'all, every'; the cleansing is comprehensive — 'all sin,' leaving none uncovered.
ἁμαρτίαςsinGenitiveobject of ἀπό (that from which cleansed)ἁμαρτία: 'sin'; the comprehensive object of the cleansing — every kind and instance of sin.
8
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Conditional test (2nd of three)asyndetonThe second false claim: to deny one has sin (the sinful condition, ἁμαρτίαν singular) is self-deception, and shows 'the truth is not in us.' Against the perfectionist boast, the very people cleansed by the blood (v.7) still need cleansing — denial of sin is itself a sign of being outside the truth.
ἐὰνifconjunction (3rd-class condition, + subjunctive)
εἴπωμενwe sayAor Act Subj 1 Pl · λέγωverb of protasis→ constative aoristλέγω (aor. εἶπον): 'say, claim'; the second of the three test-claims.
ὅτιthatconjunction (content of the claim)
ἁμαρτίανsinAccusativedirect object of ἔχομενἁμαρτία: 'sin'; the singular with ἔχω denotes the sinful condition or guilt — 'we have no sin (to answer for),' a claim of present sinlessness.
οὐκnotnegative particle
ἔχομενwe havePres Act Indic 1 Pl · ἔχωverb of the claimed content (negated)→ durative presentἔχω: 'have'; 'to have sin' = to bear sin/guilt as a present reality, here falsely denied.
ἑαυτοὺςourselvesAccusativedirect object of πλανῶμεν (reflexive)ἑαυτοῦ: 'ourselves'; the deception is self-inflicted — the boast misleads no one but the boaster.
πλανῶμενwe deceivePres Act Indic 1 Pl · πλανάωmain verb (apodosis)→ durative presentπλανάω: 'lead astray, deceive'; to wander from the path — the perfectionist claim is a self-misleading.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ἡtheNominativearticle
ἀλήθειαtruthNominativesubject of ἔστινἀλήθεια: 'truth'; here almost personalized as an indwelling reality (cf. v.6) — its absence marks the claimant as untouched by the gospel.
οὐκnotnegative particle
ἔστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (apodosis, coordinate)→ durative presentεἰμί: 'is'; the truth's indwelling is denied of the self-deceiver.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere/indwelling)
ἡμῖνusDativeobject of ἐν
9
ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Antithetical condition (positive)asyndetonThe remedy answering v.8: confession of sins, set against the denial. God's response rests not on his leniency but on his faithfulness and justice — faithful to his promise and just because the sin has been atoned (v.7; 2:2) — to forgive and cleanse. The present ὁμολογῶμεν marks confession as the believer's ongoing posture.
ἐὰνifconjunction (3rd-class condition, + subjunctive)
ὁμολογῶμενwe confessPres Act Subj 1 Pl · ὁμολογέωverb of protasis→ durative present (habitual confession)ὁμολογέω: 'confess, acknowledge openly' (lit. 'say the same thing'); the present marks an ongoing readiness to acknowledge sin — the opposite of the denial in v.8.
τὰςtheAccusativearticle
ἁμαρτίαςsinsAccusativedirect object of ὁμολογῶμενἁμαρτία: 'sin'; here plural and concrete — specific sins acknowledged, over against the abstract denial of v.8.
ἡμῶνourGenitivepossessive genitive
πιστόςfaithfulNominativepredicate adjectiveπιστός: 'faithful, trustworthy'; God is true to his covenant promise to forgive — the ground of assurance is his character, not ours.
ἐστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (apodosis, copula)→ durative presentεἰμί: the timeless present of God's settled character.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
δίκαιοςjustNominativepredicate adjective (coordinate)δίκαιος: 'righteous, just'; God forgives not against his justice but in accord with it — the atoning blood (v.7) satisfies, so that to forgive is just.
ἵναtoconjunction (epexegetic/result, + subjunctive)ἵνα: here epexegetic of πιστὸς καὶ δίκαιος — spelling out the content/result of God's faithfulness ('faithful … so as to forgive').
ἀφῇhe may forgiveAor Act Subj 3 Sg · ἀφίημιverb of ἵνα clause→ constative aoristἀφίημι: 'forgive, remit, send away'; to release from the debt and guilt of sin — the divine response to confession.
ἡμῖνusDativedat. of advantage/indirect object
τὰςtheAccusativearticle
ἁμαρτίαςsinsAccusativedirect object of ἀφῇἁμαρτία: 'sin'; the confessed sins are the very ones forgiven.
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
καθαρίσῃhe may cleanseAor Act Subj 3 Sg · καθαρίζωverb of ἵνα clause (coordinate)→ constative aoristκαθαρίζω: 'cleanse, purify'; the cognate of v.7 — forgiveness (the legal release) is paired with cleansing (the moral purification).
ἡμᾶςusAccusativedirect object of καθαρίσῃ
ἀπὸfrompreposition + genitive (separation)
πάσηςallGenitiveattributive adjectiveπᾶς: 'all'; the cleansing is total — 'all unrighteousness,' echoing 'all sin' in v.7.
ἀδικίαςunrighteousnessGenitiveobject of ἀπό (that from which cleansed)ἀδικία: 'unrighteousness, wrongdoing'; the comprehensive term for moral wrong, the contradiction of the δίκαιος God who removes it.
10
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Conditional test (3rd of three)asyndetonThe third and gravest false claim: to deny one has ever sinned (perfect ἡμαρτήκαμεν — denying the abiding result of past sin) directly contradicts God's own testimony that all have sinned and need cleansing. It thus 'makes him a liar' (a charge repeated of unbelief in 5:10) and proves 'his word is not in us' — the climactic escalation from v.6 ('we lie') through v.8 ('the truth is not in us').
ἐὰνifconjunction (3rd-class condition, + subjunctive)
εἴπωμενwe sayAor Act Subj 1 Pl · λέγωverb of protasis→ constative aoristλέγω (aor. εἶπον): 'say, claim'; the third and last of the test-claims.
ὅτιthatconjunction (content of the claim)
οὐχnotnegative particle
ἡμαρτήκαμενwe have sinnedPerf Act Indic 1 Pl · ἁμαρτάνωverb of the claimed content (negated)→ extensive perfect (past act with present result)ἁμαρτάνω: 'sin, miss the mark'; the perfect denies not only past sinning but its abiding consequence — a claim of an unsullied record, flatly contradicting God's word.
ψεύστηνa liarAccusativeobject complement (predicate accusative)ψεύστης: 'liar'; the appalling result — to deny one's sin is to contradict, and so accuse of falsehood, the God who declares all sinful.
ποιοῦμενwe makePres Act Indic 1 Pl · ποιέωmain verb (apodosis)→ durative presentποιέω: 'make, render'; with a double accusative — 'we make him (to be) a liar.'
αὐτὸνhimAccusativedirect object of ποιοῦμεν (= God)
καὶandcoordinating conjunction
ὁtheNominativearticle
λόγοςwordNominativesubject of ἔστινλόγος: 'word'; God's revealed word/message — its absence (parallel to 'the truth is not in us,' v.8) marks the self-deceiver as a stranger to the gospel.
αὐτοῦhisGenitivepossessive genitive
οὐκnotnegative particle
ἔστινisPres Act Indic 3 Sg · εἰμίmain verb (apodosis, coordinate)→ durative presentεἰμί: 'is'; the indwelling of God's word is denied of the one who calls God a liar.
ἐνinpreposition + dative (sphere/indwelling)
ἡμῖνusDativeobject of ἐν