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 .