1:4a

In Him was life: The pronoun Him continues to refer to the Word. The clause In Him was life means “the Word caused people/everything to live.” It was through the Word that all life began. Plants, animals, and humans all lived because of him. For example:

The Word was the one who gave life ⌊to all⌋ .
-or-
The Word was the source of life. (Good News Translation)

life: The word life can refer to both physical life and spiritual life. The life given at creation and the life of the new creation (salvation, spiritual life) both come from the Word. Try to translate in a way that can be understood in both ways. If you must choose only one sense, it is probably best to choose the physical life given at creation. That is the primary context here. Some languages refer to the life of plants or animals in a different way than the life of people. If that is the case in your language, you should refer to the life that God gives to people.

General Comment on 1:4a

In some languages it is more natural to translate “life” using a verb rather than a noun. In those languages it may be possible to say this:

He caused ⌊all creatures/beings⌋ to live.

1:4b

that life was the light of men: This clause indicates that the life (that the Word gives) brought light to human beings.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

this life brought light to people (Good News Translation)
-or-
his life gave light to everyone (Contemporary English Version)

that life: The Greek article that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that indicates that the word life in 1:4b refers back to the “life” just mentioned in 1:4a. In some languages it may be more natural to say this phrase:

this life (Good News Translation)
-or-
his life (New Living Translation (2004))

life: Use the same word or phrase here that you used in 1:4a. If you have used a verb there, here you may need to say something like this:

he caused people to live and so they received light

the light of men: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the light of men means “the light for human beings.” The life provided light for people. It made it possible for people to see.

light: The word light connects this narrative with the creation story. Try to use the same word that you used in Genesis 1:3. Here it is a figure of speech, a metaphor. It refers to something that reveals or tells the truth about God, allowing people to know him. John called the life that God gave light because it made it possible for people to know God. Jesus, the Word of God, revealed God to all people.

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