For the phrase he who says, see 1 John 2.4 and the general remarks on 3-11.

(That) he is in the light, or ‘(that) he lives in the light,’ ‘that he is/lives where it is light/bright,’ is again in indirect discourse; compare verse 6. The same expression is used in 1.7 with reference to God. The present tense has durative force.

And is adversative here; hence ‘but,’ ‘and yet,’ ‘but at-the-same-time.’

The clause hates his brother does not continue “he is in the light” but is parallel to “he who says.” The noun in the singular serves here to show that the reference is not to a specific brother but to brothers in general. This may require a generic plural; compare, for example, ‘older and younger brother (or siblings).’

“To hate” is here (and in 2.11; 3.15; 4.20) the direct opposite of “to love.” It does not focus on feelings of aversion (as in 3.13, which see) but on deeds neglecting love, helpfulness, and self-sacrifice (compare 3.17); hence ‘does not love at all,’ ‘does not put first,’ ‘treats as an enemy.’

† Brother (also in 2.10-11; 3.10, 12-17; 4.20-21; 5.16; 3 John 5, 10): the Greek term was used by Jews and non-Jews to indicate a member of one’s religious group, here a member of the Christian congregation. Accordingly it means “fellow Christian,” whereas “neighbor” (as used, for example, in Luke 10.27-28, 36) means basically “fellow man.”

In the Johannine writings brother is still a living metaphor. Christians are each other’s brothers and sisters, because they all are “children of God” (5.2), have the same characteristics (3.9-10), follow Christ’s commandments (2.7; 2 John 5), and are called “my brothers” by Jesus himself (John 20.17). If in the receptor language ‘brother’ would not be understood in this metaphorical sense, one can best make explicit the religious sense, saying, for example, ‘brother because of the Lord.’

Where a nonmetaphorical rendering must be used, one should try to find a term expressing an intimate relationship in the language concerned; for example, ‘his-one,’ said of a member of one’s in-group, ‘the other,’ said of a member of one’s clan. In some cases the renderings of brother and “neighbor” would coincide and therefore have to be distinguished by a qualifying word, as in ‘Christian fellow-man – fellow-man,’ ‘associate in Christ – associate.’

Is in the darkness still is the opposite of “is in the light” and may require similar adjustments. For in the darkness compare 1.6.

Still renders two Greek words meaning literally “until now,” “up to the present time.” This should not be interpreted, however, as stating that being in the darkness comes to an end in the present, that is, at the moment John wrote down these words. To bring this out, several versions do as Revised Standard Version and use ‘still’ or, more explicitly, ‘just as he was before,’ ‘still the same as before.’

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 .