Any one born of God is in the Greek literally “any one who-has-been-begotten out-of God”; compare comments on 2.29. The expression refers to believers.

He who was born of God, literally “the one who-was-begotten out-of God,” a passive participle of the aorist. This tense shows that the reference is to a specific event in the past, namely, Jesus’ birth. In this sense the phrase is used only here in the New Testament. It is to be taken as referring to Christ and is virtually identical in meaning with “the Son of God.”

The use of such an uncommon expression can be explained as a matter of style, which means that the author intended to make a play on words. Or it may have been a matter of theology, which means that the author used the two almost identical phrases to emphasize that the Son identifies himself with his followers. However this may be, renderings similar to the above-given interpretation are found in nearly all versions investigated, and rightly so.

It may not be an easy task for the translator to bring out the difference of referential meaning while preserving the close similarity in form that characterizes the phrases “any one who-has-been-begotten out-of God” and “the one who-was-begotten out-of God.” To mark the difference he may have to use renderings that are more dissimilar than the Greek forms are; for example, ‘any child of God (or whoever is a child of God) – the Son of God,’ ‘(all) children of God – God’s own Son (or Child),’ ‘those who are begotten by God (or born of God) – God’s Son,’ ‘those who have become God’s offspring – God’s offspring.’

Keeps him, or ‘keeps him safe,’ ‘guards/protects him,’ ‘defends him.’

And introduces what the result of God’s protection will be.

The evil one does not touch him: the Greek verb has the sense of “to get hold of”; it is used here with an unfavorable connotation, “to harm.” For “the evil one” see comments on 2.13.

The clause may be rendered ‘the evil one does not even touch him,’ ‘the devil cannot harm him.’ The verb ‘to harm/injure’ is sometimes rendered analytically; for example, ‘to do bad things to,’ ‘to do something against.’

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 .