Anyone who does evil things is a Semitism, as is the contrasting expression in the following verse, whoever does what is true.

His evil deeds is literally “his deeds.” Several Greek manuscripts do include “evil,” but Good News Translation includes this information on translational, rather than on textual grounds. That is, either Good News Translation make explicit the meaning of “deeds” in the context, or, more likely, the meaning of evil is derived from the verb (see below).

Having already suggested in the preceding verse that light involves the revelation of truth, it may be possible in this verse to eliminate any specific identification or qualification for light; one may, for example, say “anyone who customarily does evil always hates the light of truth” or “… the light which reveals the truth.” The following expression may then be translated “and he will not come to where there is this light.”

The verb to be shown up (evil) is translated “to be shown up” by New English Bible also. Moffatt, Goodspeed, Phillips, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible all have “to be exposed.” The Greek verb itself (elencho) means, first, “to bring to light” or “to expose,” and then “to convince/convict (someone) of something.” Depending on the context, the meaning may be specifically either “to expose (something to be evil/wrong)” or “to convince/convict (someone) of something (evil/wrong).” In 8.46 (see the comments there) the meaning is “to convict (of sin),” and so Good News Translation renders prove … guilty of sin. In 16.8 (see the comments there), a very difficult passage, the same verb is used of the Holy Spirit who will “convict the world about sin,” that is, will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin. In the present passage no personal object is used; it is as in the other two passages where this verb occurs, and so the meaning is simply “to expose (as evil).” This meaning is apparently the basis for the rendering evil (deeds) to be shown up; though this rendering may also be supported by the observation that in the present context “deeds” are implicitly evil deeds.

The passive expression to be shown up may possibly be transformed into an active phrase by saying “because such a person does not want the light to reveal to others his evil deeds” or “… does not want the light to shine on his evil actions.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .