See in Reader
859 B
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer
John speaks of a person who hates another believer as if he were a murderer. Since people commit murder because they hate other people, God considers anyone who hates to be as guilty as someone who kills a person. Alternate translation: "Whoever hates another believer is as guilty as someone who kills a person" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
no murderer has eternal life residing in him
"Eternal life" does refer to believers living forever after they have died, but it is also the power that God gives believers in this life to help them to stop sinning and to do what please him. Here eternal life is spoken of as if it were a person that could live in someone. Alternate translation: "a murderer does not have the power of spiritual life" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-personification)