# my brothers

"my fellow believers." John's readers were both male and female.

# if the world hates you

Here the word "world" refers to the people who do not honor God. AT: "if those who do not honor God hate you who do honor God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# we have passed out of death into life

The conditions of living and of being dead are spoken of as if they were physical locations from which a person could leave and go to. The abstract nouns "life" and "death" can be translated with verbal phrases. AT: "we are no longer spiritually dead but are spiritually alive" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]])

# life

The word "life" throughout this letter refers to more than physical life. It stands here for Jesus, the eternal life. See how you translated this in [1 John 1:1-2](../01/01.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# remains in death

"is still spiritually dead"

# 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. AT: "Whoever hates another believer is as guilty as someone who kills a person" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# no murderer has eternal life residing in him

"Eternal life" is something God gives believers after they die, but it is also the power 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. AT: "a murderer does not have the power of spiritual life" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-personification]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/amazed]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/brother]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/world]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/death]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/life]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/eternity]]