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1 John 2:7 – NASB vs HCSB vs ESV
NASB (7) Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
HCSB (7) Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message you have heard.
ESV (7) Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
Let me do a little experiment. Let’s assume you know a little Greek, specifically the words agape and phileo. You have understood that phileo is often defined as a “friendship love.” Knowing that, and seeing the two ways the Greek is here translated (Beloved and Dear friends), which Greek word would you assume this translates? If you said phileo, you would be wrong. The word is related to agape. This is an example of the “Optimal” translation principle that is – at least to me – misleading. However, today we don’t call each other “beloved” unless we are speaking about our spouse. I assume this is why the HCSB chose something less formal. But “Dear friends” sounds a like perfect translation for the phileo group, not the agape word group. So in my opinion, all three translations are lacking in communicating clearly the original language in a modern equivalent. Personally, I would have chosen “loved ones.”
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