This verse is parenthetical. Compare, for similar interruptions of the construction, 1 John 1:3, John 1:14, John 3:16, John 3:31; John 19:35.

And (καὶ)

See on John 1:10; see on John 8:20.

The Life (ἡ ζωὴ)

The Word Himself who is the Life. Compare John 14:6; John 5:26; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12. Life expresses the nature of the Word (John 1:4). The phrase, the Life, besides being equivalent to the Word, also indicates, like the Truth and the Light, an aspect of His being.

Was manifested (ἐφανερώθη)

See on John 21:1. Corresponding with the Word was made flesh (John 1:14). The two phrases, however, present different aspects of the same truth. The Word became flesh, contemplates simply the historic fact of incarnation. The life was manifested, sets forth the unfolding of that fact in the various operations of life. The one denotes the objective process of the incarnation as such, the other the result of that process as related to human capacity of receiving and understanding it. "The reality of the incarnation would be undeclared if it were said, 'The Life became flesh.' The manifestation of the Life was a consequence of the incarnation of the Word, but it is not coextensive with it" (Westcott).

Have seen - bear witness - shew

Three ideas in the apostolic message: experience, testimony, announcement.

Bear witness

See on John 1:7.

Shew (ἀπαγγέλλομεν)

Better, as Rev., declare. See on John 16:25. So here. The message comes from (ἀπὸ) God.

That eternal life (τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον)

continued...

1 John 1:2 Parallel Commentaries

the life.

1 John 5:11,20 And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son...

John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 11:25,26 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live...

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

was manifested.

1 John 3:5,8 And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin...

Romans 16:25,26 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ...

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels...

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death...

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

and bear.

John 15:27 And you also shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

John 21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

Acts 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, to that same day that he was taken up from us...

Acts 2:32 This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him.

Acts 10:41 Not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ...

shew.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true...

that eternal. See on

John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

which was.

Proverbs 8:22-30 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old...

John 1:1,2,18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...

John 3:13 And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

John 7:29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he has sent me.

John 8:38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and you do that which you have seen with your father.

John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh...

Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,