OET interlinear MARK 4:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

αὐτοῖς

˱to˲_them

The pronoun them could refer to: (1) all the people who were nearby, including both the disciples and the crowds. Alternate translation: “to the disciples and the crowds” or “everyone who was with him” (2) just the disciples. Alternate translation: “to the disciples”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

μήτι ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ, ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην? οὐχ ἵνα ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν τεθῇ?

surely_not /is/_coming the lamp in_order_that under the basket ˱it˲_/may_be/_put or under the bed not in_order_that on the lampstand ˱it˲_/may_be/_put

Jesus is using the question form to teach his disciples. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate these as statements or exclamations. Alternate translation: “The lamp does not come so that it might be put under a basket or under the bed but so that it might be put on the lampstand.” or “The lamp certainly does not come so that it might be put under a basket or under the bed! No, it comes so that it might be put on the lampstand!”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

μήτι ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος ἵνα ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τεθῇ, ἢ ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην? οὐχ ἵνα ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν τεθῇ

surely_not /is/_coming the lamp in_order_that under the basket ˱it˲_/may_be/_put or under the bed not in_order_that on the lampstand ˱it˲_/may_be/_put

The words The lamp, the basket, the bed, and the lampstand represent lamps, baskets, beds, and lampstands in general, not one particular lamp, basket, bed, or lampstand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: “Lamps do not come so that they might be put under baskets or under beds, do they? Is it not so that they might be put on lampstands”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

μήτι ἔρχεται ὁ λύχνος

surely_not /is/_coming the lamp

Here Jesus speaks as if the lamp were a person who could come. He means that someone lights the lamp and brings it into a house. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “The lamp is not lit … is it” or “The lamp is not brought into a house … is it”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τεθῇ & οὐχ ἵνα & τεθῇ

˱it˲_/may_be/_put & not in_order_that & ˱it˲_/may_be/_put

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, you could use an indefinite subject. Alternate translation: “someone might put it … Is it not so that someone might put it”

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον

under the basket

A basket is a large circular container that stores food or other items. If someone put a lamp under this kind of container, it would completely hide the light from the lamp. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of container, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “in a box” or “under a container that hides its light”

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

ὑπὸ τὴν κλίνην

under under the bed

A bed is a piece of furniture that people would lie on when they were eating or sleeping. Most likely, this kind of bed had short legs that raised it off the floor. If someone put a lamp under this kind of furniture, it would hide the light from the lamp. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of container, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “under a couch” or “under furniture”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν

on the lampstand

Here Jesus implies that the lamp can illuminate a large area when it is on a lampstand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “on the lampstand to that it illuminates the whole room” or “on the lampstand where it lights up the area”