OET interlinear ACTs 13:25

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸν δρόμον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

Paul is speaking of John as if he had been running a race or course. Alternate translation: [his work]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

ἔλεγεν, τί ἐμὲ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι? οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγώ, ἀλλ’ ἰδοὺ, ἔρχεται μετ’ ἐμὲ, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι

˱he˲_˓was˒_saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

Even if your language does not customarily put one direct quotation inside another, it might be good to present this quotation from John the Baptist as a direct quotation if possible, since it uses several figures of speech that might not sound natural in an indirect quotation. (As an indirect quotation, this would read something like this: “he asked the people who they thought him to be, and he told them he was not he and that behold, one was coming after him, the sandals of whose feet he was not worthy to untie.”) You may be able to indicate the beginning of Paul’s quotation from John with some punctuation or convention that your language uses.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί ἐμὲ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

John is using the question form to challenge his listeners’ idea of who he is. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [I am not who you think I am!]

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγώ

not not (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

The pronoun he refers to the Messiah. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [I am not the Messiah]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἰδοὺ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

John is using the term behold to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation.

Note 6 topic: translate-symaction

οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι

˱of˲_whom not (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

John is using the action of untying sandals symbolically to signify humble service. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could translate this with a general expression. Alternate translation: [to whom I am not even worthy to offer humble service]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὡς Δέ ἐπλήρου Ἰωάννης τόν δρόμον ἔλεγεν Τί ἐμέ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι οὐκ εἰμί Ἐγώ ἀλλʼ ἰδού ἔρχεται μετʼ ἐμέ οὗ οὐκ εἰμί ἄξιος τό ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι)

In your language, the expression the sandals of his feet might seem to convey redundant information that would be not be natural to express. If so, you could abbreviate it. Alternate translation: [his sandals]