OET interlinear 1COR 12:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

οὐ δύναται & ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς & ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσίν

not /is/_able & the eye & the head ˱to˲_the feet

Here Paul is using a hypothetical situation to teach the Corinthians. He wants them to imagine that an eye and a head could talk to other body parts. He uses this hypothetical situation because, if these body parts could talk, they would never say “I have no need of you” to other body parts. His point is that human body parts work together; they do not try to get rid of each other. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “suppose that the eye could speak. It is not able … suppose that the head could speak. It is not able to say to the feet”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

οὐ δύναται & ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς εἰπεῖν τῇ χειρί, χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω; ἢ πάλιν ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσίν, χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω

not /is/_able & the eye /to/_say ˱to˲_the hand need ˱of˲_you not ˱I˲_/am/_having or again the head ˱to˲_the feet need ˱of˲_you_all not ˱I˲_/am/_having

Here Paul speaks as if an eye and a head could say things. He speaks in this way because he wants the Corinthians to think of themselves as body parts of the body of Christ, and so the eye and the head are examples for them. He also wishes them to see how absurd it would be if an eye or a head were to say that it did not need other body parts. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech by clarifying that this is a hypothetical situation in which an eye or a head can say things. Alternate translation: “say that an eye could talk. It is not able to say to the hand, ‘I do not have need of you.’ Or again, say that a head could talk. It is not able to say to the hand, ‘I do not have need of you.’”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

τῇ χειρί, χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω & τοῖς ποσίν, χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω.

˱to˲_the hand need ˱of˲_you not ˱I˲_/am/_having & ˱to˲_the feet need ˱of˲_you_all not ˱I˲_/am/_having

If your language does not use this form, you can translate the statement as an indirect quote instead of as a direct quote. Alternate translation: “that it does not need the hand … that it does not need the feet”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

οὐ δύναται & ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς εἰπεῖν τῇ χειρί & ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσίν

not /is/_able & the eye /to/_say ˱to˲_the hand & the head ˱to˲_the feet

Paul is using these body parts as examples. He is not speaking about one particular eye, hand, head, or feet. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with a form that refers to any ear. Alternate translation: “no eye is able to say to a hand … no head is able to say to feet”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω & χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω

need ˱of˲_you not ˱I˲_/am/_having & need ˱of˲_you_all not ˱I˲_/am/_having

Here, I do not have need of you is a natural way to express this idea in Paul’s language. In some languages, this clause sounds unnatural or longer than it needs to be. Paul is not using this form for special emphasis, so you could express the idea in whatever way seems natural in your language. Alternate translation: “I do not require you … I do not require you” or “You are not needed … You are not needed”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

ἢ πάλιν

or again

Here, or again introduces another example. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express or again with a word or phrase that introduces another example. Alternate translation: “or, for another example,” or “or further”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσίν

the head ˱to˲_the feet

Here Paul omits some words that your language may require to make a complete thought. Paul omits these words because he stated them explicitly in the previous clause (is not able to say). If your language does need these words, you could supply them from that clause. Alternate translation: “the head is not able to say to the feet”