OET interlinear 1 COR 14:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

νῦν δέ, ἀδελφοί

now (Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

Here, But now introduces what Paul thinks is true. The word now does not refer to time here. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express But now with a word or phrase that introduces what a person thinks is true. Alternate translation: [As it is, brothers,] or [But what is true, brothers, is that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀδελφοί

brothers

Although brothers is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to any believer, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express brothers with a non-gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [brothers and sisters]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ἔλθω & ὠφελήσω & λαλήσω

˱I˲_˓may˒_come & ˱I˲_˓will_be˒_benefiting & ˱I˲_˓may˒_speak

Here Paul uses the first person to give himself as an example. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the first person as a generic third person. Alternate translation: [somebody comes … will he or she benefit … he or she speaks] or [people come … will they benefit … they speak]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἐὰν ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν, τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω, ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει, ἢ ἐν γνώσει, ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ, ἢ διδαχῇ?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

If your language would normally express what will benefit the Corinthians before what will not benefit them, you could rearrange this verse. Alternate translation: [will I not benefit you if I speak to you in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or teaching? But will I benefit you at all if I come to you speaking in tongues?]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ἐὰν ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν, τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

Here Paul is using a hypothetical situation to teach the Corinthians. He wants them to imagine that he is coming to them speaking in tongues. He uses himself in this hypothetical situation to illustrate that he could do this if he wanted to and also because he does not want to offend someone else by saying that they do not benefit others. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: [suppose that I came to you speaking in tongues. What would I benefit you unless I spoke to you]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / go

ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς

˱I˲_˓may˒_come (Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

Here Paul is speaking about his plan to visit the Corinthians at some point. Use a form in your language that indicates future travel plans to visit someone. Alternate translation: [I arrive where you live]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω, ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει, ἢ ἐν γνώσει, ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ, ἢ διδαχῇ?

what you_all ˱I˲_˓will_be˒_benefiting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “nothing.” In other words, Paul would be of no benefit at all. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question with a strong negation. Alternate translation: [I will not benefit you unless I speak to you either in revelation or in knowledge or in prophecy or teaching.]

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω, ἐὰν μὴ ὑμῖν λαλήσω

what you_all ˱I˲_˓will_be˒_benefiting (Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

If it would appear in your language that Paul was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: [will I not benefit you only when I speak to you]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἢ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει, ἢ ἐν γνώσει, ἢ ἐν προφητείᾳ, ἢ διδαχῇ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: νῦν Δέ ἀδελφοί ἐάν ἔλθω πρός ὑμᾶς γλώσσαις λαλῶν τί ὑμᾶς ὠφελήσω ἐάν μή ὑμῖν λαλήσω ἤ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει ἤ ἐν γνώσει ἤ ἐν προφητείᾳ ἤ ἐν διδαχῇ)

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind revelation, knowledge, prophecy, or teaching, you can express the ideas by using verbs such as “reveal,” “know,” “prophesy,” and “teach.” Alternate translation: [either to show you things or to make you understand things or to prophesy to you or to instruct you]