OET interlinear 1COR 14:7

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλὸς, εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

likewise ¬the soulless_‹things› /a/_sound giving whether flute or harp if distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul identifies what he is talking about first (lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp) and then refers back to that phrase by using they in his sentence. If your readers would be confused by this structure, you could restructure the sentence and indicate what Paul is talking about in another way. Alternate translation: [If even lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp—would not give different sounds] or [Take even lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp—as an example. If they would not give different sounds]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

τὰ ἄψυχα

¬the soulless_‹things›

Herelifeless things are things are inanimate objects, things that have never been alive. Paul is specifically thinking of instruments that humans use to make sounds. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express lifeless things with a word or phrase that normally refers to things that have never been alive. Alternate translation: [inanimate things]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

φωνὴν διδόντα & διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

/a/_sound giving & distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

In Paul’s culture, people would speak about how something could give a sound. This means that the thing creates or makes the sound. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express giving sounds or give different sounds with a comparable idiom or expression. Alternate translation: [creating sounds … they would not create different sounds]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary

ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

if distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he is already convinced that the condition is not true. He knows that flute and harp really do give different sounds. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker believes is not true. Alternate translation: [if they actually did not give different sounds]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul refers to how an instrument like a flute or a harp produces many different sounds. It is only because it produces a variety of different sounds that it can create a melody or a song. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate what Paul is talking about here by making it more explicit that he is talking about how different sounds make up a song or melody. Alternate translation: [they did not make many different pitches] or [they did not create various notes]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον?

how /will_be_being/_known what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

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 “it will not.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question with a strong negation. Alternate translation: [the thing being played on the flute or the thing being played on the harp will not be known.]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον

what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul here uses the passive to emphasize the song instead of the person who plays the song. If you must state who did the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [what a person plays on the flute or what a person plays on the harp]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον

how /will_be_being/_known what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [how will anyone know the thing being played on the flute or the thing being played on the harp]