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OET (OET-LV) For/Because also if an_uncertain a_trumpet sound may_give, who will_be_preparing himself for war?
OET (OET-RV) because if the trumpet produces an unclear sound, how will the soldiers know to prepare for battle.
In this section Paul instructed the Corinthian believers about how they should worship God together. First, he compared prophecy and tongues. He stressed the value of prophecy for building up the church. Then he said they should conduct their worship services in an orderly and harmonious way. They were not to speak all at once. People who spoke in tongues should have someone to interpret, and women were to remain silent in the assembly.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Good order in worship
The spiritual gifts of prophecy and tongues
Use spiritual gifts to help the church grow
In this paragraph Paul discussed why it is important for people to be able to understand what is said in church. He pointed out that it is not useful to speak in ways that no one can understand.
Again, if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?
And if the trumpet does not blow a clear call, how will the soldiers know to prepare for battle?
And also, if the army trumpet doesn’t clearly tell the soldiers to attack, no one will get ready to fight.
Again: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Again introduces another example which shows that sound or noise by itself is of no use.
if the trumpet sounds a muffled call, who will prepare for battle?: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used it as a strong statement. He expected people to respond “No one.” None of the soldiers who are supposed to prepare for battle will do so. The commander wants them to get ready, but because the signal is not clear they do not know what his orders are.
Here are some ways to translate this strong statement.
Use a question. For example:
If, for example, the trumpet makes an unclear sound, who will get ready for battle? (NET)
Use a question with a response. For example:
if the trumpet makes a muffled call, will anyone get ready for battle? No!
Use a strong statement. For example:
if the trumpet call is not clear, then no one will prepare for battle
Translate this statement in a way that is natural in your language.
if the trumpet sounds a muffled call: Military officers used trumpet signals to give orders. Different trumpet tunes told the soldiers to attack or retreat. The soldiers needed to be able to hear the sound of the trumpet and recognize its meaning. In this example, the trumpet should have signaled that it was time to fight. In some languages it may be helpful to add some implied information. For example:
if the trumpet does not clearly tell the soldiers to attack
trumpet: A trumpet is a wind instrument that makes a loud sound.
If you do not have a word for this instrument, you could use a similar instrument that soldiers might use.
sounds a muffled call: Here is another way to translate this phrase:
makes a sound which is not clear
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
καὶ γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί Γάρ ἐάν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνήν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον)
Here, For indeed introduces another example that further supports what Paul said in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express For indeed with a word or phrase that introduces another example. Alternate translation: [Again,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐὰν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνὴν δῷ, τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί Γάρ ἐάν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνήν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον)
In Paul’s culture, soldiers would often use a trumpet to issue commands or signals before or during a battle. These signals could indicate that an enemy was coming, that the soldiers should attack or retreat, or various other things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state explicitly that Paul jumps from talking about a trumpet to talking about a battle because the trumpet was used in warfare. Alternate translation: [if a trumpet gives an uncertain sound when a solider uses it to signal other soldiers, who will prepare for battle]
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary
ἐὰν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνὴν δῷ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί Γάρ ἐάν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνήν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον)
Here Paul is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he is already convinced that the condition is not true. He knows that a trumpet really does “give” a certain or clear sound. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker believes is not true. Alternate translation: [if a trumpet actually were to give an uncertain sound]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἄδηλον & φωνὴν δῷ
˓an˒_uncertain & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί Γάρ ἐάν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνήν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον)
In Paul’s culture, people would speak about how something gives a sound. This means that the thing creates or makes the sound. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express gives an uncertain sound with a comparable idiom or expression. See how you translated this idiom in [14:7](../14/07.md). Alternate translation: [creates an uncertain sound]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἄδηλον & φωνὴν
˓an˒_uncertain & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καί Γάρ ἐάν ἄδηλον σάλπιγξ φωνήν δῷ τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον)
Here, an uncertain sound refers to notes that are not easily recognized or are difficult to hear. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express an uncertain sound with a word or phrase that refers to notes that are played poorly or are hard to hear. Alternate translation: [an unclear sound] or [an indistinct sound]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
τίς παρασκευάσεται εἰς πόλεμον?
who ˓will_be˒_preparing_‹himself› for war
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 “no one will.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question with a strong negation. Alternate translation: [people would never prepare for battle.]
OET (OET-LV) For/Because also if an_uncertain a_trumpet sound may_give, who will_be_preparing himself for war?
OET (OET-RV) because if the trumpet produces an unclear sound, how will the soldiers know to prepare for battle.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.