OET interlinear 1 COR 1:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ποῦ σοφός? ποῦ γραμματεύς? ποῦ συνζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

With these questions, Paul is not actually asking about the location of certain people. Rather, he is suggesting to the Corinthians that these kinds of people cannot be found. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind these questions with statements that: (1) assert that these people do not actually have real wisdom, knowledge, or skill. Alternate translation: [The wise person does not really have wisdom. The scholar does not really know much. The debater of this age is not really good at arguing] (2) assert that these people do not exist. Alternate translation: [There is no wise person. There is no scholar. There is no debater of this age]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

σοφός & γραμματεύς & συνζητητὴς

˓the˒_wise & ˓the˒_scribe & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

Paul uses these singular nouns to identify types of people, but he does not mean just one wise person, scholar, or debater. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with a form that identifies a type of person, or you could translate these nouns in plural form. Alternate translation: [the kind of person who has wisdom … the kind of person who is a scholar … the kind of person who is a debater]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

συνζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe a debater who is part of this age. In fact, Paul may mean that the wise person and the scholar also belong to this age. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this form with a relative clause. Alternate translation: [the debater, who belongs in this age] or [the debater? All these kinds of people belong to this age]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

συνζητητὴς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

Here, debater refers to a person who spends much of their time arguing about beliefs, values, or actions. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning of this word with a short phrase or a term that expresses this idea better. Alternate translation: [the disputant]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

οὐχὶ ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

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 “yes.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question with a statement. Alternate translation: [God has turned the wisdom of the world into foolishness]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ποῦ σοφός Ποῦ γραμματεύς Ποῦ συζητητής τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου Οὐχί ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου)

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe wisdom that seems wise according to the standard of this world. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this form using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [the wisdom that this world values]