OET interlinear 1COR 3:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν.

I planted Apollos gave_to_drink but ¬the God /was/_growing

Paul speaks about the roles that God gave to him and to Apollos as if they were farmers who planted and watered their crops. See the chapter introduction for further explanation of this metaphor. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the way that Paul uses farming language to describe how the Corinthians received the gospel with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “I introduced you to the gospel, Apollos taught you more about the gospel, but God enabled you to believe”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν.

I planted Apollos gave_to_drink but ¬the God /was/_growing

Paul never states what it is that he planted, that Apollos watered, and that God caused it to grow. He does not state what it is because he wishes to use a general statement about farming practices. If you need to state what is planted and watered, you could include a general word or words such as “seed,” “plant,” or “crop.” Alternate translation: “I planted the seeds, Apollos watered the plants, but God caused the crop to grow” or “I planted the crop, Apollos watered it, but God caused it to grow”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλὰ ὁ Θεὸς

planted Apollos gave_to_drink but ¬the God

Here Paul uses but to contrast himself and Apollos with God. The point is that what he did and what Apollos did are at the same level of importance, but God’s work is the most important. Another way to understand this contrast is to notice that Paul and Apollos assist in the process of plants growing, but God is the only one who actually makes them grow. Again, the main point is that Paul and Apollos are simply “servants” of God (3:5) in a process that God oversees. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express but with a word or phrase that puts Paul and Apollos together in contrast with God. Alternate translation: “planted, and Apollos watered. However, it was God who”