1 COR 4:13 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. δυσφημούμενοι
2. dusfēmeō
3. being defamed
4. -
5. 14255
6. VPPP·NMP
7. ˓being˒ defamed
8. ˓being˒ defamed
9. -
10. Y59; R114416
11. 114473
1. βλασφημούμενοι
2. blasfēmeō
3. -
4. -
5. 9870
6. VPPP·NMP
7. ˓being˒ slandered
8. ˓being˒ slandered
9. -
10. -
11. 114474
1. παρακαλοῦμεν
2. parakaleō
3. we are imploring
4. -
5. 38700
6. VIPA1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ imploring
8. ˱we˲ ˓are˒ imploring
9. -
10. Y59; R114416
11. 114475
1. ὡς
2. hōs
3. as
4. -
5. 56130
6. C·······
7. as
8. as
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114476
1. περικαθάρματα
2. perikatharma
3. +the scum
4. -
5. 40270
6. N····NNP
7. ˓the˒ scum
8. ˓the˒ scum
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114477
1. τοῦ
2. ho
3. of the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····GMS
7. ˱of˲ the
8. ˱of˲ the
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114478
1. κόσμου
2. kosmos
3. world
4. -
5. 28890
6. N····GMS
7. world
8. world
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114479
1. ἐγενήθημεν
2. ginomai
3. we were become
4. become
5. 10960
6. VIAP1··P
7. ˱we˲ ˓were˒ become
8. ˱we˲ ˓were˒ become
9. -
10. Y59; R114416
11. 114480
1. πάντων
2. pas
3. of all things
4. -
5. 39560
6. S····GNP
7. ˱of˲ all ‹things›
8. ˱of˲ all ‹things›
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114481
1. περίψημα
2. peripsēma
3. refuse
4. -
5. 40670
6. N····NNS
7. refuse
8. refuse
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114482
1. ἕως
2. heōs
3. until
4. until
5. 21930
6. P·······
7. until
8. until
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114483
1. ἄρτι
2. arti
3. now
4. -
5. 7370
6. D·······
7. now
8. now
9. -
10. Y59
11. 114484

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–21: The Corinthians should respect Paul as a servant of Christ

Paul continued to talk about how the Corinthian believers should think about their Christian leaders, especially himself. He said that Christian leaders are servants of Christ and should be judged only by Christ. Some Corinthian believers were saying that they did not have to listen to Paul’s teaching. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect and obey him as their spiritual father.

Other possible section headings include:

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to respect him and Apollos

Paul and Apollos deserved respect as Christ’s servants

Paragraph 4:6–13

In this paragraph Paul rebuked the Corinthians for talking proudly about their abilities. Since all their abilities came from God, they had no reason to talk proudly about them. Paul talked about Apollos and himself to contrast the suffering that true workers of Christ were enduring with the proud, boastful attitudes of the Corinthians.

4:13a

when we are slandered, we answer gently.

When people say bad things about us^(excl) we say good things about them.
When people lie about us^(excl) we respond with kind, friendly words.
We^(excl) speak gently to those who slander us.

we are slandered: The Greek word that the BSB translates as we are slandered is similar in meaning to the word translated as “we are vilified” in 4:12b. Probably the difference is that in 4:12b Paul was referring to people directly insulting the apostles, and here in 4:13a he was referring to people saying bad things about the apostles to others. To “slander” someone is to try to ruin their good name by saying untrue bad things about them.

This is a passive clause. There are two ways to translate it:

with a passive verb. For example:
we are slandered (NJB)
our reputations are attacked (GW)
with an active verb. For example:
they slander us (REB)
people slander us^(excl)
they tell evil lies about us (NCV)

we answer gently: The clause we answer gently indicates that the apostles did not speak back in a bad way to those who slandered them. Other ways to translate this include:

we speak nice words about them (NCV)

we remain courteous (GW)

4:13b

Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.

Even now people treat us^(excl) as if we^(excl) were rubbish/garbage that they throw away, or like dirt/scum that they scrape off a pot.
Right up to this day/hour people still do not respect us^(excl). They say we^(excl) are worthless.

Up to this moment: This means the same as “To this very hour” in 4:11a. See the notes there. Paul made it clear that people were still treating Christ’s representatives and workers badly, even at the time he was writing this letter.In the Greek, this phrase comes at the end of the verse. Combined with the similar phrase at the beginning of verse 11, these phrases seem to give the boundaries of Paul’s statements that apply only to the apostles. In verses 8 to 10, Paul compared the Corinthians with the apostles but in verses 11 through 13, he no longer makes comparisons with the Corinthians. Translators should use this structure if it is appropriate for their language.

we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world: Paul used these two figures of speech to describe himself and Christ’s other workers. He compared them to rubbish because people considered them worthless and treated them badly. There are two ways to translate these figures of speech:

keep the figures of speech. For example:
we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash (NLT)
People treat us like dirt, like the world’s unwanted junk.
translate the meaning. For example:
People treat us^(excl) apostles as if we^(excl) were of no value.

Your language may have colorful figures of speech that you can use to translate this. Translate this in such a way that it is clear that people scorned and despised the apostles.

the scum of the earth: The Greek word that the BSB translates as scum literally refers to anything people remove when they clean. This would include dirt, trash, rubbish, and whatever people throw away.

the refuse of the world: The Greek word that the BSB translates as refuse means anything people remove when they scrape or wash things. This would include, for example, what a person removes from a pot by scraping or scouring.

The meanings of the two words “scum” and refuse are close. They both refer to something that people think of as worthless, no longer any good. What Paul meant by these metaphors is that people were treating Christ’s workers very badly. Sometimes they were trying to kill them or drive them away. They treated them as if they were unimportant.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

παρακαλοῦμεν & ἐγενήθημεν

˱we˲_˓are˒_imploring & ˱we˲_˓were˒_become

Here, we refers to Paul and other “apostles.” It does not include the Corinthians.

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous

δυσφημούμενοι

˓being˒_defamed

The phrase being slandered identifies the situation in which Paul and other apostles comfort. If it would be helpful in your language, you could: (1) include a word such as “when” to indicate that these actions happen at the same time. Alternate translation: [Any time we are slandered] (2) include a word such as “although” to indicate that these actions are in contrast with each other. Alternate translation: [Although we are slandered]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

δυσφημούμενοι

˓being˒_defamed

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 uses the passive form here to focus on those who are slandered rather than the people doing the “slandering.” If you must state who does the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [others slandering us]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα

as ˓the˒_scum ˱of˲_the world ˱we˲_˓were˒_become ˱of˲_all_‹things› refuse

Here Paul says that he and other apostles are like scum and refuse, both of which are words that describe garbage. Paul speaks in this way to show that the world considers him and other apostles to be worthless, just like garbage is worthless and should be thrown away. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this simile with a comparable image or plainly. Alternate translation: [We have no value according to the world’s perspective] or [We have become like a heap of garbage]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου & πάντων περίψημα

˓the˒_scum ˱of˲_the world & ˱of˲_all_‹things› refuse

Here Paul uses two different words for garbage. The word scum refers to what people throw away after they clean something. The word refuse refers to dirt or filth that people wipe or scrub off an object. Paul uses two very similar words in order to emphasize that the world thinks that he and other apostles are like garbage. If your language does not use repetition in this way, you can combine these phrases. Alternate translation: [the filthy scum of all the world]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου

˓the˒_scum ˱of˲_the world

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe what the world identifies as scum. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form with a short phrase to clarify that scum is what the world thinks he and other apostles are. Alternate translation: [what the world considers scum]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

τοῦ κόσμου

˱of˲_the world

When Paul uses the world in this context, he is not referring primarily to everything that God has made. Rather, he uses the world to refer to human beings who do not believe in Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the world with an expression that refers to human beings in general. Alternate translation: [of human beings]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

πάντων περίψημα

˱of˲_all_‹things› refuse

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe refuse that: (1) comes from all things. Alternate translation: [the refuse from all things] (2) all people consider to be garbage. Alternate translation: [what all people consider to be refuse]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἕως ἄρτι

until now

Here Paul ends this sentence in a similar way to how he began his sentence in [4:11](../04/11.md). In Paul’s culture, the phrase even until now means that what Paul speaks about has been happening and continues to happen up to the time when he writes this letter. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this phrase with a comparable idiom or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [to this very day] or [all the time we serve Christ]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear 1 COR 4:13

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 4:1–21: The Corinthians should respect Paul as a servant of Christ

Paragraph 4:6–13

4:13a

4:13b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 4:13

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

Section 4:1–21: The Corinthians should respect Paul as a servant of Christ

Paragraph 4:6–13

4:13a

4:13b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

OET interlinear 1 COR 4:13