OET interlinear 1COR 6:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ, ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν?

or not ˱you_all˲_/have/_known that the_‹one› /being/_joined_together ˱to˲_the prostitute one body is

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, we know.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question as an emphatic statement. Alternate translation: “You know for sure that the one who is joined to the prostitute is one body.”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / euphemism

ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ

the_‹one› /being/_joined_together ˱to˲_the prostitute

Here, being joined to the prostitute is a euphemism for having sex with a prostitute. Paul uses this euphemism in order to be polite. He also picks this specific euphemism because it can also refer to being joined to someone without sexual implications. He uses the phrase in this way in the next verse to speak about union with Christ (6:17). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express being joined to the prostitute with a similar polite euphemism in your language. If possible, use a euphemism that can also work to describe the nonsexual union with Christ in the next verse. Alternate translation: “the one who lives with the prostitute”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ

the_‹one› /being/_joined_together ˱to˲_the prostitute

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 the person who is joined rather than the person doing the “joining.” If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that the person did it to himself. Alternate translation: “the one who joins himself to the prostitute”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

τῇ πόρνῃ

˱to˲_the prostitute

Jesus is speaking of prostitutes in general, not of one particular prostitute. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that refers in general to “prostitutes.” Alternate translation: “to any prostitute”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν

one body is

Here Paul is pointing out that the one being joined and the prostitute make up one body together. He is not arguing that the one being joined by himself is one body. If it would be helpful in your language, you could include some words that Paul implies. Alternate translation: “is one body with her”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν

one body is

Here Paul is speaking as if the one being joined and the prostitute together share one body when they have sex. He speaks in this way to emphasize the unity that these two people have when they have sex, which is as close as if they had only one body. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “shares all things with her” or “is united to her”

Note 7 topic: writing-quotations

γάρ, φησίν,

for ˱he˲_/is/_saying

In Paul’s culture, For it says is a normal way to introduce a quotation from an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book titled “Genesis” (See: Genesis 2:24). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “For it can be read in the Old Testament” or “For in the book of Genesis we read”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

ἔσονται & φησίν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

will_be & ˱he˲_/is/_saying the two into flesh one

If you do not use this form in your language, you could translate these statements as indirect quotes instead of as direct quotes. Alternate translation: “it says that the two will become as one flesh”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἔσονται & οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

will_be & the two into flesh one

The passage that Paul quotes here comes from the book of Genesis. The story is about God creating Adam and Eve, the first man and woman. When God brings Eve, the woman, to the man named Adam, the narrative comments that this is why “a man will leave his father and his mother, and he will cling to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Paul quotes the end of this sentence here. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express what this quote refers to, you could include a footnote explaining the context. Additionally by clarifying what the word two refers to. Alternate translation: “A man and a woman will become as one flesh”