OET interlinear 1COR 7:39

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δέδεται ἐφ’

˓has_been˒_bound for

Here, bound refers to the legal and moral obligation to remain married. This obligation is strong enough that Paul can speak about it as if it were a rope that bound the man and the woman together. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind bound plainly or with a comparable metaphor. Alternate translation: [is required to stay with her husband] or [is spoken for]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

γυνὴ δέδεται

˓a˒_wife ˓has_been˒_bound

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 wife, who is bound, rather than the person doing the “binding.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” or the “law” does it. Alternate translation: [A wife must remain married] or [God’s law binds a wife]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

ἐὰν & κοιμηθῇ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν

if & ˓may_be˒_fallen_asleep the husband free ˱she˲_is

Here Paul uses if to introduce a true possibility. He means that the husband might die or he might not. He then specifies the result for if the husband dies. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the if statement by using a relative clause. Alternate translation: [any wife whose husband dies is free]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ἐν Κυρίῳ

free ˱she˲_is ˱to˲_whom ˱she˲_˓is˒_willing ˓to_be˒_married only in ˓the˒_Lord

If it would appear in your language that Paul was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this to avoid using this form. Alternate translation: [she is free to marry whomever she wishes as long as they are in the Lord]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐν Κυρίῳ

in ˓the˒_Lord

Here Paul uses the spatial metaphor in the Lord to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being in the Lord, or united to the Lord, identifies the person as someone who believes in Jesus. Alternate translation: [if they believe in the Lord]