OET interlinear 1COR 8:13

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου

food /is/_stumbling the brother ˱of˲_me

Here, food is spoken of as though it were a person who could cause someone to stumble. Paul speaks in this way to emphasize that the food is the key issue that leads to “stumbling.” If this might be confusing for your readers, you could clarify that the person who eats the food causes someone to stumble. Alternate translation: [how I eat causes my brother to stumble]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, οὐ μὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

if food /is/_stumbling the brother ˱of˲_me by_no_means not ˱I˲_/may/_eat meats to the age

Here Paul uses the first-person singular in order to use himself as an example for the Corinthians to follow. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express that this is why Paul uses the first person by clarifying that Paul is offering himself as an example. Alternate translation: [if food causes my brother to stumble, I, for one, will certainly not ever eat meat] or [take me as an example: if food causes my brother to stumble, I will certainly not ever eat meat]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου

if food /is/_stumbling the brother ˱of˲_me

Paul is speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it will happen at some point. If your language does not state something as a condition if it will happen, and if your readers might think that what Paul is saying might not happen, then you can introduce the clause by using a word such as “in cases where” or “since.” Alternate translation: [because food causes my brother to stumble]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

(Occurrence -1) τὸν ἀδελφόν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: διόπερ εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου οὐ μὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου σκανδαλίσω)

Although brother is masculine, Paul is using it to refer to anyone, whether man or woman. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express brother with a non gendered word or refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [brother or sister … brother or sister]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

(Occurrence -1) τὸν ἀδελφόν μου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: διόπερ εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου οὐ μὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου σκανδαλίσω)

Paul is speaking of “brothers” in general, not of one particular brother. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express my brother with a word or phrase that refers to “brothers” in general. Alternate translation: [any brother of mine … any brother of mine]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

οὐ μὴ

by_no_means not

The words translated certainly not are two negative words. In Paul’s culture, two negative words made the statement even more negative. English speakers would think that the two negatives form a positive, so the ULT expresses the idea with one strong negative. If your language can use two negatives as Paul’s culture did, you could use a double negative here. If your language does not use two negatives in this way, you can translate with one strong negative, as the ULT does. Alternate translation: [by no means]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

κρέα

meats

Throughout this section, the “things sacrificed to idols” refers primarily to meat, and eating this kind of meat was one of the only ways for most people to eat meat at all. Paul here is stating that he will give up meat in general, whether it is sacrificed to idols or not. He implies that he does this so that fellow believers, who do not know whether the meat has been sacrificed to idols or not, will not stumble. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the implications here to make them explicit. Alternate translation: [meat, even if it has not been sacrificed to idols]