OET interlinear 1COR 8:8

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

βρῶμα & ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ Θεῷ

food & us not /will_be/_presenting ¬the ˱to˲_God

Here Paul speaks as if food were a person who could bring us near to God. By speaking in this way, Paul discusses whether food can make our relationship with God stronger or not. Just like a person who cannot bring us near to someone so that we can know that person better, so food cannot make our relationship with God any stronger. 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: [food will not make our relationship with God any stronger]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν, ὑστερούμεθα; οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν, περισσεύομεν

neither if not ˱we˲_/may/_eat nor if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: βρῶμα δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ Θεῷ οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν περισσεύομεν οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν ὑστερούμεθα)

Here Paul contrasts “eating” and “not eating” while negating both sides of the contrast. If your language does not use this form, you can express the idea with two negative clauses. Alternate translation: [we are not made to lack if we do not eat, and we do not abound if we eat]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν, ὑστερούμεθα; οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν, περισσεύομεν

neither if not ˱we˲_/may/_eat nor if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: βρῶμα δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ Θεῷ οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν περισσεύομεν οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν ὑστερούμεθα)

Here Paul uses if twice to introduce true possibilities. He means that a person might not eat, or that person might eat. He specifies the result for each option. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this form by stating the if statements by introducing them with a word such as “whenever” or by using relative clauses. Alternate translation: [neither are we made to lack whenever we do not eat, nor do we abound whenever we eat]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὑστερούμεθα & περισσεύομεν

˱we˲_/are_being/_deficient (Some words not found in SR-GNT: βρῶμα δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐ παραστήσει τῷ Θεῷ οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν περισσεύομεν οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν ὑστερούμεθα)

Here Paul does not specify in what we might lack or abound. If possible, do not specify this is in your translation. If you must clarify in what we might lack or abound, Paul implies that it is God’s “favor” or “grace.” Alternate translation: [are we made to lack God’s grace … we abound in God’s grace]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μὴ φάγωμεν & φάγωμεν

not ˱we˲_/may/_eat & ˱we˲_/may/_eat

Here Paul states a general principle, and he does not clarify what kinds of food he has in mind. If possible, do not specify what we eat in your translation. If you must clarify what we eat, you could include a vague or generic reference to “certain kinds of food.” Alternate translation: [we do not eat specific kinds of food … we eat specific kinds of food]