OET interlinear 1COR 9:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἐὰν & εὐαγγελίζωμαι, οὐκ ἔστιν μοι καύχημα, ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται

if & ˱I˲_/may_be/_gospel_preaching not ˱there˲_is ˱to˲_me boast necessity for ˱on˲_me /is/_imposing

If your language would normally put the reason before the result, you could rearrange the order of these clauses. Alternate translation: [because compulsion is placed on me, there is nothing for me to boast about if I proclaim the gospel]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

ἐὰν

if

Paul is speaking as if “proclaiming” the gospel was only a possibility, but he means that he actually does this. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Paul is saying is not certain, then you could translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: [when] or [whenever]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀνάγκη & ἐπίκειται

necessity & /is/_imposing

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 himself, upon whom the compulsion is placed, rather than focusing on the person placing the compulsion. If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: [God places compulsion]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἀνάγκη & μοι ἐπίκειται

necessity & ˱on˲_me /is/_imposing

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind compulsion, you can express the idea by using a verb such as “compel” and rephrase the clause. Alternate translation: [I am compelled to do so]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἀνάγκη & μοι ἐπίκειται

necessity & ˱on˲_me /is/_imposing

Here Paul speaks as if compulsion were a physical object that someone had placed upon him. By speaking in this way, he means that he is required to do something. 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: [I am commanded to do so] or [I have an obligation]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

οὐαὶ & μοί ἐστιν

woe & ˱to˲_me is

Here, woe be to me expresses what Paul thinks would happen to him if he ever were to stop preaching the gospel. He would experience woe, with the implication that this woe will come from God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express woe be to me with a word or phrase that expresses the expectation of bad things to come. Alternate translation: [bad things will happen to me] or [God will punish me]

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary

ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίζωμαι

if if not ˱I˲_/may_be/_gospel_preaching

Paul is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he is already convinced that the condition is not true. He knows that he does indeed preach the gospel. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker believes is not true. Alternate translation: [whenever I stop preaching the gospel, which I will never do]