OET interlinear 1COR 9:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

τοῖς ἀνόμοις & ἄνομος & τοὺς ἀνόμους

˱to˲_the lawless & /the/_lawless & the lawless

Here, without the law refers to people who do not have the law that Moses wrote down. These people are not Jews, but Paul is not saying that they are disobedient. Rather, Paul is emphasizing the law that Moses wrote down here, which is why he uses this language rather than referring to “Gentiles” or “non-Jews.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind without the lawby clarifying that Paul is referring to people who do not have the law of Moses. Alternate translation: [To those without Moses’ law … without Moses’ law … those without Moses’ law]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ὡς ἄνομος

like /the/_lawless

Here Paul omits some words that your language may require to make a complete thought. Paul omits these words because he stated them explicitly in the previous verses (I became in 9:20). If your language does need these words, you could supply them from that clause. Since English needs these words, the ULT has supplied them in brackets.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

μὴ ὢν ἄνομος Θεοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἔννομος Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κερδάνω τοὺς ἀνόμους

not being lawless ˱of˲_God but lawful ˱of˲_Christ in_order_that ˱I˲_/may/_win the lawless

Much like in 9:20, Paul includes some statements between being without the law and the purpose of being without the law. If your readers would find this structure confusing, you could rearrange the clauses so that the purpose comes immediately after without the law, or you could mark the statements in the middle as parenthetical, as the ULT does. Alternate translation: [so that I might win those without the law. Now I am not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἄνομος Θεοῦ

/the/_lawless lawless ˱of˲_God

Here Paul uses the possessive form to state that: (1) he is not without the law that God has given. Paul distinguishes between the law that Moses wrote down and God’s law in general. Alternate translation: [without any law from God] (2) he is not someone who is disobedient (without the law) towards God. Paul is distinguishing between people who do not have the law that Moses wrote down and people who disobey God. Alternate translation: [disobedient towards God]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἔννομος Χριστοῦ

lawful ˱of˲_Christ

Much like in 9:20, Paul speaks about those who think that they need to obey the law as if they were physically under the law. By speaking as if the law were on top of these people, Paul emphasizes how the law controls their lives. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express under the law with a word or phrase that refers to the obligation to obey the law of Christ. Alternate translation: [keeping the law of Christ]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἔννομος Χριστοῦ

lawful ˱of˲_Christ

Here Paul uses the possessive form to describe the law that Christ commanded. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this form with a word or phrase that clearly states that Christ commanded this law. Alternate translation: [under Christ’s law] or [under the law that comes from Christ]

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

κερδάνω

˱I˲_/may/_win

Just as in 9:19, to gain someone means to help them to believe in the Messiah. Translate this word the same way you did in 9:19. Alternate translation: [I might convert] or [I might gain for Christ]