OET interlinear 2COR 12:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

οἶδα ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων (εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα, ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν), ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ

˱I˲_/have/_known /a/_man in Christ before years fourteen whether in /the/_body not ˱I˲_/have/_known or outside the body not ˱I˲_/have/_known ¬the God /has/_known /having_been/_snatched ¬the such to /the/_third heaven

Here, the clauses whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows interrupt the sentence to indicate that Paul does not know exactly what form the ascent into heaven took. If it would be helpful in your language, you could move these clauses to wherever they would naturally appear in your language. Alternate translation: [Whether this happened in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows. However it happened, I know about a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven 14 years ago]

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

οἶδα ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων & ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ

˱I˲_/have/_known /a/_man in Christ before years fourteen & /having_been/_snatched ¬the such to /the/_third heaven

In 12:2–5, Paul uses the third person to speak about a person who traveled to the third heaven. It is clear from 12:6–7 that he is actually speaking about himself. So, Paul uses the third person to avoid boasting directly about himself. If possible, use the third person in 12:2–5 and reveal later that Paul himself is this man. If necessary, you could reveal in this verse that Paul is speaking about himself. Make sure your translation here fits with how you translate 12:3–5. Alternate translation: [I know a man in Christ … such a man having been caught up to the third heaven 14 years ago. That man is me.] or [I know a man in Christ, that is, me … I was caught up to the third heaven 14 years ago]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ

/a/_man in Christ

Here Paul uses the spatial metaphor in Christ to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being in Christ, or united to Christ, indicates that the man believes in Christ. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that refers to a believer or Christian. Alternate translation: [man united to Christ] or [a believer]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα

whether in /the/_body not ˱I˲_/have/_known or outside the body not ˱I˲_/have/_known

Here Paul refers to a common question related to stories about people traveling to heaven: in what way does the person ascend into heaven? There were three primary ways a person could ascend: they could go into heaven physically in their body, they could go into heaven in a dream, or they could go into heaven with only their non-physical part, that is, their spirit. Here Paul indicates that he does not know in what way the man in Christ ascended into heaven. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [whether in bodily form, I do not know, or not in bodily form, I do not know] or [whether physically, I do not know, or spiritually, I do not know]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα, εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα

whether in /the/_body not ˱I˲_/have/_known or outside the body not ˱I˲_/have/_known

Here Paul repeats I do not know in order to emphasize his lack of knowledge. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [whether in the body or out of the body, I certainly do not know]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον

/having_been/_snatched ¬the such

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, Paul implies that it was God. Alternate translation: [God having caught up such a man]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ

to /the/_third heaven

Many people in Paul’s culture believed that the space that they called “heaven” contained multiple layers or spheres of individual heavens. Here, Paul refers to the third heaven. Since he does not specify how many heavens he thinks there are, it is best not to clarify whether this is the highest heaven or not. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that refers more clearly to the third out of multiple heavens. Alternate translation: [up to the third out of multiple heavens] or [into the third sphere of heaven]