OET interlinear 2COR 12:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν Παράδεισον, καὶ ἤκουσεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι

/was/_snatched into ¬the Paradise and heard inexpressible words which_‹it_is› not permitting ˱to˲_/a/_human /to/_speak

Here Paul continues to speak about himself in the third person. Make sure that your translation fits with how you chose to translate 12:2–3. Alternate translation: “he, by which I mean I, was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for a man to speak” or “he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for a man to speak. Again, that man is me”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν Παράδεισον, καὶ ἤκουσεν

/was/_snatched into ¬the Paradise and heard

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 caught him up into Paradise and he heard”

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

τὸν Παράδεισον

¬the Paradise

Here, the word Paradise refers to a place in heaven where those who have trusted in God live after they die and before Jesus comes back. Paul does not explicitly state whether Paradise is the “third heaven” or, more likely, within the “third heaven.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to the place where believing people go immediately after they die. Alternate translation: “the place of the believing dead” or “the abode of the dead in heaven”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

ἄρρητα ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι

inexpressible words which_‹it_is› not permitting ˱to˲_/a/_human /to/_speak

The terms inexpressible and which are not permitted for a man to speak mean similar things. It is possible that inexpressible indicates that people are unable to speak these amazing words, and which are not permitted indicates that God does not allow people to speak these words. If you do not have clear ways to express these two ideas and if it would be helpful in your language, you could express the general idea with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “words which a man cannot speak” or “amazing and unrepeatable words”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι

which_‹it_is› not permitting ˱to˲_/a/_human /to/_speak

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 does the action, it is clear from the context that it is God. Alternate translation: “which a man cannot speak” or “which God does not permit a man to speak”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἀνθρώπῳ

˱to˲_/a/_human

Although the term man is masculine, Paul is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: “for a human” or “for a person”