OET interlinear 2COR 8:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν, ἀλλ’

not as ˱we˲_hoped but

Here Paul is implying that the Macedonians did more than Paul and his fellow workers had hoped, not that they did less. If this clause would imply that the Macedonians did less, you could use a form that implies that they did more. Alternate translation: “while we had hoped for something, they did more:” or “doing more than we had hoped,”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν, πρῶτον

themselves ˱they˲_gave first

Here Paul speaks as if the Macedonians were gifts that they themselves gave to the Lord and to us. He means that the Macedonians chose to completely serve and honor the Lord and us. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “they first devoted themselves” or “they chose first to be servants”

πρῶτον & καὶ

first & and

Here, the words first and then could indicate what is: (1) more and less important. Alternate translation: “primarily … and secondarily” (2) first and second in sequence. Alternate translation: “first … and second”

καὶ ἡμῖν

and and ˱to˲_us

Here, the phrase and then could introduce: (1) what comes after what they first did. Alternate translation: “and after that to us” (2) the second part of what they first did. Paul implies that what comes after what they first did is giving money. Alternate translation: “and to us before they gave money”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

καὶ ἡμῖν

and and ˱to˲_us

Here Paul is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “and then they gave themselves to us”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν, πρῶτον τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἡμῖν, διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

themselves ˱they˲_gave first ˱to˲_the Lord and ˱to˲_us by /the/_will ˱of˲_God

Here, the phrase by the will of God could modify: (1) how the Corinthians both gave themselves to the Lord and to us. Alternate translation: “by the will of God they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us” (2) just how the Corinthians gave themselves to us. Alternate translation: “they first gave themselves to the Lord and then, by the will of God, to us”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

by /the/_will ˱of˲_God

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of will, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “as God wanted” or “which is what God desires”