OET interlinear GAL 2:17

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

δὲ

but

Here Paul uses the word But to introduce new information into his ongoing explanation of why justification is through faith in Christ and not through obeying the law of Moses. Here, Paul is anticipating and answering a possible objection to justification by faith. The word But introduces this. Use a natural form in your language for doing this.

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ

if

Paul is speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might misunderstand and think that what Paul is saying is not certain, then you can translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: “since”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ζητοῦντες δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ

seeking /to_be/_justified in Christ

The phrase justified in Christ means “made righteous in God’s sight because of being united with Christ by believing in what he has done.” This phrase means the same thing as the phrase justified by faith in Christ in 2:16. See how you translated the phrase “justified by faith in Christ” there and, if it would help your readers, consider stating more fully here what the phrase to be justified in Christ means.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

δικαιωθῆναι ἐν Χριστῷ

/to_be/_justified in Christ

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that God will do it. Alternate translation: “for God to justify us through our faith in Christ” or “for God to justify us because of our faith in Christ”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

εὑρέθημεν

˱we˲_/were/_found

Here, we could be: (1) inclusive if Paul is still addressing Peter. If you decide that this verse is a continuation of the quotation that began in 2:14 then we is inclusive because Paul is still addressing Peter and would be including Peter and the Jewish Christians in Antioch. Your language may require you to mark these forms. (2) exclusive if you decide that Paul’s quotation of his words to Peter ended at the end 2:14.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rpronouns

αὐτοὶ

ourselves

Paul uses the word ourselves for emphasis. Use a way that is natural in your language to indicate this emphasis.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

εὑρέθημεν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἁμαρτωλοί

˱we˲_/were/_found also ourselves sinners

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language.

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἁμαρτωλοί & ἁμαρτίας

sinners & ˱of˲_sin

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of sin or being a sinner, you could express the meaning in some other way that is natural in your language.

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ἆρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος

consequently_‹is› Christ ˱of˲_sin /a/_servant

The phrase is Christ then a minister of sin is a rhetorical question. Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form to emphasize the truth of what he is saying. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way.

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

μὴ γένοιτο

never ˱it˲_/might/_become

The expression May it never be gives the strongest possible negative answer to the preceding rhetorical question is Christ a minister of sin? Use a natural way in your language for strongly and emphatically negating an idea. Alternate translation: “Of course, that is not true” or “No, never” or “No way”