OET interlinear GAL 3:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ

so_many_‹things› ˱you_all˲_suffered vainly

Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form in order to try to make the Galatian believers think about the implications of believing and following the false teachers. 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 2 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ— εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ

so_many_‹things› ˱you_all˲_suffered vainly if surely also vainly

The original word that Paul used, which is translated as experienced by the ULT, could refer to: (1) experiencing bad things such as suffering. If this is what Paul means here, then he is referring to the suffering that the Galatians believers experienced when they were persecuted. Alternate translation: “Keep in mind that if what God has done for you was because of your obeying the laws that God gave to Moses and not because of trusting in Christ, did you not suffer so many things needlessly? I certainly hope that you did not suffer like that needlessly” (2) the spiritual privileges and blessings that the Galatian believers had experienced such as receiving God’s Spirit and God “working miracles” among them, both of which are mentioned in the next verse. If your language does not allow you to use a neutral term but rather requires a more specific term, you could specify that the things the Galatians experienced were good things. Alternate translation: “Keep in mind that if the good things God has done for you were because you obeyed the laws that God gave to Moses and not because you trusted in Christ, then the good things God has done for you have been wasted. I certainly hope that the good things you have experienced have not been wasted” (3) both good things and bad things and be referring to both the persecution that the Galatians had experienced and the spiritual blessings that they had experienced. Because it is not known for sure the type of things to which Paul is referring, if possible you should try to use a neutral term or expression. You could then translate this rhetorical question as the ULT does or with a similar neutral phrase such as “Did all the things that happened to you not cause you to think about them?”

ἐπάθετε

˱you_all˲_suffered

Alternate translation: “Did you experience”

εἰκῇ— εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ

vainly if surely also vainly

Alternate translation: “uselessly—if indeed it was really useless” or “in vain—if indeed it was really in vain” or “for no purpose—if indeed it was really for no purpose”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ

if surely also vainly

The phrase if indeed it was really for nothing shows contingency regarding his rhetorical question, Have you experienced so many things for nothing, and shows that Paul retains hope for the Galatians. Paul hopes they will not make the many things that they have experienced be for nothing by obeying the false teaching that they must obey the laws of Moses such as the dietary laws and laws about circumcision. Paul is making a hypothetical statement to help his readers recognize the serious implications of following the teachings of these false teachers. Use the natural form in your language for expressing a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “if indeed it was really for nothing that you experienced so many things, but I hope with you that this is not the case”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ

if surely also vainly

The phrase if indeed it was really for nothing is a rhetorical question. Paul is using the question form here to help the Galatians think about what he is saying and demonstrate his continued hope that they will decide against the teachings of the false teachers. 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.