OET interlinear HEB 11:12

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

καὶ ἀφ’ ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου

also from one_‹man› ˱they˲_/were/_born and these /having_been/_made_dead

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “also one man—and he having become dead—fathered these children”

Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns

ἑνὸς

one_‹man›

Here, the word one refers to Abraham. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make whom one refers to explicit. Alternate translation: “one man, Abraham”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

νενεκρωμένου

/having_been/_made_dead

Here, the phrase having become dead is an exaggeration that the audience would have understood to mean that Abraham was too old to have children. He is dead because he cannot father children. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a simile or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “he having, as it were, become dead” or “he having become impotent”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ταῦτα

these

Here, the phrase these children refers to Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make who these children are more explicit. Alternate translation: “the Israelites”

καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος, ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἡ ἀναρίθμητος

as the stars ˱of˲_the sky ¬the ˱in˲_multitude and as the sand ¬which by the lip ˱of˲_the sea the innumerable

These phrases refer to the words that God used when he promised many descendants to Abraham. See God’s promise in Genesis 22:17. You might want to include this information in a footnote.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει

as the stars ˱of˲_the sky ¬the ˱in˲_multitude

Here the author compares the number of Abraham’s descendants to the number of stars in the sky, which are great in number. He uses this comparison to emphasize how many descendants there are. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make it clearer that the author is referring to many descendants and many stars. Alternate translation: “as many as the numerous stars in the sky”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὡς ἡ ἄμμος, ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἡ ἀναρίθμητος

as the sand ¬which by the lip ˱of˲_the sea the innumerable

Here the author compares the number of Abraham’s descendants to the amount of sand on a beach by the sea, which is so great that no one can count it (countless). He uses this comparison to emphasize how many descendants there are. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make it clearer that the author is referring to many descendants and many grains of sand. Alternate translation: “as many as the numberless grains of sand along the shore of the sea”