OET interlinear HEB 12:23

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων

˱to˲_/the/_assembly ˱of˲_/the/_firstborn

This group of people could be: (1) all God’s people from the past, present, and future. Alternate translation: “to the church of all God’s people, the firstborn ones” (2) all God’s people who are currently alive. Alternate translation: “to the church of the firstborn ones who currently live”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πρωτοτόκων

˱of˲_/the/_firstborn

Here the author speaks as if God’s people were firstborn children. He speaks in this way to connect them with Jesus, who is God’s firstborn son (See: 1:6). Further, the firstborn were particularly important and honored. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to the most honored child, or you could express the idea in plain language that indicates the importance and significance of these people. Alternate translation: “of the eldest children” or “of the honored people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς

/having_been/_registered in /the/_heavens

Here, the phrase registered in the heavens refers to how people who lived in or belonged to a city or region would have their names registered in a book to indicate that they belonged in that place. Here, people who have their names registered in the heavens belong to and will receive what is in the heavens. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “whose names have been registered in the heavens” or “whose names are recorded as those who will inherit what is in the heavens”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀπογεγραμμένων

/having_been/_registered

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. The author uses the passive form here to focus on those who are registered rather than on the person doing the registering. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it. Alternate translation: “whom God has registered”

κριτῇ Θεῷ πάντων

˱to˲_/the/_judge God ˱of˲_all

Here, the phrase of all could go with: (1) Judge. Alternate translation: “to God, who is Judge of all” (2) God. Alternate translation: “to a Judge, who is God of all”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

κριτῇ & πάντων

˱to˲_/the/_judge & ˱of˲_all

Here the author uses the possessive form to describe to refer to a Judge who judges all people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea without using a possessive form. Alternate translation: “the Judge over all” or “the Judge who judges all”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

πάντων

˱of˲_all

The author is using the adjective all as a noun in order to refer to all people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this one with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: “of all humans”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πνεύμασι δικαίων

˱to˲_/the/_spirits ˱of˲_/the/_righteous_‹ones›

This group of people could be: (1) all the people of God who have died. Alternate translation: “to the spirits of the dead righteous ones” (2) the same group as the church of the firstborn ones, that is, all the people of God without distinction. Alternate translation: “to the spirits of all God’s righteous people” (3) all the people of God who lived before Jesus came. Alternate translation: “to the spirits of the righteous Israelites”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τετελειωμένων

/having_been/_perfected

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. The author uses the passive form here to focus on those who are made perfect rather than on the person doing the perfecting. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it. Alternate translation: “whom God has made perfect”