OET interlinear HEB 12:25

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

βλέπετε μὴ παραιτήσησθε

/be/_watching_out lest ˱you_all˲_/may/_refuse

Here, the phrase see that you do not is a strong command to diligently or vigilantly avoid doing something. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable form that expresses a strong command to pay attention or focus on something. Alternate translation: “Watch out that you do not refuse” or “Be careful to avoid refusing”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μὴ παραιτήσησθε & παραιτησάμενοι

lest ˱you_all˲_/may/_refuse & /having/_refused

Here, the words refuse and refused imply that people are “refusing” to do something, but the author does not state what it is directly. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify that people are “refusing” to listen and obey. Alternate translation: “you do not refuse to listen to … having refused to listen to” or “you do not refuse to obey … having refused to obey”

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

τὸν λαλοῦντα

the_‹one› speaking

Here, the phrase the one speaking could refer to: (1) God generally. Alternate translation: “the one speaking, God” (2) Jesus specifically, whose blood “spoke” in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “the one speaking, Jesus”

εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι οὐκ ἐξέφυγον ἐπὶ γῆς, παραιτησάμενοι τὸν χρηματίζοντα, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς οἱ τὸν ἀπ’ οὐρανῶν ἀποστρεφόμενοι

if for those not escaped_out on earth /having/_refused the_‹one› warning_‹them› much rather we the_‹ones› the_‹one› from /the/_heavens turning_away

Here the author could have meant: (1) a strong statement. Alternate translation: “For if those did not escape, having refused the one warning them on earth, we will so much less escape, we who are turning away from the one from heaven” (2) a rhetorical question. If you use the following alternate translation, you will need to start a new sentence at the beginning of the following verse. Alternate translation: “For if those did not escape, having refused the one warning them on earth, how much less will we who are turning away from the one from heaven?”

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ

if

Here the author is speaking as if the lack of “escape” of those who refused the one warning them on earth were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true that they did not escape. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what the author is saying is not certain, then you could express the idea by using a word such as “because” or “since.” Alternate translation: “since”

Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns

ἐκεῖνοι

those

Here, the word those refers to the Israelites who “refused” to obey God. He may have in mind particularly the Israelites who did not obey God and died in the wilderness (See: what the author said in 3:7–4:11). If it would be helpful in your language, you could make it clear to whom those refers. Alternate translation: “those Israelites” or “those who drew near to Mount Sinai”

Note 6 topic: writing-pronouns

ἐπὶ γῆς & τὸν χρηματίζοντα

on earth & the_‹one› warning_‹them›

Here, the phrase the one warning them on earth could refer to: (1) God generally. Alternate translation: “God when he warned them on earth” (2) Moses, who spoke God’s words to the people at Mount Sinai. Alternate translation: “Moses when he warned them on earth” (3) Jesus specifically. Alternate translation: “Jesus when he warned them on earth”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἐπὶ γῆς & ἀπ’ οὐρανῶν

on earth & from /the/_heavens

Here, the phrases on earth and from heaven indicate the places from which God gave his warnings. The phrase on earth refers to how God spoke to the Israelites from Mount Sinai when he made the first covenant. The phrase from heaven refers to how God speaks from Mount Zion in heaven as he makes the second covenant. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify what on earth and from heaven refer to specifically. Alternate translation: “from a mountain on earth … from a mountain in heaven”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἡμεῖς οἱ & ἀποστρεφόμενοι

we the_‹ones› & turning_away

Here the author refers to rejecting and disobeying God as if a person were changing direction and turning away from him. So, turning away from God indicates serious disobedience and rejection. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “we who are rejecting” or “we who are renouncing”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἡμεῖς οἱ τὸν ἀπ’ οὐρανῶν ἀποστρεφόμενοι

we the_‹ones› the_‹one› from /the/_heavens turning_away

The author is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the first half of the sentence. Alternate translation: “will we escape who are turning away from the one warning us from heaven”

Note 10 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

ἡμεῖς οἱ & ἀποστρεφόμενοι

we the_‹ones› & turning_away

Here the author does not mean that all of the audience were turning away from God when he wrote this letter. Rather, he means that every person in the audience could be someone who “turns away from” God, and they will certainly not escape. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that shows that the audience turning away from God is a possibility, not a current fact. Alternate translation: “we, if we turn away from” or “any one of us who turns away from”

Note 11 topic: writing-pronouns

τὸν

the_‹one›

Here, the phrase the one could refer to: (1) God generally. Alternate translation: “God” (2) Jesus specifically. Alternate translation: “Jesus”