OET interlinear HEB 1:7

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-quotations

καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει

and to on_one_hand the angels ˱he˲_/is/_saying

Here the author quotes from the Old Testament. He does not introduce it as a quotation but instead as words that God has spoken about angels. However, the audience would have understood that this was a quotation from the Old Testament, here from the Greek translation of Psalm 104:4. Since the author introduces this quotation as words that God has said about the angels, you should introduce the quotation as words that someone has said. If your readers would not know that the quotation is from the Old Testament, you could include a footnote or use some other form to identify the quotation. The word And was a normal way in the author’s culture to introduce another quotation. Alternate translation: [On the one hand, with regard to the angels, God declares,]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα

the_‹one› making the angels ˱of˲_him spirits and the ministers ˱of˲_him ˱of˲_fire /a/_flame

Here the quotation includes two statements that mean almost the same thing. This was considered good poetry in the author’s culture. If this would not be good poetry in your culture, and if repetition would be confusing, you could combine the two statements. Alternate translation: [The one who makes his servant angels spirits and flames of fire]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

ὁ ποιῶν & αὐτοῦ & αὐτοῦ

the_‹one› making & ˱of˲_him & ˱of˲_him

Here, the words The one and his refer to God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the reference explicit. Alternate translation: [God makes his … his]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὁ ποιῶν & αὐτοῦ & αὐτοῦ

the_‹one› making & ˱of˲_him & ˱of˲_him

Here the author has God speaking about himself in the third person. He uses this form because the quotation uses the third person to speak about God, and the author claims that God speaks the quotation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could clarify that God is speaking about himself. Alternate translation: [I am the one who makes his angels spirits and his servants flames of fire]

πνεύματα

spirits

Here, the word translated spirits could refer to: (1) “winds,” since the word could mean either spirits or “winds” in the author’s culture. Alternate translations: “winds” (2) how God made the angels to be “spiritual” beings. Alternate translation: [spiritual beings]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα

the_‹one› making the angels ˱of˲_him spirits and the ministers ˱of˲_him ˱of˲_fire /a/_flame

Here the author of the quotation speaks as if God turned his angels into spirits and into flames of fire. He speaks in this way to identify what the angels are like and to show that God made them like that. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that identifies what God made the angels like. Alternate translation: [The one who makes his angels so that they are like spirits, and his servants so that they are like flames of fire]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

πυρὸς φλόγα

˱of˲_fire /a/_flame

Here the author uses the possessive form to describe flames that are made of fire. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea with an adjective such as “fiery.” Alternate translation: [fiery flames] or [flames made of fire]