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OET (OET-LV) Nikodaʸmos is_saying to him:
How is_ a_person _able to_be_born, being old?
He_is_ not _able to_come_in into the womb of_the mother of_him secondly and to_be_born?
OET (OET-RV) Nicodemus questioned, “How can an adult be reborn? A person can’t just return into their mother’s womb and then get born a second time!”
This section tells about how a Pharisee called Nicodemus went to visit Jesus. Jesus told Nicodemus that all people need God to change them. Nicodemus could be sure that Jesus was speaking the truth because Jesus came from God.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Jesus told a Pharisee that he needed to change
Everyone must be born again
All people need God to give them a new birth/life
Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again; that is, he needed God to give him new life. Nicodemus did not understand what he meant.
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Is it possible for a grown man to be born?
“It is impossible for an adult to be born/reborn,” Nicodemus told Jesus.
How can a man be born when he is old?: This is a rhetorical question. It expresses surprise and disbelief. Nicodemus was surprised that Jesus suggested being born again. There are two ways to translate this expression of surprise:
Use a rhetorical question: For example:
But if a person is already old, how can he be born again? (NCV)
Use a statement: For example:
I don’t believe anyone who is already old can be born again.
It is impossible for an old person to be born/reborn.
Translate this expression of surprise in a way that is natural in your language.
In his rhetorical question, Nicodemus implied a general truth, but one that also applied to himself. He understood that Jesus implied that he needed to be born again. But as a leader of the Jews, he was a mature man, probably over forty (40). It may be more natural to make it explicit that this general truth applied to himself. For example:
I am already old. How can I am be born now?
How can anyone old like me be born?
“Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Can he go back inside his mother and begin life over again?”
“He cannot enter his mother’s womb again. So there is no way for him to be born a second time!”
Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?: This is another rhetorical question. Nicodemus used it to express surprise and disbelief. Nicodemus was saying that it is impossible to be born physically a second time. An adult cannot enter his mother’s womb, which is where a baby grows in his mother before birth. There are at least two ways to translate this question:
Use a rhetorical question. For example:
He cannot enter his mother’s body again. So how can a person be born a second time? (NCV)
Use a statement. For example:
He certainly cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time! (GNT)
Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language. It is important to use language that is acceptable in your culture for public reading. It may be necessary to use a euphemism for womb. For example, the NCV in the quote above has translated his mother’s womb as “his mother’s body.”
The rhetorical questions in 3:4a and 3:4b are both used as statements that express Nicodemus’ doubts about what Jesus said. He did not understand what Jesus meant, and it sounded impossible. In some languages it may be more natural to combine the questions into one. For example:
How can a grown man ever be born a second time? (CEV)
Another possible way to translate this verse is to follow the NLT. It still uses two questions, but the first is a real question that indicates Nicodemus did not understand Jesus’ words:
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” (NLT)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture
λέγει
˓is˒_saying
Here John uses the present tense in past narration in order to call attention to a development in the story.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι, γέρων ὤν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγει πρός αὐτόν Νικόδημος Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν Μή δύναται εἰς τήν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρός αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καί γεννηθῆναι)
Nicodemus uses this question to emphasize that this cannot happen. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [A man certainly cannot be born again when he is old!]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
μὴ δύναται εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καὶ γεννηθῆναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: λέγει πρός αὐτόν Νικόδημος Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος γεννηθῆναι γέρων ὤν Μή δύναται εἰς τήν κοιλίαν τῆς μητρός αὐτοῦ δεύτερον εἰσελθεῖν καί γεννηθῆναι)
Nicodemus uses this question to emphasize his belief that a second birth is impossible. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [He surely cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb!]
OET (OET-LV) Nikodaʸmos is_saying to him:
How is_ a_person _able to_be_born, being old?
He_is_ not _able to_come_in into the womb of_the mother of_him secondly and to_be_born?
OET (OET-RV) Nicodemus questioned, “How can an adult be reborn? A person can’t just return into their mother’s womb and then get born a second time!”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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