OET interlinear LUKE 3:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται

every valley /will_be_being/_filled and every mountain and hill /will_be_being/_brought_low

This is a continuation of the figurative description of making a good road that began in the previous verse. When people prepare the road for an important person who is coming, they make sure that the road is level by taking material from high places and using it to fill in low places. However, this is also a description of the effects that the coming of the Lord will have on people. It is a statement similar to the one Mary makes in 1:52, “He has thrown down rulers from their thrones and he has raised up the lowly.” Metaphors in Scripture can have more than one reference like this. So we recommend that you translate the words directly and not provide a plain explanation, even if your language does not customarily use such figures of speech. If you want to explain the meanings of the metaphor, we recommend that you do that in a footnote rather than in the Bible text.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται

every valley /will_be_being/_filled

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form. Since people would be doing this action in one sense of the metaphor, but God would be doing the action in another sense of the metaphor, it might be best not to be specific about who will do the action. Alternate translation: [Someone will fill in every valley]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται

and every mountain and hill /will_be_being/_brought_low

If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, following the same principle as for the previous phrase. Alternate translation: [and someone will make every mountain and hill low]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν, καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας

will_be the crooked into straight and the rough into ways smooth

This too is both a continuation of the figurative description of making a good road and a description of the effects that the coming of the Lord will have on people. Something that is crooked becoming straight and something that is rough becoming smooth can be seen as metaphors for repentance and a change in a person’s way of life. And so we recommend once again that you translate the words directly and not provide a plain explanation in the text of your translation.