OET interlinear MAT 11:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / apostrophe

οὐαί σοι, Χοραζείν! οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδάν! & ὑμῖν

woe ˱to˲_you woe ˱to˲_you (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδάν ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν)

Jesus is addressing something that he knows cannot hear him, the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. He is doing this to show his listeners in a strong way how he feels about those cities. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate these words as if he were speaking directly to people about these cities. Alternate translation: “There will be woe for Chorazin! There will be woe for Bethsaida! … those cities”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

(Occurrence -1) οὐαί σοι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδάν ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν)

The phrase woe to you is the opposite of “blessed are you.” It indicates that bad things are going to happen to the people being addressed, because they have displeased God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “How bad it is for you … How bad it is for you” or “Trouble will come to you … Trouble will come to you”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

(Occurrence -1) σοι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδάν ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν)

Jesus is addressing an individual city in each of these phrases, so you is singular in both cases.

Note 4 topic: translate-names

Χοραζείν & Βηθσαϊδάν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδάν ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν)

The words Chorazin and Bethsaida are the names of two cities.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

Χοραζείν & Βηθσαϊδάν & ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐαί σοι Χοραζίν οὐαί σοι Βηθσαϊδάν ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν)

Here, the words Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Tyre and Sidon refer to the people who live in those cities. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “people of Chorazin … people of Bethsaida … among the people of Tyre and Sidon”

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ὅτι

because

Here, the word For introduces a reason why Jesus pronounces Woe to these cities. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason or basis for a statement, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: “I rebuke you because” or “That is because”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν

because if in Tyre and Sidon became the miracles ¬which /having/_become in you_all long_ago would in sackcloth and ashes ˱they˲_repented

Jesus assumes that his audience will know that God destroyed the cities of Tyre and Sidon because the people in them were so wicked. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “God destroyed the cities of Tyre and Sidon because they were so wicked. But even they would have repented if they had seen the miracles which happened in you. So the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida certainly should have repented as well”

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν

if in Tyre and Sidon became the miracles ¬which /having/_become in you_all long_ago would in sackcloth and ashes ˱they˲_repented

Here Jesus is describing a situation that might have happened in the past but actually did not. He is doing this to express disappointment and regret about what is happening in the present. Be sure to translate this in such a way that your readers will know that this event actually did not happen but they will understand why Jesus is imagining it. Alternate translation: “suppose that the miracles had happened in Tyre and Sidon which happened in you. They would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / youdual

ὑμῖν

you_all

Since Jesus is addressing two cities, you would be dual here if your language uses that form. Otherwise, it would be plural.

Note 10 topic: translate-symaction

πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ μετενόησαν

long_ago would in sackcloth and ashes ˱they˲_repented

Jesus is saying that the people of Tyre and Sidon would have worn sackcloth and put ashes on their heads. These actions are signs of humility and sorrow that show that they were very sorry for doing what was wrong. If this would not be clear to your readers, you could explain the significance of these actions in the text or in a footnote. Alternate translation: “they would have shown how sorry they were for their sins by wearing sackcloth and putting ashes on their heads”