OET interlinear MAT 11:23

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / apostrophe

καὶ σύ, Καφαρναούμ, μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ? ἕως ᾍδου καταβήσῃ; ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον

also you Capernaum not to heaven /will_be_being/_exalted to Hades ˱you˲_/will_be/_coming_down because if in Sodom /were/_become the miracles which /having/_become in you remained would until the_‹day› today

Much as in 11:21, Jesus is addressing something that he knows cannot hear him, the city of Capernaum. He is doing this to show his listeners in a strong way how he feels about that city. 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: “And Capernaum will not be exalted to heaven, will it? It will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that happened in it had happened in Sodom, Sodom would have remained until today”

Note 2 topic: translate-textvariants

καὶ σύ, Καφαρναούμ, μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ? ἕως ᾍδου καταβήσῃ

also you Capernaum not to heaven /will_be_being/_exalted to Hades ˱you˲_/will_be/_coming_down

Many ancient manuscripts read And you, Capernaum, you will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down as far as Hades. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “And you, Capernaum, the one being exalted to heaven, will be brought down as far as Hades.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

σύ, Καφαρναούμ, μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ?

you Capernaum not to heaven /will_be_being/_exalted

Jesus uses a rhetorical question to rebuke the people of Capernaum for their pride, because they think that they will be exalted to heaven. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “you, Capernaum, will certainly not be exalted to heaven.” or “you, Capernaum, will by no means be exalted to heaven!”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

σύ & μὴ & ὑψωθήσῃ & καταβήσῃ & σοί

you & not & /will_be_being/_exalted & ˱you˲_/will_be/_coming_down & you

Jesus is addressing an individual city in each of these phrases, so you is singular throughout this verse.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

Καφαρναούμ & ἐν Σοδόμοις

Capernaum & in Sodom

Here, the words Capernaum and Sodom 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 Capernaum … among the people of Sodom”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ

not to heaven /will_be_being/_exalted

The phrase be exalted refers to receiving honor. To be exalted all the way up to heaven indicates that this honor is very great. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “you will not be honored greatly, will you”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ?

not to heaven /will_be_being/_exalted

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, it is clear from the context that it is God. Alternate translation: Alternate translation: “God will not exalt you to heaven, will he?”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἕως ᾍδου καταβήσῃ

to to Hades ˱you˲_/will_be/_coming_down

The phrase be brought down refers to experiencing punishment and dishonor. To be brought down all the way to Hades indicates that this punishment and dishonor are very great. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “You will be punished severely”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἕως ᾍδου καταβήσῃ

to to Hades ˱you˲_/will_be/_coming_down

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who does the action, it is clear from the context that it is God. Alternate translation: “God will bring you down as far as Hades”

Note 10 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ὅτι

because

Here, the word For introduces a reason why Jesus says that Capernaum will go down to Hades. 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 say this about you because” or “That is because”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον

because if in Sodom /were/_become the miracles which /having/_become in you remained would until the_‹day› today

In Jesus’ culture, people knew that Sodom was a city where many wicked people had lived. God punished these people by destroying them. You can read about what happened in Genesis 19:1–29. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “God destroyed the city of Sodom because it was so wicked. But even those people would have repented, and Sodom would have remained until today, if they had seen the miracles which happened in you. So the people of Capernaum certainly should have repented as well”

Note 12 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί, ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον

if in Sodom /were/_become the miracles which /having/_become in you remained would until the_‹day› today

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 that they will understand why Jesus is imagining it. Alternate translation: “suppose that the miracles had happened in Sodom which happened in you. That city would have remained until today”

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον

remained would until the_‹day› today

Here Jesus means that God would not have destroyed the city of Sodom because its people would have repented when they saw the miracles. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “it would have remained until today because its people would have repented” or “they would have stopped sinning, and so the city would not have been destroyed”

Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

μέχρι τῆς σήμερον

until the_‹day› today

Here, the phrase until today indicates that something is true or exists at the time when the speaker is speaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “up to our time” or “even now”