OET interlinear MAT 12:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει

/a/_reed /having_been/_bruised by_no_means ˱he˲_/will_be/_breaking and /a/_wick /being/_smoldering by_no_means ˱he˲_/will_be/_extinguishing

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: “He will not break a bruised reed; yes, he will not quench a smoking flax”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει

/a/_reed /having_been/_bruised by_no_means ˱he˲_/will_be/_breaking

Here the author of the quotation speaks of weak or suffering people as if they were a bruised or damaged reed. He means that Jesus will not ignore or hurt these people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or use plain language. Alternate translation: “He will not hurt suffering people, which would be like breaking a bruised reed” or “He will not hurt suffering people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει

/a/_wick /being/_smoldering by_no_means ˱he˲_/will_be/_extinguishing

Here the author of the quotation speaks of weak or suffering people as if they were a smoking flax. He means that Jesus will not ignore or hurt these people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or use plain language. Alternate translation: “He will not ignore injured people, which would be like quenching a smoking flax” or “He will not ignore injured people”

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

λίνον τυφόμενον

/a/_wick /being/_smoldering

A flax is a piece of cloth or thread made out of parts of the flax plant. People in the author’s culture would use these pieces of cloth or thread as lamp wicks. If the flax was smoking, it was not burning properly and would normally be thrown away and replaced. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of cloth and its use, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: “a smoldering wick” or “a lamp that is barely burning”

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential

ἕως

until

Here, the word until indicates that the servant will continue to act as this verse describes up to the time when the goal of justice is accomplished. It does not mean that the servant will start acting differently at that time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that indicates a duration of time up to a point in the future. Alternate translation: “up to the time when”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐκβάλῃ & τὴν κρίσιν

˱he˲_/may/_send_forth & ¬the justice

Here, the phrase casts out indicates that the servant is producing justice or causing justice to happen. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “he produces justice” or “he causes justice to happen”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

εἰς νῖκος

to victory

Here, the phrase to victory could mean that justice: (1) is accomplished successfully. Alternate translation: “successfully” or “completely” (2) lasts forever. Alternate translation: “forever”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν

˱he˲_/may/_send_forth to victory ¬the justice

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the ideas of justice or victory, you could express the same ideas in another way. Make sure that your translation fits with the choices you made in the previous two notes. Alternate translation: “he successfully accomplishes what is just” or “he makes everything just forever”