OET interlinear MAT 17:10

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ

the disciples ˱of˲_him

Here Matthew continues to refer to Peter, James, and John, the three disciples who went up on the mountain with Jesus. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “Peter, James, and John”

Note 2 topic: writing-quotations

λέγοντες

saying

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “and they asked”

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

τί οὖν

why therefore

Here, the word then indicates that the disciples ask this question because of what they saw on the mountain. More specifically, they ask the question because they had just seen Elijah and wondered why he appeared after Jesus the Messiah came and not before. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make some or all of those ideas more explicit. Alternate translation: “Because of what we saw on the mountain, we have a question: why” or “We just saw Elijah appear after you, the Messiah, have already come. Why then”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

Ἠλείαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες τί οὖν οἱ γραμματεῖς λέγουσιν ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον)

Here the disciples are referring to a prophecy in Malachi 4:5–6. This prophecy states that God will send Elijah before the day of the Lord arrives, and he will prepare people. Elijah was a prophet who did many powerful things a long time before Malachi wrote down this prophecy. The scribes teach that this means that Elijah must come before the Messiah does. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “it is necessary for Elijah, who was a prophet long ago, to come” or “the Scriptures indicate that it is necessary for Elijah the prophet to come”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐλθεῖν

/to/_come

Here, the word come refers to Elijah appearing in the word and doing what God called him to do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “to appear” or “to do what he is predicted to do”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πρῶτον

first

Here the disciples imply that Elijah comes first because he comes before the Messiah does. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “first, before the Messiah comes”