OET interlinear MAT 21:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν

˱you˲_/are/_hearing what these /are/_saying

Here the chief priests and the scribes are implying that what these children are saying is bad or wrong. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “Do you hear the wrong things that these are saying”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ἀκούεις

˱you˲_/are/_hearing

Since the chief priests and the scribes are talking to Jesus, the word you here is singular.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

οὗτοι

these

The chief priests and scribes are using the adjective these as a noun to mean specific children. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this word with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “these children”

Note 4 topic: translate-tense

λέγει

/is/_saying

To call attention to a development in the story, Matthew uses the present tense in past narration. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: “said”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ναί

yes

Here, the word Yes implies that Jesus thinks that what the children are saying is not wrong or bad. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “Yes, and they are doing what is good” or “Yes, and they are right”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε, ὅτι ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων, κατηρτίσω αἶνον?

never ˱you_all˲_read ¬that out_of mouth ˱of˲_infants and nursing ˱you˲_prepared praise

Jesus is using the question form to rebuke and teach the chief priests and scribes. 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: “I know that you have read, ‘From the mouths of little children and nursing infants you have prepared praise.’” or “Surely you have read, ‘From the mouths of little children and nursing infants you have prepared praise’!”

Note 7 topic: writing-quotations

οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε

never ˱you_all˲_read

Here Jesus introduces a quotation from an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book of Psalms (see Psalm 8:2). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Jesus is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “Have you never read in the book of Psalms” or “Have you never read in our Scriptures”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ἐκ στόματος

out_of mouth

Here, mouths represents speaking or things that are spoken. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “From the voices” or “From the speech”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων

˱of˲_infants and nursing

The terms little children and nursing infants mean similar things. The author of the quotation is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: “of the youngest children”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

κατηρτίσω αἶνον

˱you˲_prepared praise

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of praise, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “you have chosen to be praised” or “you have prepared praising words”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

κατηρτίσω

˱you˲_prepared

Since the author of the quotation is talking to God, the word you here is singular.