OET interlinear MAT 21:25

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου, πόθεν ἦν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

Jesus first introduces the baptism of John and then asks a question about it. If stating the topic and then referring back to it with the word it would be redundant in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [From where was the baptism of John]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

Jesus is using the possessive form to describe a kind of baptism that was performed by John. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [The baptism that John performed]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of baptism, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [When John baptized people]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

(Occurrence -1) ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

Here, heaven represents God because it is where he dwells. 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 God … From God]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

from humans

Although the term men is masculine, Jesus is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [from humans]

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

δὲ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

The word But introduces the next thing that happened. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces the next event, or you could leave But untranslated. Alternate translation: [Then]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

The phrase among themselves could mean: (1) that the chief priests and elders were reasoning with each other. Alternate translation: [with one another]; (2) that the chief priests and elders were thinking this without saying it. Alternate translation: [within themselves]

Note 8 topic: writing-quotations

λέγοντες

saying

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: [and they said]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there are not quotations within a quotation. Alternate translation: [If we say that it was from heaven, then he will ask us for what reason we did not believe him.]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

The chief priests and elders use an imaginary situation to help them decide how to answer the question. Use a natural method in your language for introducing an imaginary situation. Alternate translation: [Imagine that we say, ‘From heaven.’ In that case, he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him]

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τό βάπτισμα τό Ἰωάννου πόθεν ἦν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἤ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων οἱ Δέ διελογίζοντο πάρʼ ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες Ἐάν εἴπωμεν Ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐρεῖ ἡμῖν διά τί Οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ)

The chief priests and elders expect that Jesus would use the question form to rebuke them. 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: [Then you should have believed him.] or [You certainly should have believed him then!]