OET interlinear MAT 21:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών, ἰδοὺ, ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι, πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ ἐπὶ πῶλον, υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου

say ˱to˲_the daughter ˱of˲_Zion behold the king ˱of˲_you /is/_coming ˱to˲_you gentle and /having/_mounted on /a/_donkey and on /a/_colt /the/_son ˱of˲_/a/_donkey

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: “Tell the daughter of Zion that her King is coming to her, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, a son of a beast of burden.”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών

˱to˲_the daughter ˱of˲_Zion

The prophet is using the phrase daughter of Zion to mean the people who live in the city of Zion, which is Jerusalem. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state the meaning plainly. If you do, make sure that you use plural forms of “you” throughout this verse. Alternate translation: “the people of Zion”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

ἰδοὺ

behold

Here, the word Behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express Behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: “See” or “Pay attention:”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

σου & σοι

˱of˲_you & ˱to˲_you

Since someone is talking to the daughter of Zion, the words your and you are singular.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ ἐπὶ πῶλον, υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου

on /a/_donkey and on /a/_colt /the/_son ˱of˲_/a/_donkey

Here, the author of the quotation refers to one animal both as a donkey and as a colt, which is a son of a beast of burden. This was poetic in his culture. Matthew knows that this is a poetic form, but his story refers to two animals, both a donkey and a colt. If possible, express the idea in such a way that this quotation could be referring to either one or two animals. Alternate translation: “on a donkey, riding on a colt, a son of a beast of burden”

Note 6 topic: translate-unknown

πῶλον

/a/_colt

A colt is a young donkey that is no longer a baby but is not yet full grown. See how you translated this word in 21:2. Alternate translation: “a young donkey”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου

/the/_son ˱of˲_/a/_donkey

Here the author of the quotation refers to the direct offspring of a beast of burden as if it were its son. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a foal of a beast of burden”

Note 8 topic: translate-unknown

ὑποζυγίου

˱of˲_/a/_donkey

A beast of burden is an animal that is used to perform jobs that require strength, such as carrying or pulling heavy objects. In Jesus’ culture, the phrase almost always referred to a donkey. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could make some of those ideas more explicit. Alternate translation: “of a work animal” or “of a draft animal”