OET interlinear MAT 23:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δεσμεύουσιν δὲ φορτία βαρέα καὶ δυσβάστακτα, καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων; αὐτοὶ δὲ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά

˱they˲_˓are˒_binding (Some words not found in SR-GNT: δεσμεύουσιν Δέ φορτία βαρέα καί δυσβάστακτα καί ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπί τούς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων αὐτοί δέ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὒ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά)

Jesus speaks as if the scribes and Pharisees were putting loads on people’s shoulders without doing anything to help with moving those loads. He means that they tell people many things to do, some of which are hard to do, but they do not do anything to help those people do the things that they require. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [And they tell people many things that they need to do, which are like loads, heavy and difficult to carry, that they have tied up and put on the shoulders of these people. However, they are not willing to help these people do what what they have told them to do, as if they were not willing to move those loads with their finger] or [And they tell people many things that they need to do, but they are not willing to help these people do what they have told them to do]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

βαρέα καὶ δυσβάστακτα

heavy (Some words not found in SR-GNT: δεσμεύουσιν Δέ φορτία βαρέα καί δυσβάστακτα καί ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπί τούς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων αὐτοί δέ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὒ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά)

The terms heavy and difficult to bear mean similar things. Jesus 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: [very heavy ones] or [very hard to lift]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τῶν ἀνθρώπων

¬the ˱of˲_people

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: [of men and women]

Note 4 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν

˱with˲_the finger ˱of˲_them

If it would not be natural in your language to speak as if a group of people had only one finger, you could use the plural form of that word in your translation. Alternate translation: [with their fingers]