OET interlinear MAT 24:41

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo

δύο ἀλήθουσαι ἐν τῷ μύλῳ; μία παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ μία ἀφίεται

two grinding at the millstone one /is_being/_taken and one /is_being/_left

Here Jesus uses two women grinding with one mill as a hypothetical example. He does not mean that this will happen to only two women using one specific mill. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that introduces a hypothetical situation. Alternate translation: “Two, for example, grinding with a mill—one is taken, and one is left”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

δύο ἀλήθουσαι

two grinding

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “Two will be grinding”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

δύο & μία & μία

two & one & one

Jesus is using the numbers two and one as nouns to mean two women or one woman. Your language may use numbers in the same way. If not, you could translate these words with equivalent phrases. Alternate translation: “two women … one woman … one woman”

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

ἀλήθουσαι ἐν τῷ μύλῳ

grinding at the millstone

The term grinding refers to the process of breaking up grain into very small pieces so that it can be used for cooking. A mill was a large stone that people would use to grind the grain. If your readers would not be familiar with grain, you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “grinding grain” or “preparing food”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μία παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ μία ἀφίεται

one /is_being/_taken and one /is_being/_left

Here, Jesus describes a separation between two women grinding with a mill. See how you expressed the idea in 24:40. Jesus could mean that: (1) the one who is taken will be with God, while the one who is left will be punished. Alternate translation: “one is taken to be with God, and one is left to be punished” (2) the one who is taken will be punished, while the one who is left will be with God. Alternate translation: “one is taken to be punished, and one is left to be with God”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

μία παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ μία ἀφίεται

one /is_being/_taken and one /is_being/_left

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who will do the action, it is clear from the context that it will be God. Alternate translation: “God will take one, and he will leave one”

Note 7 topic: translate-tense

μία παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ μία ἀφίεται

one /is_being/_taken and one /is_being/_left

Here Jesus uses the present tense to describe something that will happen in the future. He does this because it was a vivid way to tell a story in his language. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use whatever tense would be natural for telling a story about what will happen. See how you expressed the idea in 24:40. Alternate translation: “one will be taken, and one will be left”