OET interlinear MAT 27:29

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ; καὶ κάλαμον ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ

/a/_crown of thorns ˱they˲_put_on_‹it› on the head ˱of˲_him and /a/_staff in the right_‹hand› ˱of˲_him

In Roman culture, a crown was worn by a king, and a king held a scepter in his right hand. In order to mock Jesus, the soldiers put a crown made from thorns on Jesus’ head and put a reed in his right hand. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand to pretend that he was a king” or “a crown of thorns, they put it on his head as if he were king, and they put a reed like a royal scepter in his right hand”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν

/a/_crown of thorns

Matthew is using the possessive form to describe a crown that is made from branches with thorns on them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: “a crown made from thorns”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἀκανθῶν

thorns

Matthew uses the word thorns to refer to small branches with thorns on them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: “thorny branches”

Note 4 topic: translate-symaction

γονυπετήσαντες ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ

/having/_kneeled before him

In Jesus’ culture, kneeling before someone was a way to respect a greater person, especially when asking the greater person to do a favor. Here, the soldiers perform this action to mock Jesus by pretending that he is a king. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to a similar action from your culture, or you could explain what kneeling means. Alternate translation: “having prostrated themselves before him” or “having knelt down before him as if he were a king”

Note 5 topic: writing-quotations

λέγοντες

saying

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “and they spoke these words:”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

χαῖρε, ὁ Βασιλεῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων

Hail ¬the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: καὶ πλέξαντες στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ κάλαμον ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ καὶ γονυπετήσαντες ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες χαῖρε ὁ βασιλεῦς τῶν Ἰουδαίων)

Here the soldiers mock Jesus by greeting him as if he were King of the Jews when they do not believe that he actually is. They actually meant to communicate the opposite of the literal meaning of their words, as Matthew indicates when he says that they mocked him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that indicates that this is irony. Alternate translation: “Rejoice, you so-called King of the Jews”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

χαῖρε

Hail

In Jesus’ culture, people commonly greeted each other with the word Rejoice. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable word or phrase that people use to greet each other. Alternate translation: “Hello”