PHM 1:17 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. εἰ
2. ei
3. if
4. -
5. 14870
6. C·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y64
11. 140849
1. Οὖν
2. oun
3. Therefore
4. Therefore
5. 37670
6. C·······
7. therefore
8. therefore
9. PS
10. Y64
11. 140850
1. μέ
2. egō
3. me
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1A·S
7. me
8. me
9. -
10. Y64
11. 140851
1. ἔχεις
2. eχō
3. you are having
4. -
5. 21920
6. VIPA2··S
7. ˱you˲ ˓are˒ having
8. ˱you˲ ˓are˒ having
9. -
10. Y64; R140714
11. 140852
1. κοινωνόν
2. koinōnos
3. +a partner
4. partner
5. 28440
6. N····AMS
7. ˓a˒ partner
8. ˓a˒ partner
9. -
10. Y64
11. 140853
1. προσλαβοῦ
2. proslambanō
3. receive
4. -
5. 43550
6. VMAM2··S
7. receive
8. receive
9. -
10. Y64; R140714
11. 140854
1. αὐτόν
2. autos
3. him
4. him
5. 8460
6. R···3AMS
7. him
8. him
9. -
10. Y64
11. 140855
1. ὡς
2. hōs
3. as
4. -
5. 56130
6. C·······
7. as
8. as
9. -
10. Y64
11. 140856
1. ἐμέ
2. egō
3. me
4. -
5. 14730
6. R···1A·S
7. me
8. me
9. -
10. Y64; R140734; Person=Paul
11. 140857

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 8–21: Paul asks Philemon to accept back Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave

This is the main part of the letter. Paul stated clearly in verse 17 what he was asking Philemon to do. He said, “Welcome Onesimus back just as you would welcome me.” But before Paul asked Philemon to do this, he told Philemon several reasons why he should welcome Onesimus back. In verses 8–11, he told Philemon that he wanted him to do something to help Onesimus because Onesimus had become a Christian and would be useful to Philemon. Paul told Philemon that another reason why he should help Onesimus was because Philemon loved Paul and his other Christian brothers. In verses 12–14, Paul said that he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon, even though he wanted to keep Onesimus with him. In verses 15–16, Paul told Philemon why God may have allowed these things to happen, and that he (Paul) loved Onesimus very much. Then in verses 17–21, Paul finally said clearly that he wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus. Paul offered to pay for anything Onesimus owed to Philemon. He also reminded Philemon that in the past he had helped Philemon become a Christian. This was another reason why Paul expected that Philemon would do what he asked.

In this Section (verses 8–21) Paul, as a Christian brother, asked Philemon to help Onesimus, but did not command him to do it.

Read verses 8–21 carefully in the BSB and the GNT.

Paragraph 17–21 Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back

In this paragraph Paul finally stated clearly to Philemon what he wanted him to do. He wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus back in the same way that Philemon would welcome Paul if Paul were visiting him. This is the main point of the whole letter.

Paul promised to repay Philemon for anything Onesimus may have taken from Philemon or for anything wrong he may have done against him. But Paul knew that Philemon probably would not ask him to repay him, because Paul had helped him to become a Christian. Christ surely changed the way Philemon thought about life and about money. In fact, Paul was sure that Philemon would do what he was asking him to do and even more.

Paul was also sending Onesimus back to Philemon because Onesimus needed to obey his master again and help him and show that he had changed. If Onesimus did this, he and Philemon could have peace with each other again.

Read verses 17–21 again.

17a

So if you consider me a partner,

¶ So, since you think of me as someone who works with you for Christ,
¶ Therefore, if you think of us ^(dual-incl) as people who work together,

So: Instead of saying So, Paul could have said “On the basis of what I have just said.” (verses 8–16). This would mean the same thing. He could also have said, “Thinking of what I have just written to you.”

if: Another way of expressing what Paul means by the word the BSB translates as if is “since” or “because.” Paul often used the word if with this meaning. If you translated 17a as “I am not sure you consider me a partner,” this would be the wrong meaning. Paul knew that Philemon thought of him as his partner. So he was saying, “Since you think of me as your partner.”

partner: The Greek word koinōnos in this verse means “a friend who is a fellow Christian” (see verse 17 in LB, JBP). It refers to someone who works together with someone else to serve the Lord. This is very similar to the meaning of the term that the BSB translates as “fellow worker” in verse 1.

17b

receive him as you would receive me.

welcome Onesimus back just as gladly as you would welcome me.
when Onesimus comes back to you, treat him as kindly as you would treat me.

receive: To receive someone means to welcome him, to accept him gladly. Paul was asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back just as gladly as he would have received Paul.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact

εἰ & με ἔχεις κοινωνόν

if & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Οὖν μέ ἔχεις κοινωνόν προσλαβοῦ αὐτόν ὡς ἐμέ)

Paul is writing in a way that makes it seem as though it is possible that Philemon does not consider that Paul is his partner, but he knows that Philemon does consider Paul to be his partner. This is a way of getting Philemon to agree on one thing (that Paul is a partner) so that he will agree to the other thing (to receive Onesimus). If your language does not state something as uncertain if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Paul is saying is not certain, then you could translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: [since you have me as a partner]

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Οὖν μέ ἔχεις κοινωνόν προσλαβοῦ αὐτόν ὡς ἐμέ)

Therefore means that what came before this word is the reason for what comes after it. It may be that Paul intends for everything that came before to be the reason, because this word also indicates that Paul is now coming to the main point of the letter. Use a natural method in your language to indicate this transition. Alternate translation: [Because of all of these things]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ

receive (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Οὖν μέ ἔχεις κοινωνόν προσλαβοῦ αὐτόν ὡς ἐμέ)

Paul is leaving out some of the words here that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply these words from the context. Alternate translation: [receive him just as you would receive me]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear PHM 1:17

SR Greek word order

Section 8–21: Paul asks Philemon to accept back Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave

Paragraph 17–21 Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back

17a

17b

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)