OET interlinear REV 3:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω; ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, καὶ εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ δειπνήσω μετ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς μετ’ ἐμοῦ

˱I˲_˓have˒_stood (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἕστηκα ἐπί τήν θύραν καί κρούω ἐάν τὶς ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μού καί ἀνοίξῃ τήν θύραν εἰσελεύσομαι πρός αὐτόν καί δειπνήσω μετʼ αὐτοῦ καί αὐτός μετʼ ἐμοῦ)

Jesus is speaking as if he were literally standing outside a door and seeking entrance to a house. He means that he is seeking to have personal fellowship with each of the Laodiceans to whom he is writing. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [I am seeking personal fellowship with each one of you. If anyone recognizes this and wants to have fellowship with me as well, I will certainly enter into a relationship with him of the most intimate kind]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

κρούω

˱I˲_˓am˒_knocking

To knock at a door means to hit it a few times to let a person inside the house know you are standing outside. You could translate this expression with the way people in your culture show that they have arrived at a house, such as “call out” or “cough” or “clap.”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

τῆς φωνῆς μου

˱of˲_the voice (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἕστηκα ἐπί τήν θύραν καί κρούω ἐάν τὶς ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μού καί ἀνοίξῃ τήν θύραν εἰσελεύσομαι πρός αὐτόν καί δειπνήσω μετʼ αὐτοῦ καί αὐτός μετʼ ἐμοῦ)

The word voice could mean: (1) by implication, that in addition to knocking on the door, Jesus is also calling out to the person inside the house. Alternate translation: [me calling as I knock] (2) the sound of the knocking. Alternate translation: [the sound of me knocking]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

δειπνήσω μετ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς μετ’ ἐμοῦ

˱I˲_˓will_be˒_dining with him (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἕστηκα ἐπί τήν θύραν καί κρούω ἐάν τὶς ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μού καί ἀνοίξῃ τήν θύραν εἰσελεύσομαι πρός αὐτόν καί δειπνήσω μετʼ αὐτοῦ καί αὐτός μετʼ ἐμοῦ)

Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [I will eat with him and he will eat with me]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δειπνήσω μετ’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς μετ’ ἐμοῦ

˱I˲_˓will_be˒_dining with him (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἕστηκα ἐπί τήν θύραν καί κρούω ἐάν τὶς ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μού καί ἀνοίξῃ τήν θύραν εἰσελεύσομαι πρός αὐτόν καί δειπνήσω μετʼ αὐτοῦ καί αὐτός μετʼ ἐμοῦ)

Since people share table fellowship with others in their homes only if they have a close relationship, Jesus is using eating together to symbolize that he will become a good friend of the person who welcomes him. You can indicate this in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [I will eat with him and he will eat with me, as good friends do]