OET interlinear ROM 1:4

1:4a

and: Some languages may see Jesus’ status as God’s Son to contrast with his status as a human. For example:

But (NCV)

who…was declared with power to be the Son of God: There are two issues here:

Issue 1: Interpretation

There are three ways to interpret the Greek word that the RSV translates as was declared:

1. Here this word means appoint or designate. As his Son, God appointed Jesus to a new position of power and authority as Savior, Lord, and Judge. For example:

   was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power (NET) (RSV, NJB, NIV11, NET, NABRE, NCV)

2. Here this word means declare. God made known to others who Jesus already was. For example:

   who was declared the Son of God with power (NASB) (BSB, NIV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, KJV, REB, GW)

3. Here this word means show clearly or prove. God showed to others by some action who Jesus already was. For example:

   he was shown with great power to be the Son of God (GNT) (GNT, CEV, NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the verb means “set limits” and the figurative use from that is “appoint.”Kittel (page 728). Cranfield (pages 61–62) says, “It came to be used very frequently with the meaning, ‘fix,’ ‘determine’, ‘appoint’; and this is the sense it has in all its other occurrences in the NT. No clear example, either earlier than, or contemporary with, the NT, of its use in the sense ‘declare’ or ‘show to be’ has been adduced.” The verb does not refer to a speech act such as “declare” or an act of proving something.

Issue 2: Connection of with power

There are several ways to interpret how the words with power connect to the rest of the sentence:

1. It connects to the words the Son of God. At the resurrection the Son of God had new power. For example:

   was appointed the Son-of-God-in-powerThe NET uses hyphens (-) to show that those words with hyphens are connected to each other. (NET) (RSV, NJB, NIV11, NASB, NABRE, ESV, CEV, NET, KJV, NCV)

2. It connects to the Greek verb that means was declared. It indicates that God powerfully designated Jesus to be the Son of God. For example:

   was declared with power to be the Son of God (NIV) (BSB, NIV, GNT, GW)

3. It connects to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully when God designated Jesus to be the Son of God. For example:

   he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit (NLT) (NLT)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because it is the most natural connection in the Greek.Edwards (pages 29–30) says, “The resurrection, however, separates the two stages or time periods. It is a dividing line not in Jesus’ status as Son of God, but in his function as Son of God. As seed of David Jesus was the Son in humility; as Son of God in power he enters his role as exalted Lord. At the resurrection Jesus was constituted Son of God in power, whereas before the resurrection he had been Son of God in suffering. Thus, verses 3–4 are not about Jesus’ promotion or adoption as God’s Son. Both parts of the formula are regarding God’s Son (v.3), but God’s Son in two manifestations: as servant and Lord, in humiliation and exaltation, in earthly ministry and heavenly reign.” Cranfield, Fee, Fitzmyer, Hultgren, Matera, Moo, Morris, Nygren, Osborne, Schreiner, Stott, Talbert, Vanlaningham, Witherington, and Ziesler also support interpretation (1). Here are other ways to translate this phrase according to interpretation (1):

who was appointed the Son of God in a new and powerful way

was established as the empowered Son of God

was declared: This verb has the same subject as 1:3b: “the one” in the Greek. This clause indicates a second thing about the Son of God (1:3a). In some languages the subject must be repeated here. For example, the BSB supplies the word “who” at the beginning of 1:4a. This clause is also passive. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:

God designated/appointed him

the Son of God: Here the phrase the Son of God refers to the same person as “his Son” in 1:3a. For example:

God’s Son/Child

God’s divine/heavenly Son

If you need to, see the note on “his Son” at 1:3 for more explanation.

through: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the BSB translates as through here:

1. It means according to or with regard to here. For example:

   according to (RSV) (RSV, GNT, NJB, NASB, ESV, KJV, NET, REB, GW)

2. It means through or by means of here. For example:

   through the Spirit of holiness (NIV) (BSB, NIV, NLT, NABRE, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) because the sense of meaning given in interpretation (2) is extremely rare and the context is not correct for it here.The only phrase in the entire Greek New Testament which interprets kata with accusative case as “through” or “by means of” occurs in Matthew 1:20, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22, and 27:19. The same phrase “in a dream” (kat onar) occurs in each of these six verses. But the use of kata here does not involve a dream. Cranfield (page 64) says, “we are inclined to think that the most probable explanation is that which (taking kata as meaning ‘according to’) understands the phrase to refer to the Holy Spirit, who, as given by the exalted Christ, is the manifestation of His power and majesty, and so the guarantee of his having been appointed Son of God in might.” Young (pages 98–99) says, “The idea of ‘with regard to’ is expressed by kata with the accusative in Romans 1:3–4.” Young also does not include “means” as an option for any occurrence of kata. Also see Fee (pages 480–481). Here are other ways to translate the Greek word that the BSB translates as through:

as to (GNT)

with reference to

in terms of (NJB)

The same phrase “according to” is used in 1:3b. If possible, translate “according to” the same in both places.

the Spirit of holiness: There are four ways to interpret the phrase the Spirit of holiness here:

1. Here the word Spirit refers to God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit), and the words of holiness indicates that he causes believers to be holy (or caused Jesus to be holy while he was on earth). For example:

   the Spirit of holiness (RSV) (BSB, RSV, NIV, NJB, NASB, ESV, NCV)

2. Here the word Spirit refers to God’s Spirit, and the words of holiness indicates that he is holy. For example:

   the Holy Spirit (NET) (NET, REB, CEV, NLT)

3. Here the word Spirit indicates that Jesus is God and the words of holiness indicates that Jesus is holy. For example:

   his divine holiness (GNT) (GNT)

4. Here the word Spirit refers to Jesus’ own human spirit, and the words of holiness indicates that his spirit is characterized by holiness. For example:

   the spirit of holiness (NRSV) (NRSV, GW, NABRE, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the Greek word translated of holiness here is not the normal word used in the phrase “Holy Spirit.” Something more than the normal meaning of “Holy Spirit” seems indicated here.Cranfield (page 64) says, “Paul may well have used hagiōsunēs in order to bring out specially the thought of sanctification.” Jewett (page 107) says, “The key to the new ethic is giving oneself as a holy sacrifice for others (12:1). In this sense, the insertion of the term ‘holiness’ prepares the reader for a major emphasis in the letter.” There are several instances in Paul’s writings of the phrase “the Spirit who gives/supplies [something].” Interpretation (1) is another instance of a phrase like that. See John 15:26, Rom 8:2, Eph 1:17, 2 Tim 1:7.

the Spirit: Here the word Spirit refers to the Spirit of God, usually called the Holy Spirit. Use the same word for Spirit as you have in other books where you have translated “Holy Spirit” (for example: Matthew 1:18, Mark 1:8, Luke 1:15, or John 1:33).

of: The word of here can indicate that:

1. The Spirit causes believers to be holy.See Wallace (page 106) genitive of product [which produces]. He mentions Romans 1:5 “(perhaps)” as an example of this genitive category. He does not list Romans 1:5 under any other genitive category. He lists “the God of hope” (Romans 15:13), “the God of peace” (Romans 15:33), and “the God of steadfastness and of encouragement” (Romans 15:5) as clear examples of the genitive of product. Therefore, it makes good sense to include “the Spirit of holiness” under this category.

2. The Spirit is characterized by holiness.See Wallace (page 79), descriptive genitive. He also says that this category should only be used when no other category fits. But the descriptive genitive is possible here.

Here the Greek language allows either interpretation, as does the English word of. If possible translate in a way that allows either interpretation. But if you must choose, choose interpretation (1).Fee (page 484) says, “the Spirit who gives/supplies holiness…anticipates much of the argument of the rest of the letter…. If Christ is both the content and therefore the source of the gospel, offering ‘God’s righteousness’ freely to all who trust him, then the Spirit…is not simply the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit of holiness itself—the one who effects the ‘righteousness of God’ in the lives of the believing community, Jew and Gentile together, in terms of their individual and corporate behavior.” Moo (on TW), Jewett (pages 106–107), and Wallace (pages 250–251) also support interpretation (1). For example:

he/who produces

he/who causes

holiness: Here the Greek word that the BSB translates as holiness refers to living a good, morally pure life and being free from sin. The Holy Spirit causes believers to live this kind of life.Moo (on TW) says that the new era is “characterized by righteousness, life, and the…gift of the Holy Spirit.” Jewett (pages 106–107) says that “holiness” is about moral obligations, and that “such obligations are developed at length in Romans 5–8. In this sense, the insertion of the term ‘holiness’ prepares the reader for a major emphasis in the letter.” Here are other ways to translate it:

be set apart from sin

spiritual purity

moral integrity in us

us to depart from evil

1:4b

by: Here the Greek word that the BSB translates as by is literally “from.” Here it probably indicates that God raising Jesus from the dead was the way that God appointed him as the powerful Son of God. Here are other ways to translate this word:

through

by means of

It is also possible that “from” means “when” or “because” here. But by seems most likely.Fee (page 481) says, “Jesus came from the lineage of David (and) was declared Son of God with power from (=stemming from; on the basis of) his resurrection from the dead.” Also, 8:11 indicates that the Spirit is the means by which God raised Jesus from the dead (Kruse, page 46).

His resurrection from the dead: The BSB adds the word His here. It is implied from the context. God made Jesus alive again after he was dead. He raised Jesus back to life out from among those who are dead. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

he was raised from death (CEV)

raising him from the dead

causing him to live again after he had died

When God caused Jesus to live again, he had the same identity that he had before he died. The same thing is true for this word in the Bible when referring to other people. The Greek word “anastasis” and the English word resurrection do not imply that a person will live again as a different person or as an animal.

from the dead: The word from here indicates that God makes a dead person alive and takes him away from the place where the spirits of dead people live.Wallace (pages 107–109). For example:

out of the realm of the dead

Also see the examples above.

1:4c

This phrase names who the “Son of God” (1:4a) is. In the Greek and the BSB the sentence continues from 1:4b. In some languages, making that connection explicit here would be more natural or more clear. For example:

the Son of God is Jesus Christ our Lord

In the Greek and the BSB, the sentence continues from 1:4b. In some languages beginning a new sentence would be more natural or more clear. For example:

He is Jesus Christ our Lord

Jesus Christ our Lord: In some languages it may be more natural to use a different order for the words here. For example:

our Lord Jesus Christ (GNT)

the Messiah Jesus, he/who is our Lord

Jesus Christ: Remember that Christ is a title, not Jesus’ last name. See how you translated Christ in 1:1.

our Lord: By using the word our, Paul indicated a relationship between Jesus and Paul as well as those who believe in him.

Lord: This word refers to someone who has authority over people. Here it indicates that Jesus has authority over believers. Here are other ways to translate this word:

Chief/Leader

the Sovereign