OET interlinear ROM 2:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων, διδάσκαλον νηπίων, ἔχοντα τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ

/an/_instructor ˱of˲_/the/_foolish /a/_teacher ˱of˲_infants having the appearance ¬the ˱of˲_knowledge and ˱of˲_the truth in the law

If it would be more natural in your language, you could change the order of these phrases, since the third phrase gives the reason for the result that the first two phrases describe. Alternate translation: “since having in the law the form of the knowledge and of the truth, you believe you should be an instructor of foolish men, a teacher of little children”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων, διδάσκαλον νηπίων, ἔχοντα & ἐν τῷ νόμῳ

/an/_instructor ˱of˲_/the/_foolish /a/_teacher ˱of˲_infants having & in the law

These two phrases mean the same thing. Paul uses them to emphasize how strongly the Jews believed that non-Jews were ignorant about God’s truth. If saying the same thing twice might be confusing for your readers, you can combine the phrases into one. Alternate translation: “the only people who can instruct those people who are as foolish as children and are the only people who have in the law”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

διδάσκαλον νηπίων

/a/_teacher ˱of˲_infants

Paul speaks of the non-Jews as if they were little children. He means that they are ignorant about God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternative translation: “people who are spiritually ignorant”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἔχοντα τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ

having the appearance ¬the ˱of˲_knowledge and ˱of˲_the truth in the law

Paul speaks of the law as if it were a physical shape that someone could possess. He means that the law contains God’s true knowledge that the Jews think they exclusively own. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternative translation: “understanding through God’s law how a person can truly know God”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας

the appearance ¬the ˱of˲_knowledge and ˱of˲_the truth

Paul is using the possessive forms of the knowledge and of the truth to describe the form of the law. Here, of knowledge and of the truth could indicate: (1) what the law contains. Alternate translation: “the form that contains the knowledge and the truth” (2) what the law represents. Alternate translation: “what represents knowledge and truth”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας

¬the ˱of˲_knowledge and ˱of˲_the truth

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of knowledge and truth, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “of what we know about God and what is true about God”