OET interlinear ROM 4:10

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη? ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ?

how therefore ˱it˲_/was/_reckoned in circumcision being or in uncircumcision

In these two sentences Paul is not asking for information, but is using these two questions to emphasize that Abraham was made righteous without being circumcised. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. You may need to combine these sentences. Alternate translation: “Then you surely know how it was credited to him! You surely know whether it was in circumcision or in uncircumcision!” or “Then you surely know how it was credited to him, whether in circumcision or in uncircumcision!”

Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

πῶς οὖν

how therefore

Here, then introduces a result clause that is in the form of a rhetorical question. Use a natural way in your language for indicating result. Alternate translation: “How, as a result,” or “So then, how”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

πῶς

how

How here means “in what circumstances.” Paul is not asking how God made Abraham righteous, but is asking whether or not Abraham was circumcised when God made him righteous. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “In what circumstances”

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

ἐλογίσθη & οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ

˱it˲_/was/_reckoned & not in circumcision

In this verse the pronoun it refers to Abraham’s faith, as stated in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “was Abraham’s faith credited … His faith was not in circumcision”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη

how therefore ˱it˲_/was/_reckoned

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, Paul implies that “God” did it. Alternate translation: “How then did God credit it”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ? οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ

in circumcision being or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision

Here Paul is leaving out some the words 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 previous sentence. Alternate translation: “Was it credited being in circumcision, or was it credited being in uncircumcision? It was not credited in circumcision, but it was credited in uncircumcision”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ? οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ

in circumcision being or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of circumcision and uncircumcision, you could express the same ideas in a different way. Paul implies that Abraham is the subject of these sentences. Alternate translation: “While Abraham was circumcised, or while he was uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but while he was uncircumcised”