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Rom 7 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25
OET (OET-LV) For/Because what I_am_producing, not I_am_knowing, because/for not what I_am_wanting, this I_am_doing, but what I_am_hating, this I_am_practicing.
OET (OET-RV) I don’t know what’s going on because I do what I don’t want to do and I end up doing what I hate.
In this section Paul answered another possible wrong conclusion about the law. In 7:12 Paul said that the law is good. Now he asked if it is right to think that the law brought death. The answer is no. Sin brought death and this shows that sin is very bad. Paul then talked about his own struggle with sinning even though he agrees that the law is good. He felt he was captive to sin. But God can rescue us from that captivity.
For the use of “I” in this section, see the General Comment in the summary of Section 7:7–12.
Here are other possible headings for this section:
The way that Paul struggled to stop sinning
The power of sin
I do not understand what I do.
For, the things that I do, I do not understand why I do them.
When I do bad/evil things, I do not know the reason why I do them.
In the Greek, 7:15a also begins with a word that is usually translated as “For.” This word introduces an explanation of Paul being “sold under sin” (7:14c). In some languages, it may be more natural to omit this word and leave the connection implicit, as the BSB does.
I do not understand what I do: The Greek is literally “What I do, I do not understand.” Paul did not understand why he sinned, when he knew better.
For what I want to do, I do not do.
For what I want to do, I do not do it/them,
I do not do the things/deeds that I would like to do,
For: This word introduces an explanation of Paul not understanding his own actions (7:15a).
what I want to do, I do not do: The Greek is literally “not what I want this I do.” Many English versions and scholars connect the word not with do, as in the BSB. That makes more sense of the contrasting connection that follows this clause in the Greek.No scholar that this author has discusses his choice. Jewett’s translation (page 454), “what I don’t want—this I practice, but what I hate—this I do” seems clumsy with the “but” and the words that follow.
But what I hate, I do.
but/and what I hate, I do.
and I do the things/deeds that I detest/despise doing.
But: Some languages will not see the connection here as contrast. For example:
and at-the-same-timeKankanaey Back Translation on TW.
That which I…Otomi Back Translation on TW.
what I hate, I do: The Greek is literally “what I hate this I do.” The words what I hate are emphasized.
hate: This word refers to a very strong dislike. Here it includes Paul despising those things that he was doing. Here are other ways to translate this word:
detest (REB)
am disgusted withTagbanwa Back Translation on TW.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅ Γάρ κατεργάζομαι οὒ γινώσκω οὒ γάρ ὅ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω ἀλλʼ ὅ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ)
*For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. For here indicates that this verse is the reason why the previous statement is true. Use a natural way in your language for indicating a reason. Alternate translation: [What I have just said is true because]
ὃ & κατεργάζομαι, οὐ γινώσκω
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅ Γάρ κατεργάζομαι οὒ γινώσκω οὒ γάρ ὅ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω ἀλλʼ ὅ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ)
Alternate translation: [I am not sure why I do some of the things that I do]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
(Occurrence 2) γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅ Γάρ κατεργάζομαι οὒ γινώσκω οὒ γάρ ὅ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω ἀλλʼ ὅ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ)
For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. Here, it introduces an explanation of “what I produce,” in the previous sentence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [In fact,]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω & ὃ μισῶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅ Γάρ κατεργάζομαι οὒ γινώσκω οὒ γάρ ὅ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω ἀλλʼ ὅ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ)
Paul is leaving out some of the words that a clause 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: [For what I do not want to do … what I hate to do]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole
οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω, τοῦτο πράσσω & ὃ μισῶ, τοῦτο ποιῶ.
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅ Γάρ κατεργάζομαι οὒ γινώσκω οὒ γάρ ὅ θέλω τοῦτο πράσσω ἀλλʼ ὅ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ)
The phrases I practice and I do are exaggerations that Paul uses to emphasize that he often does what he does not want to do. It does not mean that Paul always does these things. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [For what I do not want, this I often practice … what I hate, this I often do]
7:7-25 Well then (see study note on 6:1): Paul has just said some rather negative things about the law, and he now explains how God’s law is good in order to guard against any notion that it is evil in itself.
OET (OET-LV) For/Because what I_am_producing, not I_am_knowing, because/for not what I_am_wanting, this I_am_doing, but what I_am_hating, this I_am_practicing.
OET (OET-RV) I don’t know what’s going on because I do what I don’t want to do and I end up doing what I hate.
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.