OET interlinear ROM 7:7

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν?

what therefore ˱we˲_/will_be/_saying

Then indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. Here, then indicates that what follows is a response to what Paul said in the previous verses, especially what he said in 7:5. See how you translated this phrase in 6:1.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν? ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία?

what therefore ˱we˲_/will_be/_saying the law_‹is› sin

In these two sentences Paul is not asking for information, but is using questions to address an objection that some people may have to what he said in 7:5 because they misunderstood him. If you would not use rhetorical questions for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as statements or exclamations or communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “Then we will say that the law is sin!”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν? ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία?

what therefore ˱we˲_/will_be/_saying the law_‹is› sin

In these two sentences Paul is speaking as if he were a Jewish Christian who misunderstood what Paul had taught in the previous verses. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this by setting off all of this material with quotation marks or with whatever punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate a quotation.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἁμαρτία & τὴν ἁμαρτίαν

sin & ¬the sin

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of sin, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “something sinful … what things are sinful”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

μὴ γένοιτο

never ˱it˲_/might/_become

In this sentence Paul begins to respond to the rhetorical questions he wrote earlier in the verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “I would respond by saying, ‘May it never be!’”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

μὴ γένοιτο

never ˱it˲_/might/_become

See how you translated this phrase in 3:4 and 6:2.

Note 7 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast

ἀλλὰ

but

But here indicates that what follows is in contrast to what came before it. Here, But introduces the contrast to the idea that the law is sinful. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a contrast. Alternate translation: “Nevertheless,” or “By contrast,”

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γὰρ

for

For indicates that what follows this word explains what came before it. Here, it introduces an example from God’s law that illustrates the importance of the law. See how you translated the same use of For in 7:2.

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τήν & ἐπιθυμίαν

the & covetousness

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of covetousness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “what it means to be covetous”

Note 10 topic: writing-quotations

ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν

the law_‹is› the law /was/_saying

Here Paul uses said to indicate a quotation from the law that is written in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:17). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from an important text. Alternate translation: “it had been written in the law”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν

the law_‹is› the law /was/_saying

Here Paul speaks of the law as if it were a person who could say something. He means that God said what was written down in the law. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “God said in the law”