OET interlinear ROM 9:21

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν?

or not /is/_having authority the potter ˱over˲_the clay out_of the same lump /to/_make one on_one_hand to honor vessel one on_the_other_hand to dishonor

Paul is not asking for information, but is using the question form here to emphasize the truth of what he is saying. 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. Alternate translation: “The potter surely has authority over the clay to make from the same lump not only what is a vessel for honor, but also what is for dishonor!”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν?

or not /is/_having authority the potter ˱over˲_the clay out_of the same lump /to/_make one on_one_hand to honor vessel one on_the_other_hand to dishonor

Paul speaks about God’s authority over people by using the metaphor of a potter and his clay. Paul means that God has the right to do whatever he wants with people, because he made them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this metaphor as a simile. Alternate translation: “Or does God not have authority over us like a potter has authority over the clay to make from the same lump not only what is a vessel for honor, but also what is for dishonor?”

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν?

or not /is/_having authority the potter ˱over˲_the clay out_of the same lump /to/_make one on_one_hand to honor vessel one on_the_other_hand to dishonor

A potter is a person who makes containers out of a type of soil called clay that becomes hard after it is heated. The potter takes a lump of clay and forms it into different kinds of containers that are used for various purposes. If your readers would not be familiar with clay containers, you could use the name of a different type of material that is used in your area to make containers, or you could use a general expression. Alternate translation: “Or does the person who makes something not have authority over his materials to make from those materials not only what is a vessel for honor, but also what is for dishonor?”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος & εἰς ἀτιμίαν

to honor vessel & to dishonor

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of honor and dishonor, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “a vessel for what is honorable … for what is dishonorable”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος & εἰς ἀτιμίαν

to honor vessel & to dishonor

Here, honor and dishonor refer to how these vessels will be used. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “a vessel for honorable use … for dishonorable use”