OET interlinear 1TH 2:7

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δυνάμενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι

being_able in burden to_be

Here Paul speaks as if he and his fellow workers could have made the Thessalonians carry something heavy. He means that he and his fellow workers could have made the Thessalonians’ lives harder. More specifically, the burden could be: (1) Paul and his fellow workers demanding respect and obedience. Alternate translation: “being able to require your obedience” (2) Paul and his fellow workers demanding money and other things. Alternate translation: “being able to demand money from you”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐγενήθημεν νήπιοι

˱we˲_/were/_become infants

Here, Paul speaks as if he and his fellow workers became little children. He means that they treated the Thessalonians gently and did not use their authority harshly. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly or use a simile. Alternate translation: “we acted as mild as infants” or “we behaved gently”

Note 3 topic: translate-textvariants

νήπιοι

infants

Here, many ancient manuscripts read little children. The ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts read “gentle.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of the ULT.

ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν

in in /the/_midst ˱of˲_you_all

Alternate translation: “among you” or “when we visited you”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα

as as ¬if /a/_nursing_mother /may_be/_cherishing the ˱of˲_herself children

The point of this comparison is that in the same way a mother would gently comfort her own children, so the apostles gently and affectionately cared for the Thessalonians. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make the meaning more explicit. Alternate translation: “and we loved you like mother who affectionately cares for her own children” or “as we affectionately cared for you”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα

in in /the/_midst ˱of˲_you_all as ¬if /a/_nursing_mother /may_be/_cherishing the ˱of˲_herself children

Here, the clause as if a mother might comfort her own children could be: (1) a further explanation of what Paul has already said about how they acted like children. Alternate translation: “in the midst of you, just as a mother might comfort her own children” (2) a description of what he is about to say about how they long for the Thessalonians (see 2:8). If you use the following alternate translation, you will need to to continue the sentence in the following verse instead of starting a new sentence there. Alternate translation: “in the midst of you. As a mother might comfort her own children,”