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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
1 Th 4 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V17 V18
OET (OET-LV) Because himself the master with a_loud_command, with the_voice of_an_archangel, and with the_trumpet of_god, will_be_coming_down from heaven, and the dead in chosen_one/messiah will_be_rising_up first,
OET (OET-RV) because there’ll be an announcement from the archangel and God’s trumpet will sound and then the master will come down from heaven with a loud shout. The dead believers in Messiah will come to life again first,
Paul explained that when the Lord Jesus returns, God will cause both the Christians who have died and those who will still be alive to ascend to meet the Lord Jesus in the sky. He also explained how the Thessalonians should behave as they waited for the Lord to return.
While Paul was in Thessalonica, he had probably taught the Thessalonians that Jesus would soon return, and the Thessalonians may have assumed that they would all survive until then. But as time passed, some of them died. Those who remained alive had begun to worry whether those believers who had died would see Jesus return. This is the issue Paul was addressing in this paragraph.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven
In fact, what will happen is that the Lord Jesus himself will come down from heaven
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven: The Lord Jesus is presently sitting at God’s right hand in heaven. See, for example, Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55. It is from there that he will descend to earth.
the Lord Himself: The Lord Jesus Christ will personally return to earth.
with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: Commentators disagree about whether this part of the verse describes three events, two events, or one event. However, the Greek text lists them as three events, and most English versions translate them in that way, so it is recommended that you also translate them as three distinct events.
with a loud command,
and will shout a command,
and people will hear him shout a command.
with a loud command: Most scholars agree that this refers to a command that Jesus himself will shout. If possible, do not state what or whom Jesus commands. Paul did not tell us, and so we can only guess. If it is necessary to include this information in your translation, you could translate it:
he will loudly command believers who have died to become alive again
with the voice of an archangel,
and one of God’s chief angels will speak loudly,
People will hear an archangel speak
with the voice of an archangel: People will also hear an archangel speak. He may be speaking to other angels, but we do not know this.
an archangel: An archangel is a chief angel.
and with the trumpet of God,
and God’s trumpet will be blown.
and they will hear an angel blow God’s trumpet.
with the trumpet of God: This does not mean that God will blow the trumpet, but that the trumpet belongs to God. Paul did not tell us here who will blow the trumpet. However, in Revelation, it is always angels who blow trumpets to announce events. See, for example, Revelation 8–11. If it is possible in your language, do not say who blows the trumpet, but that “God’s trumpet will be blown.” If it is necessary to indicate who blows the trumpet, you could say “an angel.”
and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise.
Then, first of all, those believers in Christ who have died will become alive again.
the dead in Christ: Most English versions understand this to refer to those who believed in Christ before they died, that is, “believers who have died.”
will be the first to rise: This means that the believers who have already died will become alive again, before those who are still living go to meet Christ in the air. It does not mean that those who have died will rise into the air before those who are still living.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
ὅτι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καί ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ καί οἱ νεκροί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον)
Here, the word For introduces an elaboration or explanation of what Paul said in the previous verse about how living believers will not “go before” dead believers (see [4:15](../04/15.md)). This explanation continues in [4:17](../04/17.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an elaboration or explanation. Alternate translation: [Here is what I mean:] or [More specifically,]
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καί ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ καί οἱ νεκροί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον)
For emphasis, Paul is stating the pronoun “him,” which is already implied in the verbal phrase will come down. If your language can state implied pronouns explicitly for emphasis, you may want to use that construction in your translation. Other languages may have other ways of bringing out this emphasis. The ULT does so by using the intensive pronoun himself. Alternate translation: [it is the Lord who] or [as for the Lord, he]
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous
ἐν κελεύσματι, ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου, καὶ ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ
with ˓a˒_loud_command with ˓the˒_voice ˱of˲_˓an˒_archangel with in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καί ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ καί οἱ νεκροί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον)
Here Paul provides a list with three items. This list might refer to: (1) three different actions that all make sounds. Alternate translation: [with a loud command, the voice of an archangel, and a trumpet of God] (2) one action, the loud command. This command is made up of the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God. Alternate translation: [with a loud command given by the voice of an archangel and by a trumpet of God] (3) two different actions, the loud command and the voice of an archangel, and the archangel uses a trumpet of God. Alternate translation: [with a loud command and with the voice of an archangel who uses a trumpet of God]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἐν κελεύσματι
with ˓a˒_loud_command
Here Paul does not specify who gives the loud command. He implies that it is God. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [with a loud command from God]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ
˓the˒_trumpet ˱of˲_God
Paul is using the possessive form to describe a trumpet that is related to God. More specifically, the trumpet could: (1) be one that God commands to be blown. Alternate translation: [a trumpet that God has someone blow] (2) belong to God. Alternate translation: [God’s trumpet]
Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential
(Occurrence 2) καὶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καί ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ καί οἱ νεκροί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον)
Here, the word and introduces an event that comes after the previously described events. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase introduces the next event in a sequence. Alternate translation: [and then] or [and after that]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
οἱ νεκροὶ
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅτι αὐτός ὁ Κύριος ἐν κελεύσματι ἐν φωνῇ ἀρχαγγέλου καί ἐν σάλπιγγι Θεοῦ καταβήσεται ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ καί οἱ νεκροί ἐν Χριστῷ ἀναστήσονται πρῶτον)
Paul is using the adjective dead as a noun in order to refer to believers who are dead. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with a noun phrase. Alternate translation: [the dead people]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐν Χριστῷ
with with with in Christ
Here Paul uses the spatial metaphor in Christ to describe the union of believers with Christ. In this case, being in Christ, or united to Christ, indicates that Paul is speaking only about the dead who are united to Christ, that is, believers. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that indicates that Paul is speaking about believers who have died. Alternate translation: [Christians] or [who believed in Christ]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἀναστήσονται
˓will_be˒_rising_up
Here, the word rise refers to people who had died then coming back to life. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable idiom or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [will be restored to life] or [will resurrect]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
πρῶτον
first
Here, the word first indicates that, after Jesus comes down from heaven, the dead in Christ will resurrect before anything else happens. Paul indicates in the following verse what happens after they resurrect. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [before anything else happens] or [immediately afterwards]
OET (OET-LV) Because himself the master with a_loud_command, with the_voice of_an_archangel, and with the_trumpet of_god, will_be_coming_down from heaven, and the dead in chosen_one/messiah will_be_rising_up first,
OET (OET-RV) because there’ll be an announcement from the archangel and God’s trumpet will sound and then the master will come down from heaven with a loud shout. The dead believers in Messiah will come to life again first,
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.