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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 ESA 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 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18
OET (OET-LV) For/Because this is the_will of_ the _god, the holiness of_you_all, to_be_keeping_away you_all from the sexual_immorality,
OET (OET-RV) Because this is God’s will: that you all stay holy, keeping away from all sexual immorality,
Paul reminded the Thessalonian believers that he had already taught them how to behave in order to please God. He then urged them to do even better than they had done already.
Verses 4:3–6 are one sentence in the Greek text. You will probably need to use several sentences in your translation, as many English versions have done. All four verses, however, deal with the same topic, that is, instructions to avoid being sexually immoral.
For it is God’s will that you should be holy:
What God wants is that you should behave purely/righteously,
What God wants is that you should become holy,
For: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For shows that what Paul was about to give was a specific example of what he had instructed them while he was in Thessalonica. Many English versions have chosen to leave this conjunction implied. Introduce this verse in a natural way in your language.
that you should be holy: To be holy means “to be sanctified” or “to be set apart for God.” Most commentators agree that in this verse Paul was referring to “becoming sanctified/holy” rather than “being set apart for God.” See sanctify in KBT under the term “holy” and in the glossary under sanctify, meaning 2.
You must abstain from sexual immorality;
which means that you should never commit any kind of sexual immorality.
which means that you should never sin sexually.
You must abstain from sexual immorality: Here Paul gave one specific example of morally impure behavior. The Greek word porneia, which the BSB translates as sexual immorality, is a general term that means any kind of sexual immorality, that is, any kind of sexual act other than that between a man and his wife.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
γάρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Γάρ ἐστίν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμός ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπό τῆς πορνείας)
Here, the word For introduces specific examples of the “commands” that Paul and his fellow workers gave to the Thessalonians (See: [4:2](../04/02.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces specific examples, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: [Specifically] or [For example, we told you that]
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
τοῦτο & ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν
this & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Γάρ ἐστίν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμός ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπό τῆς πορνείας)
Here, the word this refers to the phrase your sanctification. Paul uses this form to emphasize sanctification. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way that emphasizes sanctification. Alternate translation: [your sanctification is the will of God] or [the will of God is your sanctification]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν,
˓the˒_will ¬the ˱of˲_God the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Γάρ ἐστίν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμός ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπό τῆς πορνείας)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of will and sanctification, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [what God wants, that you become holy]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ὑμῶν, ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς
the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Γάρ ἐστίν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμός ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπό τῆς πορνείας)
Here, the phrase that you keep yourselves introduces an explanation of what Paul means when he uses the word sanctification. This explanation continues in [4:4–6](../04/04.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an explanation. Alternate translation: [your sanctification, that is, that you keep yourselves]
ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ
˓to_be˒_keeping_away you_all (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τοῦτο Γάρ ἐστίν θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ἁγιασμός ὑμῶν ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπό τῆς πορνείας)
Alternate translation: [that you stay away from] or [that you avoid]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τῆς πορνείας
¬the sexual_immorality
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of immorality, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [doing what is sexually immoral] or [acting in sexually immoral ways]
OET (OET-LV) For/Because this is the_will of_ the _god, the holiness of_you_all, to_be_keeping_away you_all from the sexual_immorality,
OET (OET-RV) Because this is God’s will: that you all stay holy, keeping away from all sexual immorality,
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.