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OET (OET-LV) Whenever they_may_be_saying:
Peace and security, then sudden is_recognizing to_them destruction, as the birth_pains to_the woman in pregnant having a_child, and by_no_means not they_may_escape.
OET (OET-RV) Just when they’re saying there’s peace and security, then they’ll suddenly recognise the imminent destruction, like a pregnant woman having birth pains. They certainly won’t be able to escape,
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.
Paul reminded the Thessalonians that no one can know when Jesus will return. When unbelievers think that all is well, Jesus will come suddenly, and they will not be able to escape being judged and punished by him.
While people are saying, “Peace and security,”
When people are saying that the world is peaceful and safe,
While people are saying, “There is no war and we(incl) are not in any danger,”
While people are saying, “Peace and security”: Paul may have been remembering the words of Jeremiah 6:14:
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
See also Ezekiel 13:10.
Peace: This probably refers to no war, fighting, or quarreling.
security: This probably refers to a time when there is no danger, a time when people can live without being afraid. It therefore overlaps in meaning with “peace.”
destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman,
at that time, they will be suddenly ruined. It will happen as suddenly as labour pains begin for a pregnant woman.
that is the time when they will suddenly experience very great trouble. The trouble will begin just as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labour pains begin.
destruction will come upon them suddenly: The Greek word olethros, which the BSB translates as destruction, does not mean the people will no longer exist. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
calamity (NEB)
disaster (NLT)
See 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 6:9. If you need to use a verb here in your language instead of a noun, you could translate this:
suddenly they will lose everything
suddenly they will be ruined
them: This refers to the people in 5:3a who had been saying that everything was peaceful and secure.
like labor pains on a pregnant woman: The phrase labor pains refers to the pains that a pregnant woman suffers when she is about to give birth. These pains begin suddenly, and that is the point of the comparison here, that destruction will come suddenly, just as a woman’s labor pains start suddenly.
and they will not escape.
And they will not be able to escape that very great trouble.
They will definitely not have time to escape that disaster.
they will not escape: The coming destruction is not only sudden, it is also certain to come, just as a pregnant woman is certain to suffer labor pains. Those who are not prepared for Jesus’ return will not be able to escape God’s judgment.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture
ὅταν λέγωσιν, εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
Here Paul uses the present tense forms say and comes to refer to something that will happen in the future. He uses the present tense to indicate that these things will certainly happen. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the future tense. Alternate translation: [Whenever they will be saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-time-simultaneous
ὅταν λέγωσιν, εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε αἰφνίδιος & ὄλεθρος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
Here, the word Whenever introduces something that is happening when the sudden destruction comes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that describes things that happen at the same time. Alternate translation: [While they are saying, “Peace and safety,” sudden destruction] or [They will be saying, “Peace and safety,” but then sudden destruction]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations
λέγωσιν, εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια, τότε
˱they˲_˓may_be˒_saying (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
It may be more natural in your language to have an indirect quotation here. Alternate translation: [they say that there is peace and safety, then]
Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns
λέγωσιν & αὐτοῖς & οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν
˱they˲_˓may_be˒_saying & ˱to˲_them & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
Here, the pronouns they, them, and they refer to every person who is not a believer. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [unbelievers say … on them … they will certainly not escape]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
εἰρήνη καὶ ἀσφάλεια
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of Peace and safety, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [We are peaceful and safe] or [We live peacefully and safely]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
αἰφνίδιος αὐτοῖς ἐφίσταται ὄλεθρος, ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ
sudden (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of destruction, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [they will suddenly be destroyed, just as the birth pain comes to the one]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὄλεθρος
destruction
Here, the word destruction refers to severe suffering or punishment. It does not mean that they people who experience the destruction cease to exist. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [ruin] or [disaster]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδὶν τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ; καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν
as the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
Paul is saying that sudden destruction during the day of the Lord is like birth pain because both events begin suddenly and cannot be avoided. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: [just as the birth pain comes suddenly on the one having in the womb, and just as she cannot escape from the birth pain, so they will certainly not escape the destruction]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
τῇ ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσῃ
˱to˲_the_‹woman› in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
Here, the phrase the one having in the womb refers to a woman who is pregnant. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to a woman with child] or [to a woman who is pregnant]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives
οὐ μὴ ἐκφύγωσιν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅταν λέγωσιν Εἰρήνη καί ἀσφάλεια τότε αἰφνίδιος ἐπίσταται αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρος ὥσπερ ἡ ὠδίν τῇ ἐν γαστρί ἐχούσῃ καί οὒ μή ἐκφύγωσιν)
The words translated certainly not are two negative words. In this construction, the second negative does not cancel the first to create a positive meaning. Instead, it gives greater emphasis to the negative. If your language can use two negatives that do not cancel one another to create a positive meaning, you could use a double negative here. If your language does not use two negatives in that way, you could translate with one strong negative, as the ULT does. Alternate translation: [they will by no means escape]
5:3 “Everything is peaceful and secure”: The expression “peace and safety” was common during the era of the pax Romana (Roman peace). Amid such presumed security, God’s ultimate judgment comes without warning and is inescapable.
OET (OET-LV) Whenever they_may_be_saying:
Peace and security, then sudden is_recognizing to_them destruction, as the birth_pains to_the woman in pregnant having a_child, and by_no_means not they_may_escape.
OET (OET-RV) Just when they’re saying there’s peace and security, then they’ll suddenly recognise the imminent destruction, like a pregnant woman having birth pains. They certainly won’t be able to escape,
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.