OET interlinear 2TIM 2:4

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ

no_one soldiering /is_being/_entangled ˱with˲_the ¬the ˱of˲_living (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ)

Here Paul continues to speak about a soldier to help Timothy understand how to behave. Just as a soldier focuses on pleasing his commander, so Timothy should focus on pleasing Jesus. To do so, he will have to avoid becoming entangled in the affairs of life. Since Paul tells Timothy in 2:7 to think carefully about the examples that he gives in this verse and in 2:5–6, you should not explain the meaning of this metaphor here. However, if it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that indicates that Paul is using a metaphor or giving an example. Alternate translation: “Imagine that you are a soldier. No one serving as a soldier is entangled in the affairs of life, so that he may please the one having enlisted him”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις

/is_being/_entangled ˱with˲_the ¬the ˱of˲_living (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ)

Paul speaks of the affairs of life as if they were a net that could trap people and keep them from being able to move freely. He means that the affairs of life would prevent a soldier from doing what he is supposed to do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “is trapped by the affairs of life” or “is distracted by the affairs of life”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐμπλέκεται

/is_being/_entangled

If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “entangles himself”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις

˱with˲_the ¬the ˱of˲_living (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ)

Here the phrase the affairs of life refers to the normal things that people who are not soldiers do and care about, including having a job and owning a home. If it would be helpful in your language, you could refer to those things more explicitly. Alternate translation: “in the normal tasks of everyday life” or “in the everyday jobs of civilian life”

τῷ στρατολογήσαντι

˱to˲_the_‹one› /having/_enlisted_‹him›

Alternate translation: “his leader” or “the one who commands him”