1COR 14:7 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Even the tune coming from non-living things like musical instruments can’t be recognised unless the distinct notes can be distinguished,

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Even lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp—if they would not give different sounds, how will the thing being played on the flute or the thing being played on the harp be known?

UST Even things that are not alive but that we use to make sounds illustrate what I am saying. When someone plays a flute or a harp, the instrument must make various distinct sounds. Otherwise, no one would understand what a person plays on the flute or the harp, since all the sounds would be the same.

BSB Even in the case of lifeless instruments, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone recognize the tune they are playing unless the notes are distinct?

BLB Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether the flute or harp, unless they give distinction to the sounds, how will it be known what is being piped or being harped?

AICNT Likewise, lifeless things that produce sound, whether flute or harp, if they do not give distinction to the notes, how will what is played on the flute or the harp be recognized?

OEB Even with inanimate things, such as a flute or a harp, though they produce sounds, yet unless the notes are quite distinct, how can the tune played on the flute or the harp be recognised?

WEBBE Even lifeless things that make a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they didn’t give a distinction in the sounds, how would it be known what is piped or harped?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET It is similar for lifeless things that make a sound, like a flute or harp. Unless they make a distinction in the notes, how can what is played on the flute or harp be understood?

LSV Yet the things without life giving sound—whether pipe or harp—if they may not give a difference in the sounds, how will be known that which is piped or that which is harped?

FBV Even when it comes to something non-living such as musical instruments like a flute or a harp: if they don't produce clear notes, how will you know what tune is being played?

TCNT It is the same way with lifeless instruments that produce sound, such as the flute or harp. If they do not produce distinct notes, how will anyone recognize what is being played?

T4T It is like lifeless musical instruments, like flutes and harps for example. When they are played, if the notes are not played {if those playing those instruments do not play the notes} clearly, no one will know what tune is being played {what tune they are playing}. [RHQ]

LEB Likewise, the inanimate things which produce a sound, whether flute or lyre, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the lyre?

BBE Even things without life, having a voice, such as a music-pipe or other instrument, if they do not give out different sounds, who may be certain what is being played?

Moff No Moff 1COR book available

Wymth Even inanimate things—flutes or harps, for instance—when yielding a sound, if they make no distinction in the notes, how shall the tune which is played on the flute or the harp be known?

ASV Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

DRA Even things without life that give sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction of sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

YLT yet the things without life giving sound — whether pipe or harp — if a difference in the sounds they may not give, how shall be known that which is piped or that which is harped?

Drby Even lifeless things giving a sound, whether pipe or harp, if they give not distinction to the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

RV Even things without life, giving a voice, whether pipe or harp, if they give not a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

Wbstr And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

KJB-1769 And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
(And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harpd? )

KJB-1611 [fn]And euen things without life giuing sound, whether pipe or harpe, except they giue a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be knowen what is piped or harped?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above apart from footnotes)

14:7 Or, tunes.

Bshps Moreouer, thynges without lyfe geuing sound, whether it be a pipe or an harpe, except they make a distinction in the soundes, howe shall it be knowen what is piped or harped?
(Moreover/What's_more, things without life geuing sound, whether it be a pipe or an harp, except they make a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harpd?)

Gnva Moreouer things without life which giue a sounde, whether it be a pipe or an harpe, except they make a distinction in the soundes, how shall it be knowen what is piped or harped?
(Moreover/What's_more things without life which give a sound, whether it be a pipe or an harp, except they make a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harpd? )

Cvdl Likewyse is it also in ye thinges that geue sounde, and yet lyue not: whether it be a pype or an harpe, excepte they geue distyncte soundes from them, how shal it be knowne what is pyped or harped?
(Likewyse is it also in ye/you_all things that give sound, and yet live not: whether it be a pype or an harp, except they give distyncte sounds from them, how shall it be known what is pyped or harpd?)

TNT Moreover when thinges with out lyfe geve sounde: whether it be a pype or an harpe: except they make a distinccion in the soundes: how shall it be knowen what is pyped or harped?
(Moreover/What's_more when things with out life give sound: whether it be a pype or an harp: except they make a distinccion in the sounds: how shall it be known what is pyped or harpd? )

Wycl For tho thingis that ben withouten soule, and yyueth voices, ethir pipe, ether harpe, but tho yyuen distinccioun of sownyngis, hou schal it be knowun that is sungun, ether that that is trumpid?
(For those things that been without soul, and giveth/gives voices, ethir pipe, ether harp, but those given distinccioun of sownyngis, how shall it be known that is sungun, ether that that is trumpid?)

Luth Hält sich‘s doch auch also in den Dingen, die da lauten und doch nicht leben, es sei eine Pfeife oder eine Harfe; wenn sie nicht unterschiedliche Stimmen von sich geben, wie kann man wissen, was gepfiffen oder geharfet ist?
(Hält sich‘s though/but also also in the Dingen, the there lauten and though/but not life, it be one Pfeife or one Harfe; when they/she/them not unterschiedliche Stimmen from itself/yourself/themselves geben, like kann man wissen, what/which gepfiffen or geharfet ist?)

ClVg Tamen quæ sine anima sunt vocem dantia, sive tibia, sive cithara; nisi distinctionem sonituum dederint, quomodo scietur id quod canitur, aut quod citharizatur?[fn]
(Tamen which without anima are vocem dantia, if/or tibia, if/or cithara; nisi distinctionem sonituum dederint, how scietur id that canitur, aut that citharizatur? )

14.7 Tamen quæ sine, etc. Per me ostendi linguam non valere sine interprete. Per me dico, ostendi, qui sum rationalis, tamen per inanimata idem possum ostendere.

14.7 Tamen which sine, etc. Per me ostendi linguam not/no valere without interprete. Per me dico, ostendi, who I_am rationalis, tamen through inanimata idem possum ostendere.

UGNT ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλὸς, εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ, πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον?
(homōs ta apsuⱪa fōnaʸn didonta, eite aulos, eite kithara, ean diastolaʸn tois fthongois maʸ dōi, pōs gnōsthaʸsetai to auloumenon aʸ to kitharizomenon?)

SBL-GNT ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλὸς εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ ⸀δῷ, πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον;
(homōs ta apsuⱪa fōnaʸn didonta, eite aulos eite kithara, ean diastolaʸn tois fthongois maʸ ⸀dōi, pōs gnōsthaʸsetai to auloumenon aʸ to kitharizomenon;)

TC-GNT Ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλός, εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ [fn]διδῷ, πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον;
(Homōs ta apsuⱪa fōnaʸn didonta, eite aulos, eite kithara, ean diastolaʸn tois fthongois maʸ didōi, pōs gnōsthaʸsetai to auloumenon aʸ to kitharizomenon; )

14:7 διδω ¦ δω CT TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

ὅμως τὰ ἄψυχα φωνὴν διδόντα, εἴτε αὐλὸς, εἴτε κιθάρα, ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

likewise ¬the soulless_‹things› /a/_sound giving whether flute or harp if distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul identifies what he is talking about first (lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp) and then refers back to that phrase by using they in his sentence. If your readers would be confused by this structure, you could restructure the sentence and indicate what Paul is talking about in another way. Alternate translation: [If even lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp—would not give different sounds] or [Take even lifeless things giving sounds—whether flute or harp—as an example. If they would not give different sounds]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

τὰ ἄψυχα

¬the soulless_‹things›

Herelifeless things are things are inanimate objects, things that have never been alive. Paul is specifically thinking of instruments that humans use to make sounds. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express lifeless things with a word or phrase that normally refers to things that have never been alive. Alternate translation: [inanimate things]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

φωνὴν διδόντα & διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

/a/_sound giving & distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

In Paul’s culture, people would speak about how something could give a sound. This means that the thing creates or makes the sound. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express giving sounds or give different sounds with a comparable idiom or expression. Alternate translation: [creating sounds … they would not create different sounds]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary

ἐὰν διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

if distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he is already convinced that the condition is not true. He knows that flute and harp really do give different sounds. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker believes is not true. Alternate translation: [if they actually did not give different sounds]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

διαστολὴν τοῖς φθόγγοις μὴ δῷ

distinction ˱to˲_the sounds not /may/_give

Here Paul refers to how an instrument like a flute or a harp produces many different sounds. It is only because it produces a variety of different sounds that it can create a melody or a song. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate what Paul is talking about here by making it more explicit that he is talking about how different sounds make up a song or melody. Alternate translation: [they did not make many different pitches] or [they did not create various notes]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον?

how /will_be_being/_known what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

Paul does not ask this question because he is looking for information. Rather, he asks it to involve the Corinthians in what he is arguing. The question assumes that the answer is “it will not.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind this question with a strong negation. Alternate translation: [the thing being played on the flute or the thing being played on the harp will not be known.]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον

what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul here uses the passive to emphasize the song instead of the person who plays the song. If you must state who did the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [what a person plays on the flute or what a person plays on the harp]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πῶς γνωσθήσεται τὸ αὐλούμενον ἢ τὸ κιθαριζόμενον

how /will_be_being/_known what_‹is› /being/_playing_the_flute or ¬which /being/_playing_the_harp

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you must state who did the action, you can use a vague or indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [how will anyone know the thing being played on the flute or the thing being played on the harp]

Parallel 1COR 14:7