Parallel 1COR 15:54

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν

¬the perishable this /may/_dress_in indestructibility and ¬the mortal this /may/_dress_in immortality

Here, these clauses repeat the words found at the end of the last verse (15:53). Paul repeats these words to make what he is arguing very clear. If your readers do not need these words to be repeated, and if they would be confused about why Paul is repeating himself, you could refer back to the words in the previous verse with a short phrase. Alternate translation: “that happens”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν

¬the perishable this /may/_dress_in indestructibility and ¬the mortal this /may/_dress_in immortality

Here Paul makes two very similar statements in which perishable goes with mortal and incorruptibility goes with immortality. These two statements are basically synonymous, and Paul repeats himself to emphasize the point. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate why Paul uses two parallel sentences by combining the two sentences into one. Alternate translation: “this perishable mortal has put on incorruptible immortality” or “this perishable and mortal has put on incorruptibility and immortality”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο & τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο

¬the perishable this & ¬the mortal this

Paul is using the adjectives perishable and mortal as nouns in order to refer to perishable and mortal bodies. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with appropriate noun phrases. Alternate translation: “this perishable body … this mortal body”

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο & ἀφθαρσίαν

¬the perishable this & indestructibility

Here, perishable and incorruptibility identify whether people or things last or fall apart. See how you translated these words in 15:53. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express perishable and incorruptibility with two words or phrases that refer to how long things last. Alternate translation: “what passes away … what never passes away”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν & ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν

/may/_dress_in indestructibility & /may/_dress_in immortality

Here Paul speaks as if the perishable and the mortal could put on incorruptibility and immortality like they were pieces of clothing. He does not mean that believers still have what is perishable and mortal somehow underneath incorruptibility and immortality. Instead, Paul uses the metaphor to illustrate how people will change identity from what is perishable and mortal to incorruptibility and immortality. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “has changed into incorruptibility … has changed into immortality” or “has become incorruptible … has become immortal”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἀφθαρσίαν & ἀθανασίαν

indestructibility & immortality

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind incorruptibility and immortality, you can express the idea by using adjectives such as “incorruptible” and “immortal.” Alternate translation: “what is incorruptible … what is immortal”

Note 7 topic: translate-unknown

τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο & ἀθανασίαν

¬the ¬the mortal this & immortality

Here, mortal and immortality identify whether people or things die or cannot die. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express mortal and immortality with two words or phrases that refer to whether things can die or not. See how you translated these words in 15:53. Alternate translation: “what can die … what never dies”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

γενήσεται

/will_be/_becoming

Here, will come about identifies that something will happen or come to pass. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express will come about with a comparable idiom or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “will come to pass” or “will be realized”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ὁ λόγος

the word

Here, word represents what someone says or writes in words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express word with an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “the message”

Note 10 topic: writing-quotations

ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος

the word ¬which /having_been/_written

In Paul’s culture, the word that is written is a normal way to introduce a quotation from or reference to an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book titled “Isaiah” (See: (Isaiah 25:8)). Most likely, this phrase introduces the quote from Hosea 13:14 in the next verse as well. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the word that is written with a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from or referring to an important text. Alternate translation: “what can be read in the Scriptures” or “the words that Isaiah and Hosea wrote”

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ὁ γεγραμμένος

the ¬which /having_been/_written

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 uses the passive form here to focus on what is written rather than focusing on the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you can express it so that: (1) the scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: “the prophets have written” (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: “God has said”

Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

ὁ γεγραμμένος, κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος

the ¬which /having_been/_written /was/_swallowed_up ¬the death in victory

If you do not use this form in your language, you could translate this statement as an indirect quote instead of as a direct quote. Alternate translation: “that is written about how death is swallowed up in victory”

Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος

/was/_swallowed_up ¬the death in victory

Here the quote refers to Death as if it were food that could be swallowed up. This illustrates that Death has been defeated as surely as if someone devoured it as though death were food. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: “Death is destroyed in victory” or “Death is trampled in victory”

Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος

/was/_swallowed_up ¬the death in victory

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 uses the passive here to focus on Death, which is swallowed up, rather than focusing on the person or thing doing the “swallowing.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: “God has swallowed up death in victory”

Note 15 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

θάνατος εἰς νῖκος

death in victory

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind Death and victory, you can express the ideas by using verbs such as “die” and “conquer.” Alternate translation: “How people die … when God conquers” or “The fact that people die … by God, who is victorious”