For, which Good News Bible omits, introduces the quotation for which verse 8b has laid the basis. A translator may put in such a connective to show the relationship between 8b and the quotation in verse 9.

Some languages may need to restructure it is written in the law of Moses to “the Law that Moses wrote” or “the Law handed on by Moses.” The whole phrase may also be rendered in a way similar to that found in Good News Bible: “We read in the Law that Moses wrote.” In any case, the translator must take care not to give the impression that Moses made the Law on his own authority.

This quotation is taken from Deut 25.4. The same verse is quoted more accurately but with little difference of meaning in 1 Tim 5.18. Paul is quoting an Old Testament verse that describes a Hebrew cultural event, the use of an ox to thresh the grain. In many languages it will be helpful to use as generic a translation as possible, if animals in particular cultures do not thresh the grain by treading on it. In such cases a translation like Good News Bible‘s “when you are using it to thresh grain” will be satisfactory. However, in some cultures where a completely different method is employed for threshing grain, a cultural note will be helpful. In any case, Paul is using this Old Testament verse almost as a parable to explain a principle relating to humans (see verse 10).

It will be helpful for a translator to use an expression similar to Good News Bible‘s “Now” to begin the second part of the verse. The expressions “In this example” or “In this case” can also be used. Such an addition will help to explain what Paul means by the word concerned. He does not mean that God is not in any way responsible for animals, but that in the verse that he has quoted, God is more concerned for us, as he explains in verse 10. The translator as such is not concerned with the question of whether Paul understands the Old Testament text and the intention of its writer correctly. There is no basis for such translation as “is God primarily (or, only) concerned about oxen?” But see comments on verse 10.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .