I myself is an emphatic construction in Greek and the Good News Translation seeks to indicate the emphasis.
Under God’s curse renders one word in Greek (Revised Standard Version “accursed”; New English Bible “outcast”; Jerusalem Bible “condemned”). In the Septuagint this translates a Hebrew word describing persons or things that could not be put to ordinary use, since they were set apart to God and so had to be destroyed. In Greek this word is anathema, and Paul says, literally, “I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ.” The Good News Translation and others (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation*, Moffatt) indicate this statement as having two elements: under God’s curse and separated from Christ. Others take it as having only one element: “outcast from Christ” (New English Bible) and “separated from Christ” (New American Bible). For the use of this word in the Septuagint, see such passages as Leviticus 27.28; Deuteronomy 7.26; Joshua 6.17-18; 7.12-13; Zechariah 14.11. In the New Testament this term occurs also in 1 Corinthians 16.22 and Galatians 1.8-9.
It is important that the introductory phrase for their sake be clearly related to what follows. This may be expressed in some languages as “if I could help them I would wish” or “in order to help them I would be glad to.” In many instances it is best to treat this introductory statement as a condition of probability, certainly not of actual fact, since Paul is not stating that his being cursed by God would, in fact, be of benefit to his kinsman. Therefore, “if I could help them I would wish” or “if it would be of help to them I could wish.”
That I myself were under God’s curse may be restructured as “that God himself would curse me” or “that the curse from God’s power would be upon me.”
The last phrase, separated from Christ, may be translated as “no longer belong to Christ” or “no longer have a part with Christ.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .