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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 17:20 Because of your unbelief: for ...

Apostles asked why they were unable to caste out a demon.

Spoken to
Apostles

Matthew 17:20 Διὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν: ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ Μετάβα ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν.

KJV Verse

Matthew 17:20 Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 17:20 Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

What His Listeners Heard:

Through this lack of confidence of yours! Because, Amen, I tell you, when you have trust like a seed of mustard, you will say about this mountain/mule here. "It moves from here to there." And it will it move itself. Also nothing will be impossible for you."  

Lost In Translation:

This verse is another play on words. It could mean what the KJV translates it to mean, but it would be a reach because the verbs and noun are in the wrong forms in the final phrase. 

The words are unlikely spoken to the  mountain. In this situation "about" works because because something is said about the mountain, not "to" it. "Remove" and "move" are not a commands, but statements.  

However, if we assume that the mountain is actually a "mule," a metaphor for the stubborn "evil spirit," it has the sense that "evil spirits" can be harnessed to our will. You might want to read this article about the meaning of "evil spirits" in Greek times. Interesting, however, it is not a humorous, ironic, contrary to fact statement as in Luke 17:6.

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Because(CW) of(IW) your (MW) unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed(IW), ye shall say unto this (the) mountain(MM), Remove(WF,WW) hence to yonder place; and it shall remove(WW, WV); and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

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See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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