Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,

Spoken to: 

audience

Jesus addresses a large crowd that has followed him saying they must reject the families to be a student.

KJV: 

 Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

NIV : 

 Luke 14:27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Whoever does not lift up that  stake of his own and show up after me. He doesn't have the power to be my student. 

MY TAKE: 

As we grow, we have to pull up stakes many times in order to move on.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

ὅστις        οὐ βαστάζει     τὸν   σταυρὸν  ἑαυτοῦ      καὶ ἔρχεται   ὀπίσω μου,
Whoever not does lift up that  stake       of his own and show up after   me 

οὐ         δύναται                  εἶναί μου μαθητής.
doesn't He have the power to be my student. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The word translated as  "bear" and "carry" primarily means "to lift up" and "to raise." "cross" means "stake" as in the stakes holding up a tent or the posts in a foundation. It is also the upright post on which Jesus was nailed for crucifixion, but no one would have thought of that as his meaning at the time.  These "stakes" as also the poles that held up tents and the supporting beams of houses. The sense is "lifting up" or "pulling up stakes" in the sense of moving on. See this article for a discussion of the Greek word translated as "cross".

The KJV "come after me" phrase is a better translation than"follow me" because it can mean "come after" in the sense of "follow" and in the sense of appearing after the time of Jesus.

This verse repeats the end of the previous verse. This action of "pulling up stakes" is equated with rejecting family selfish family ties.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

8

And(OS) whosoever doth not bear his(CW) (MWthe) cross(CW), and come after me, can(CW, WV) not be(WF) my disciple(CW).

  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "and" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "his."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "cross" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "cross" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence. The verb here is translated as active but it is either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves.
  • WV --Wrong Voice - The verb "can" is translated as active but it is passive either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves. This is not an active verb, but an infinitive.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "be" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to be."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "disciple" is more specific than the word's meaning.

And(IW) whoever does not carry their(CW,WN) (MWthe) cross(CW) and follow(CW) me can(CW, WV) not be(WF) my disciple(CW).

  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "their."
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "their" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "cross" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "cross" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence. The verb here is translated as active but it is either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "come after" doesn't precisely mean "follow."
  • WV --Wrong Voice - The verb "can" is translated as active but it is passive either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves. This is not an active verb, but an infinitive.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "be" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to be."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "disciple" is more specific than the word's meaning.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

And -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.

whosoever -- "Which" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever." 

doth -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

bear - "Bear" is from a verb that means to "lift up" "raise," "endure," and "bear." Jesus only uses it six times, always in the sense of taking up a heavy responsibility.

his -- (CW) "His" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own." This is not the word usually translated as "his."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.

cross, -- (CW) The word translated as "cross" means a "stake" or "post," like those used to hold up a tent. It does not describe the crossbar of a cross, but the stake on which the crossbar is hung. Among people traveling at the time, it meant pulling up the central stake of a tent to use it as a walking stick. See this article about this word. 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis.

come -- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Jesus usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Technically, it is in the middle voice meaning the subject acts on himself. In English, this is assumed in our words "come" and "go." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. See this article for more.

after -- The term translated as "after" means "back" in space but "after" in time. It is followed by a possessive which tells us whose back it is.  The logic regarding time is that, since the future is unseen, it should be regarded as behind us, whereas the past is known and therefore before our eyes. This seems quite strange to English speakers, but the use of this word in Greek is well-established to mean "future." Our English view coincides with the ancient Greek when discussing books. The "back" of the book in English means the "end" of the book, which is the future for the reader. This use of "back" is identical to the Greek.

me, - "Me" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

can -- (CW, WV) The word translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. Often, in English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. In Greek, it indicates ability or power. This is the active verb here, not a helper verb. It takes an infinitive as "have the ability" does in English. In English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. See this article.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

be -- (WF) The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

disciple. -- (CW) "Disciple" is from the Greek meaning "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept, but that sense is not in the Greek word. This translation is more specific than the word's meaning.

The "and" does not exist in the Greek. 

"Whosoever" is from a pronoun that means literally, "those anyone" and means "that", "anyone who", "anything which", "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever."

 The Greek word translated as "doth not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

 "His" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself", "herself," and so on.

"Bear" is from a verb that means to "lift up" "raise", "endure," and "bear." In is in the form of a command. It is an uncommon verb for Jesus, not the common word that means "lift up" that he always uses and used in the parallels to this verse in Matthew and earlier verse in Luke. 

The word translated as "cross" means a "stake" or "post", like those used to hold up a tent. It does not describe the crossbar of a cross, but the stake on which the crossbar is hung. Among people traveling at the time, it meant pulling up the central stake of a tent to use it as a walking stick. See this article for a discussion of the Greek word translated as "cross".

The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." 

The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "come" or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. 

The term translated as "after" means "back" in space but "forward" in time. This is the same word used in the Matthew version. 

"Me" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. It is possessive because the sense of the Greek is "in back of me". 

The word translated as "he can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something.  In Greek, this word means having an ability or power.

The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

The verb "be" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. It form is the infinitive, "to be". 

"My" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek in the possessive form, so "my" or "of me". It appears here before the noun without an article. 

"Disciple" is from the Greek meaning "learner", "pupil", "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

And -- -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.

whoever -- "Which" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever." 

does -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

carry - "Carry" is from a verb that means to "lift up" "raise," "endure," and "bear." Jesus only uses it six times, always in the sense of taking up a heavy responsibility.

their -- (CW,WN) "Their" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own." This is not the word usually translated as "his." This word is not plural but singular.

their cross and me cannot be my disciple.

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.

cross, -- (CW) The word translated as "cross" means a "stake" or "post," like those used to hold up a tent. It does not describe the crossbar of a cross, but the stake on which the crossbar is hung. Among people traveling at the time, it meant pulling up the central stake of a tent to use it as a walking stick. See this article about this word. 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis.

follow -- (CW) Two Greek word meaning "come after" are translated as "follow," but the Greek words can means several other things beside "follow." The word "come" primarily means "to start out" but Jesus usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Technically, it is in the middle voice meaning the subject acts on himself. In English, this is assumed in our words "come" and "go." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. See this article for more. The term translated as "after" means "back" in space but "after" in time. It is followed by a possessive which tells us whose back it is.  The logic regarding time is that, since the future is unseen, it should be regarded as behind us, whereas the past is known and therefore before our eyes. This seems quite strange to English speakers, but the use of this word in Greek is well-established to mean "future." Our English view coincides with the ancient Greek when discussing books. The "back" of the book in English means the "end" of the book, which is the future for the reader. This use of "back" is identical to the Greek. These words don't precisely mean "follow."

me, - "Me" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

can -- (CW, WV) The word translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. Often, in English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. In Greek, it indicates ability or power. This is the active verb here, not a helper verb. It takes an infinitive as "have the ability" does in English. In English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. See this article.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

be -- (WF) The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

disciple. -- (CW) "Disciple" is from the Greek meaning "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept, but that sense is not in the Greek word. This translation is more specific than the word's meaning.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

ὅστις [90 verses](pron sg masc nom) "That" is hostis, which means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever." -- "Which" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever." 

οὐ [269 verses](adv) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.  The negative, οὐ, denies, is absolute, and objective. -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

βαστάζει [6 verses](verb 2nd sg pres ind mp) "Bear" is bastazo, which means "to lift up," "to raise," "to bear," "to carry," "to endure," and "to carry off, "produce," "yield," of land."  - "Which have born" is from a verb that means to "lift up" "raise," "endure," and "bear." Jesus only uses it six times, always in the sense of taking up a heavy responsibility.

τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."  -- missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "word" is not shown in the English translation. missing "these/those/the" "these/those/the" 

σταυρὸν [5 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Cross" is from stauros, which means "upright post or stake," "pointed stick," "posts or piles for a foundation," and "a stake for impaling." In Christ's time, it was used for describing the upright post that held the crossbar for crucifixion. -- (CW) The word translated as "cross" means a "stake" or "post," like those used to hold up a tent. It does not describe the crossbar of a cross, but the stake on which the crossbar is hung. Among people traveling at the time, it meant pulling up the central stake of a tent to use it as a walking stick. See this article about this word.  CW --Confusing Word -- The "cross" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.

ἑαυτοῦ  [75 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Himself"is heautou, is a reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," "itself" "themselves," and "ourselves." It is not the common pronoun meaning simply "he," "she," "them," etc. In the genitive form, it has the sense of "his own." -- "Himself" is a special reflexive pronoun that means "himself," "herself," and so on. " When used in the possessive, it has the sense of "his own."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just." -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis.

ἔρχεται [198 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind mp) "Come" is  erchomai, which means "to start," "to set out," "to come," "to go," and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place. -- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Jesus usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start," "come," or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Technically, it is in the middle voice meaning the subject acts on himself. In English, this is assumed in our words "come" and "go." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. See this article for more.

ὀπίσω  [15 verses](prep/adv) "After" is from opiso, which means "back," "behind," and "hereafter." -- The term translated as "back" means "back" in space but "after" in time. It is followed by a possessive which tells us whose back it is.  The logic regarding time is that, since the future is unseen, it should be regarded as behind us, whereas the past is known and therefore before our eyes. This seems quite strange to English speakers, but the use of this word in Greek is well-established to mean "future." Our English view coincides with the ancient Greek when discussing books. The "back" of the book in English means the "end" of the book, which is the future for the reader. This use of "back" is identical to the Greek.

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "My" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine."  It is in a possessive (genitive) form.  As a genitive of a preposition here, it implies movement away from something or a position away from something else.-- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

οὐ [269 verses](adv) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.  The negative, οὐ, denies, is absolute, and objective. -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

δύναται [61 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind mp) "He can" is the verb, dynamai, which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities," "to be able," and "to be strong enough." -- (CW, WV) The word translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. Often, in English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. In Greek, it indicates ability or power. This is the active verb here, not a helper verb. It takes an infinitive as "have the ability" does in English. In English, "can" is a helper verb, indicating a possibility. See this article. CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence. The verb here is translated as active but it is either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves. WV --Wrong Voice - The verb "can" is translated as active but it is passive either the passive or middle voice where the subject acts on/by/for themselves. This is not an active verb, but an infinitive. WF - Wrong Form -  The "infinitive" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to infinitive."

εἶναί [614 verses] (verb pres inf act) "Be" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen,"  and "is possible." With the possessive (genitive) object, it means "is descended from," "is the type of," "belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on." With an indirect (dative) object, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed.  "It is to him" becomes "it is his" or "he has it."  With the preposition,"into" (εἰς), the sense is "consist of." When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are." -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "My" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine."  It is in a possessive (genitive) form.  As a genitive of a preposition here, it implies movement away from something or a position away from something else.-- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my," "me," and "mine." Usually follows the noun so, "of mine."

μαθητής. [13 verses](noun sg masc nom) "Disciple" is mathetes, which means "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." -- (CW) "Disciple" is from the Greek meaning "learner," "pupil," "student," and "apprentice." "Disciple" is a religious spin on this concept, but that sense is not in the Greek word. The word "disciple" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have. CW --Confusing Word --  The word "disciple" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have.

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Sep 19 2024