John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh,

Spoken to: 

audience

The topic is bread and eternal life. The people ask how they can eat Jesus's flesh.

KJV: 

John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

NIV : 

John 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

The one gnawing on me, this flesh, and drinking of me, this blood? He remains within me and I within him.

MY TAKE: 

We are not only a part of Jesus's family but we share our existence with him.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

If we read the first part of this verse as a question he is answering, "the one eating his body and drinking his blood?" This end of this verse provides the answer. The meaning of eating the flesh and blood belonging together, as part of one another. The word translated as "dwells/remains" means more remaining in place and has the sense of "standing fast" in battle. Both flesh and blood are terms of kinship, brotherhood. Holding with Jesus, remaining in him, is the proof of our brotherhood with him. This idea of being "in" or "within" someone plays a large role in the final sections of John, where Jesus talks about being one.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

9
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common pronoun usually translated as "he."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "eat" is the same word translated as "eat" in all the previous verses in this section.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "eat" is not an active verb but a participle, "gnawing."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "flesh" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "drink" is not an active verb but a participle, "drinking."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "blood" is not shown in the English translation.
  • translation.
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

7
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "whoever" is not the common pronoun usually translated as "whoever."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "eat" is the same word translated as "eat" in all the previous verses in this section.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "eat" is not an active verb but a participle, "gnawing."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "flesh" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "drink" is not an active verb but a participle, "drinking."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "blood" is not shown in the English translation.
  • translation.
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

EACH WORD of KJV : 

He --  (CW) The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. This is not the normal pronoun translated as "he."

that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

eateth   - (CW, WF) The Greek verb translated as "eats" means "to gnaw," "to nibble," and "munch," but it usually refers to herbivorous animals. It specifically means to eat vegetables or fruit. This is the least common word Jesus uses for eating. The most common word has the sense of "consuming" something while the other word is the simpler sense of just "eating." Both of those words, however, are very close in meaning. This one is different, having the sense more of "grazing," like cattle. It is in the form of an adjective, "gnawing." Jesus mostly uses this word in this section of John where it is used humorously.

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

flesh, -- The Greek word translated as "the flesh" means "flesh," "meat," and "the physical order of things" as opposed to the spiritual. In contrasting it with "spirit," he is making it clear that he has been using it in the later sense.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

drinketh --  (WF) The word "drink" is the Greek for meaning to "drink." It also has a double meaning. "To drink" also means "to celebrate." It is in the form of an adjective, "drinking."

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

blood, -- "Blood" is the Greek word that means "blood," "bloodshed," and "kinship." Its common double meaning of bloodshed and kinship.

dwelleth -- The word translated as "dwells" has more of a sense of to "stay" or "remain," not necessarily dwelling in a place, though the KJV often treats it that way.

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek.

and I -- -- This is from a contraction of the conjunction "and" and the subject pronoun "I". Since the verb is already in the first person, that addition of the pronoun is like saying "and I myself," emphasizing the first person speaker.

middle voice, which means that the subject is to  act on "yourself," "for yourself" or "by yourself."

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

him. -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. 

EACH WORD of NIV : 

Whoever -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This is not the normal pronoun translated as "whoever."

eats - (CW, WF) The Greek verb translated as "eats" means "to gnaw," "to nibble," and "munch," but it usually refers to herbivorous animals. It specifically means to eat vegetables or fruit. This is the least common word Jesus uses for eating. The most common word has the sense of "consuming" something while the other word is the simpler sense of just "eating." Both of those words, however, are very close in meaning. This one is different, having the sense more of "grazing," like cattle. It is in the form of an adjective, "gnawing." Jesus mostly uses this word in this section of John where it is used humorously.

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

flesh, -- The Greek word translated as "the flesh" means "flesh," "meat," and "the physical order of things" as opposed to the spiritual. In contrasting it with "spirit," he is making it clear that he has been using it in the later sense.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

drinks --  (WF) The word "drink" is the Greek for meaning to "drink." It also has a double meaning. "To drink" also means "to celebrate." It is in the form of an adjective, "drinking."

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

blood, -- "Blood" is the Greek word that means "blood," "bloodshed," and "kinship." Its common double meaning of bloodshed and kinship.

remains -- The word translated as "remains" has more of a sense of to "stay" or "remain," not necessarily dwelling in a place, though the KJV often treats it that way.

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek.

and I -- -- This is from a contraction of the conjunction "and" and the subject pronoun "I". Since the verb is already in the first person, that addition of the pronoun is like saying "and I myself," emphasizing the first person speaker.

middle voice, which means that the subject is to  act on "yourself," "for yourself" or "by yourself."

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

him. -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

(821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "He" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

τρώγων [6 verses] (part sg pres act masc ) "That eateth" is trogo, which means "to eat vegatable," "to nibble," "to munch," and "to eat fruits or desserts."

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Me" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

τὴν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

σάρκα [19 verses](noun sg fem acc) "The flesh" is sarx, which means "flesh," "the body," "fleshy," "the pulp of fruit," "meat," and "the physical and natural order of things" (opposite of the spiritual or supernatural).

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."

πίνων, [36 verses](part sg pres act masc nom) "Drinking" is  pino, which means "to drink," "to celebrate," and "soak up."

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Me" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

τὸ [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

αἷμα [12 verses](noun sg neut acc) "The blood" is haima, which means "blood," "streams of blood," "anything like blood," "spirit," "courage," "bloodshed," "murder," "blood relationship,"kin," and "kindship."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

μοί, [96 verses](pron 1st sg masc/fem dat) "Me" is moi (emoi) , which means "I," "me," and "my."

μένει [27 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Dwells" "Dwells" is meno, which, as a verb, it means "stand fast" (in battle), "stay at home," "stay," "tarry," "remain as one was," "abide," and (transitive) "await."

κἀγὼ [31 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom ) "And...I" is kago, a contraction of kai-ego. "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." "I" is -ego, which is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and "for myself."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

αὐτῷ. [720 verses] (adj sg masc dat) "Him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

Wordplay: 

 Flesh and blood as a kindship mixed with the idea of it as food and drink .

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Apr 12 2022