John 7:7 The world cannot hate you;

Spoken to: 

group

Jesus's brothers say that he should leave Galilee and go to Judea for the festival.

KJV: 

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

NIV : 

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

This society doesn't have the power to despise you. Me, however? It despises because I myself might testify about it because these works of it are worthless.

MY TAKE: 

Following the crowd is worthless.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

οὐ δύναται                     ὁ     κόσμος μισεῖν  ὑμᾶς, ἐμὲ δὲ               μισεῖ,
doesn't have the power This society to hate you.    Me, however? It hates

ὅτι         ἐγὼ        μαρτυρῶ        περὶ  αὐτοῦ ὅτι        τὰ      ἔργα   αὐτοῦ πονηρά     ἐστιν.
because I myself might testify about it        because these works of it    worthless.are

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The word translated as "evil" doesn't mean something malevolent, but something that is useless or worthless. The word translated as "world" means "society" and "the powers that be." Jesus's point is that the concerns or fashions of society are not productive, and, because of this, society hates him. Notice that Jesus doesn't say that he testifies "against" the world but about the world. The word translated as "hate" is a less emotional term, having more the sense of a relative "dislike."

The word translated as "because" is also translated as "that" and both translations are correct.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

4
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "can" is not a helper verb but the active verb, "have power."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "hate" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to hate."
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

6
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "can" is not a helper verb but the active verb, "have power."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "hate" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to hate."
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "about" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "it" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

The-- 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. 

world -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.

can-  - (WF)  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 having an ability or power. This is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.

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. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.

hate -- (WF)- "Hated" is a Greek verb is translated as "to hate," “would not suffer,” and in passive, "to be hated. But this word doesn't have the passionate or emotional intensity of the word “hate” in English. The word expresses a negative preference, not a strong passion. Jesus uses this word as the opposite of both the common Greek word translated as "love," whose meanings are closer to “care for” and “enjoy” (see this article). So, it means “not caring for” and “not enjoying. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information. This is an infinitive, not an active verb.

you; -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action.

but -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  It can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

hateth, -- "Hateth" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.

because  -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

-- The pronoun "I" is used here. Since, as the subject of the sentence, it is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.

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

testify -- "Testify" is the Greek verb that means "to give testimony" and "to bear witness." It has the sense of being true testimony. It is the verb form of the Greek word for "testimony" and "proof," which is the source of our word "martyr."

of -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "of" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it. It is

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

that --  The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." This is the same word translated as "because" above but the first use explains a reason why while its next use explains what is witnessed.

the -- 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. 

works -- The Greek word translated as "works" means "deeds," "actions," and "things" in the sense of "every thing."

thereof -- The word translated as "thereof" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It is possessive. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

are -- The verb "are" 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. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It is singular, but Greek plural, neuter subjects take a singular verb because it is treated like a conglomeration.

evil. -- The word translated as "evil" means "second-rate" or "worthless." When used as a noun, it has the sense of "worthlessness" or, when referring to an action, a "failure." It doesn't have a sense of malevolence that our word "evil" does. This article explores its meaning in more detail.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

The-- 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. 

world -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.

can-  - (WF)  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 having an ability or power. This is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.

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. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.

hate -- (WF) "Hated" is a Greek verb is translated as "to hate," “would not suffer,” and in passive, "to be hated.But this word doesn't have the passionate or emotional intensity of the word “hate” in English. The word expresses a negative preference, not a strong passion. Jesus uses this word as the opposite of both the common Greek word translated as "love," whose meanings are closer to “care for” and “enjoy” (see this article). So, it means “not caring for” and “not enjoying. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information. This is an infinitive, not an active verb.

you; -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action.

but -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  It can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

hates, -- "Hates" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

because  -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

-- The pronoun "I" is used here. Since, as the subject of the sentence, it is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.

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

testify -- "Testify" is the Greek verb that means "to give testimony" and "to bear witness." It has the sense of being true testimony. It is the verb form of the Greek word for "testimony" and "proof," which is the source of our word "martyr."

missing "about"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "about" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it. It is

missing "it"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "it" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.

that -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." This is the same word translated as "because" above but the first use explains a reason why while its next use explains what is witnessed.

its -- The word translated as "its" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It is possessive. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

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. 

works -- The Greek word translated as "works" means "deeds," "actions," and "things" in the sense of "every thing."

are -- The verb "are" 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. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It is singular, but Greek plural, neuter subjects take a singular verb because it is treated like a conglomeration.

evil. -- The word translated as "evil" means "second-rate" or "worthless." When used as a noun, it has the sense of "worthlessness" or, when referring to an action, a "failure." It doesn't have a sense of malevolence that our word "evil" does. This article explores its meaning in more detail.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

οὐ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.  The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.

δύναται [61 verses](3rd sg pres ind mp) "Can" is the verb, dynamai, which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities," "to be able," and "to be strong enough."

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

κόσμος [63 verses](noun sg masc nom) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.

μισεῖν [20 verses](pres inf act) "Hate" is miseo, "Hate" is miseo, which is translated as "to hate," “would not suffer,” and in passive, "to be hated."

ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."

ἐμὲ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means  "me."

δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

μισεῖ, [20 verses](verb 3rd sg pres ind act) "It hateth" is miseo, which means "to hate" and in passive, "to be hated."

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "Because" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

ἐγὼ [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom) "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.

μαρτυρῶ [16 verses](1st sg pres subj act) "Testify" is martyreo, which means "to bear witness," "to give evidence," "give a good report," "testify to," and "acknowledge the value of." It is the basis for our word "martyr."

περὶ [73 verses](prep)  "Of" is peri, which means "round about (Place)," "around," "about," "concerning," "on account of," "in regard to," "before," "above," "beyond," and "all around."

αὐτοῦ [720 verses](adj sg masc gen) "It" (adj sg masc acc) "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."

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."

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

ἔργα [31 verses] (noun pl neut nom/acc) "The works" is ergon, which means "works," "tasks," "deeds," "actions," "thing," and "matter." -- The Greek word translated as "works" means "deeds," "actions," and "things" in the sense of "every thing."

αὐτοῦ [720 verses](adj sg masc gen) "His" (adj sg masc acc) "Thereof" 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."

πονηρά [38 verses](adj pl neut nom) "Evil" is poneros, which means "burdened by toil," "useless," and "worthless." In a moral sense, it means "worthless," "base," and "cowardly."

ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Are" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen,"  and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.

Front Page Date: 

Apr 23 2022