Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Spoken to: 

group

This verse is a surprise: starting a new topic in a very sudden way, seemingly without context. This is typical of verses that answer a question where the question was not recorded.

KJV: 

Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

NIV : 

Luke 12:35 Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

LISTENERS HEARD: 

They must be yours, these loins, having been fortified, and these lamps being burning.

MY TAKE: 

We must be prepared to defend ourselves and wary.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

Ἔστωσαν        ὑμῶν  αἱ     ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι             καὶ  οἱ      λύχνοι καιόμενοι,​
They must be yours, these loins,    having been fortified , and these lamps being burning.

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The word for "loins" is only used here in Jesus's words. The "gird your loins" is a direct reference to Exodus 12:1. It was a reference to preparing for the flight from Egypt after the Passover. This verse uses the exact same words in the Greek version. It is also the only time these words are used in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint.

When a possessive like "your" precedes a definite article before the word it modifies, the sense may be "yours" or "part of you." Because of this position, it can apply both to the "the loins" and "the lights."

The Greek verb translated as "gird/dressed"  means "to gird around ", that is to say, "brace around".  It also means "to put on a defense."  It is in the form of an adjective, "fortified" but in the past-perfect, passive tense, "having been fortified."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

5

Let(CW) your (MW) loins be(CW) girded(WT) about, and your(WW) lights burning;

  • CW --Confusing Word -- The verb "let" is not addressed to someone; it is a third-person command.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the"  before "loins" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This "be" is not a helper verb making the "girded" passive.
  • WT --Wrong Tense - The English verb "girded" is not the past tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action,
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "your" should be something more like "the.""having been girded."

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

10

Be(CW,WF) (MP) dressed(WT,WW) [ready for service(IP)] and keep(IW) your lamps burning,

  • CW --Confusing Word -- The verb "let" is not addressed to someone; it is a third-person command.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "be" is not a second-person command but a third-person command .
  • MP - Missing Phrase - The phrase "yours these loins"  exists in the source. This is counted as 3 translation issues, not 1.
  • WT --Wrong Tense - The English verb "dressed" is not the past tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action,
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "dressed" should be something more like "having been girded."
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "ready for service " doesn't exist in the source. This is counted as 2 translation issues, not 1.
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "keep" doesn't exist in the source.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

Let -- (CW) This "let" is the helping verb used to translate the Greek form of the third-person command. In English all commands are in the second person. This form is used as something like our word "must." Using "let" as the active verb, rather than a helper verb like "must," changes the subject from the third party to the second.

your  .-- The word translated as "your" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the possessive (genitive) case. When it precedes a definite article before the word it modifies, the sense may be "yours" or "part of you."

missing "these/those/the"  -- (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.

loins  - "Loins" is from the Greek word that means "loin", and "lower part of back". This is the only time Jesus uses this word. It is one of the subjects of this sentence. 

be -- (CW) 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. This is a third-person command. In English, commands are always in the second person, "Be this!" or "Do this!" The third-person command is not addressed to the listener or the object that is the subject. It is about the subject. In English, it is more like saying "it must be" or "they must be!" This is not a helper verb making the "girded" passive. The following verb is passive, but helper verbs are not used in Greek.

girded - (WT)The Greek verb translated as "gird"  means "to gird around ", that is to say, "brace around".  It also means "to put on a defense" so "to fortify."  It is in the form of an adjective, "fortified" but in the past-perfect, passive tense, "having been fortified."

about, - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.

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

your -- --(WW)  The word translated as "your" 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," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This word doesn't mean "your." 

lights  -- (CW) The word translated as "lights" primarily means "lamp", specifically, a portable one. The main form of portable lights in this era were oil lamps made from clay. This is not the word usually translated as "lights." CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "lights."

burning;  - The Greek verb translated as "burning" means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery." It is a participle, a verbal adjective, so "setting on fire" or "burning", but in the present tense. Again, the subjects act on themselves, "firing themselves up!"

EACH WORD of NIV : 

Be -- (CW,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. This is a third-person command. In English, commands are always in the second person, "Be this!" or "Do this!" The third-person command is not addressed to the listener or the object that is the subject. It is about the subject. In English, it is more like saying "it must be" or "they must be!" This is not a helper verb making the "girded" passive. The following verb is passive, but helper verbs are not used in Greek.

missing "yours these loins"  -- -- (MP) The words here aren't translated with their correct meanings and forms.

dressed - (WT,WW) The Greek verb translated as "gird"  means "to gird around ", that is to say, "brace around".  It also means "to put on a defense."  It is in the form of an adjective, "fortified" but in the past-perfect, passive tense, "having been fortified." This word doesn't mean "dressed." 

ready for service -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.

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

keep -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.

your -- --(WW)  The word translated as "your" 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," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This word doesn't mean "your." 

lights  -- (CW) The word translated as "lights" primarily means "lamp", specifically, a portable one. The main form of portable lights in this era were oil lamps made from clay. This is not the word usually translated as "lights." CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "lights."

burning;  - The Greek verb translated as "burning" means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery." It is a participle, a verbal adjective, so "setting on fire" or "burning", but in the present tense. Again, the subjects act on themselves, "firing themselves up!"

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Ἔστωσαν  [614 verses] (verb 3rd pl pres imperat act) "Is" 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."

ὑμῶν [168 verses](pron 2nd pl gen) "Your/you" is humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." It is either a possessive pronoun or the object of a preposition. As an object of a preposition, the genitive indicates movement away or a position away from something

αἱ [821 verses](article pl fem nom)  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."  --

ὀσφύες [1 verse] (noun pl fem nom) "Loins" is osphys. which means "loin", and "lower part of back".  - "Loins" is from the Greek word that means "loin", and "lower part of back". This is the only time Jesus uses this word. It is one of the subjects of this sentence.

περιεζωσμέναι [3 verses](part pl perf mp fem nom) "Girded" is perizōnnymi, which means "to gird round oneself", "to gird oneself with" and "to put on a defence." -

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." In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

οἱ  [821 verses](article pl mascnom)  "Your" s 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." 

λύχνοι [9 verses](noun pl masc nom ) "Candles" is lychnos, which means "portable light," or "lamp."

καιόμενοι[4 verses] (part pl pres mp masc nom) "Burning" is kaio, which means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery."

Front Page Date: 

Jul 12 2024