Luke 20:9 A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen,

Spoken to
audience

Jesus tells a parable to the crowd. 

KJV

Luke 20:9 A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

NIV

Luke 20:9 A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.

LISTENERS HEARD

A man planted a vineyard and he rented it out to vine-dressers and he traveled abroad for long seasons.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The word translated as "husbandmen" and "farmers" is a word that specifically means "vine-dressers." These were those who pruned the vines and otherwise cared for them.

The word translated as "rented" means literally "gave out." The people weren't paying rent as such but were expected to pay a portion of the crop to the landowner. 

The word translated as "went into a far country" and "went away" is only used five times by Jesus, three of them in the different versions of this parable, once in the parable of the talents, and one in a parable of the prodigal son. It does not come from a root that means "went" but from words that means "away from people." The "into a far country" in the KJV comes from another version of this parable. 

The "long time" is plural, "long seasons." It can take up to three years or longer for a vine to produce fruit after being planted depending on the climate and the soil. 

MY TAKE

Some people start things and own them. Other people are brought in at a price to care for them. 

GREEK ORDER

 

Ἄνθρωποςἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα,” καὶ ἐξέδετο        αὐτὸν    γεωργοῖς
A man          planted      a vineyard   and he gave out it         to vine-dressers 

καὶ  ἀπεδήμησεν                 χρόνους ἱκανούς.
and he traveled abroad for seasons   long 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4

A certain(OS) man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and [went into a far country(PP) for a(IW) long time(WN).

  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "certain" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  • PP -- Paraphrase - The phrase  "to go abroad" exists in the source but " went into a far country" doesn't. 
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "a" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "time" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4

A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some(IW) farmers and went(CW) away for a(IW) long time(WN).

  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "some " doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "went."
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "a" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "time" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.

 

EACH WORD of KJV

A  -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

certain -- (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. 

man -- The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples". 

planted -- "Planted" is from a verb which means "to plant", "to produce", "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees."

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

vineyard -- "Vineyard" is the Greek noun that means "vineyard."

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

let -- "Let" is from a unique spelling of a Greek verb meaning "give up," "give out," and "surrender" but has a number of other meanings including renting a house. 

it -- The word translated as "it" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as a direct object of a verb or preposition. 

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

to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

husbandmen -- The word translated as "to husbandmen" means to those "tilling the ground," and from that, "vine dresser", "gardener," and "peasant." The "to" is from the form, which is that of an indirect object.

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

 went into a far country --  -- (PP) The Greek  words meaning "to go abroad" here  are not translated but instead their assumed meaning is paraphrased into different words. The verb means "to be far from home" and "to go abroad." It is uncommon.  However, in the Luke version the Greek words for "into a far country" are used explicitly in the Greek, which maybe what this translation was inspired by.

for -- "For" comes from the direct object for of the word translated as "long."

a -- -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a singular noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation. However, the adjective and noun here are plural. 

long -- "Long" is from an adjective that means "sufficing", "becoming", "befitting", "competent to do", " capable", " sufficient", and "satisfactory". The English here might be "substantial".

time -- (WN) "Time" is  a noun that means "time", "a definite period of time", "period", "seasons,"  and similar ideas. This word is not singular but plural. 

EACH WORD of NIV

A  -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man -- The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples". 

planted -- "Planted" is from a verb which means "to plant", "to produce", "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees."

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

vineyard -- "Vineyard" is the Greek noun that means "vineyard."

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

rented -- "Rented " is from a unique spelling of a Greek verb meaning "give up," "give out," and "surrender" but has a number of other meanings including renting a house. 

it -- The word translated as "it" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as a direct object of a verb or preposition. 

to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

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

farmers -- The word translated as "farmers" means to those "tilling the ground," and from that, "vine dresser", "gardener," and "peasant." The "to" is from the form, which is that of an indirect object.

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

went --  -- (CW) The verb means "to be far from home" and "to go abroad." This is not the word usually translated as "went." 

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

for -- "For" comes from the direct object for of the word translated as "long."

a -- -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a singular noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation. However, the adjective and noun here are plural. 

long -- "Long" is from an adjective that means "sufficing", "becoming", "befitting", "competent to do", " capable", " sufficient", and "satisfactory". The English here might be "substantial".

time -- (WN) "Time" is  a noun that means "time", "a definite period of time", "period", "seasons,"  and similar ideas. This word is not singular but plural. 

 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Ἄνθρωπος (noun masc sg nom) "A...man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

ἐφύτευσεν (3rd sg aor ind act) "Planted" is from phyteuo, which means "beget", "engender," generally, "produce", "bring about", "cause (mostly of evils), "implant in," "to plant (especially trees)", "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees." When used as a noun, means "father" or, in plural, "parents."

ἀμπελῶνα,” (noun sg masc acc) "Vineyard" is from ampelon which means simply "vineyard."

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." 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."

ἐξέδετο  {ἐξέδοτο a variation of ἐξέδωκε} [2 verses] ((verb 3rd sg imperf ind mp) "Let" is  is ekididomi, which means to "give up," "surrender," " give out of one's house," " farm out," "let for hire," " give in charge to another," and many other specific meanings. 

αὐτὸν (adj sg masc acc) "It" is from 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."

γεωργοῖς, (adj pl masc dat) "Husbandmen" is from georgos, which means "tilling the ground," and from that, "husbandman", "vine dresser", "gardener," and "peasant."

καὶ (conj/adv) And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." 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 ("also") and, In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also."

ἀπεδήμησεν [5 verses] (verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Went to a far country" is from apodemeo, which means "to be far from home", "to be abroad", "to be on one's travels," and "to go abroad."

χρόνους ( noun pl masc acc ) "Time" is chronos, which means "time", "a definite period of time", "period", "date", "term", "lifetime", "age", "season", "delay," and "tense."

ἱκανούς. [2 verses]( adj pl masc acc) "Long" is hikanos, which means "sufficing", "becoming", "befitting", "competent to do", " capable", " sufficient", and "satisfactory". 

parallel comparison

This version is much shorter than the one in Matthew 21:33 and Mark 12:1 cutting out the specifics of the building process.  The other two verses do not have the last phrase, "for a long time".

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