Luke 22:20 This cup is the new testament in my blood

KJV: 

Luke 22:20 This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

This? The cup? The new type contract in that blood of mine: the stuff over you being poured out by itself.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

This verse is again, fairly different from Matthew 26:28, though both agree on a few things that are misleading in the KJV. The KJV, as we often see, translates this more like Matthew than it actually is.  We, of course, read "new testament" in a way it did not mean at the time.  It is also a good example of a spoken statement rather than a written grammatical sentence.

"This" is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this", "here", "the nearer," and "the familiar."

The word for "cup" means "a drinking-cup", "a wine-cup", "a jar," and "a receptacle" for offerings in the temple. The cup is used by Jesus as a symbol for sharing burdens.  It appears with an article, so "the cup."

There is no "is" in this verse. There is in Matthew.  However, when subjects appear without a verb, we can assume an "is" from their from. Both "this" and "the cup" are in the form of subjects. So are the words translated as "new testament" so they are equated.

The word translated as "new" is different than the common Greek word for new, which has the sense of "fresh" or "recent". . Many of their meanings overlap, but this word also means "of a new kind."

Testament" is a noun that means "a will", "a compact," and "a covenant." It does not mean "testament" in the sense of testimony or evidence. It means a legal document, a contract or a last will and testament.

The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

"My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. 

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

The word translated as "which" 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.  However, it is not usually used as the demonstrative article connecting added clauses.

"Is shed" is the Greek word that means "to pour out," and "spill," but it is a metaphor for "to be forgotten" and to be "overcome with emotion." The form of the verb is passive, something being acted upon by itself, "being poured out by themselves".  This same verb was used in a similar sense to describe the prophets in Matthew 23:35.

"For" is a preposition that means "over", "more than," and in position, "above." It has a lot of possible meanings in English, but it is not the word used to mean "for your benefit", which is communicated by a specific noun form. The sense is "over you" in the sense "on the behalf", which is consistent with the different "on account of" preposition used in Matthew. However, this  play on words is obvious, blood being poured physically on them. Jesus uses a another preposition that means "upon" more clearly in Matthew 23:35.

The word translated as "your" is plural addressing a group of Jesus's listeners.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Τοῦτο ( adj sg neut nom ) "This" is toutou, which is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this", "here", "the nearer," and "the familiar." -- 

τὸ ποτήριον ( noun sg neut nom ) "Cup" is poterion, which means "a drinking-cup", "a wine-cup", "a jar," and "a receptacle" for offerings in the temple.

The word translated as "new" is different than the common Greek word for new. Many of their meanings overlap, but this word also means "of a new kind."

καινὴ ( adj sg fem nom ) "New" is kainos, which means "new", "fresh", "newly made", "newly invented," and "novel." --

διαθήκη” [uncommon]( noun sg fem nom ) "Testament" is from diatheke, which means "a disposition (specifically of property by a will)", "will", a testament", "an arrangement between two parties", "a compact," and "a covenant."

ἐν (prep) "In" is en, which means "in", "on", "at", "by", "among", "within", "surrounded by", "in one's hands", "in one's power," and "with". --

τῷ αἵματί” (noun sg neut dat) "The blood" is haima (haima), which means "blood," "streams of blood", "anything like blood," "spirit", "courage", "bloodshed", "murder", "blood relationship,"kin," and "kindship." --

μου, (pro sg masc gen) "My" is mou, which mean "my," or "mine." --

τὸ (article sg neut nom ) "Which" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." --

ὑπὲρ (prep) "For" is hyper (huper), which means "over" (of place), "above' (in a state of rest), "off' (ships at sea), "over" and "across (in a state of motion), "over", "beyond", "on behalf of one (metaphor), "for", "instead of", "in the name of", "as a representative of" (in an entreaty), "for" and "because of" (of the cause of motive), "concerning", "exceeding" "above" and "beyond" (of measure), "above" and "upwards" (of numbers), "before" and "earlier than" (of time), "over much" and "beyond measure" (as an adverb), "for" and "in deference of" (doing a thing), and "above measure."

ὑμῶν (pron 2nd pl gen) "You" is humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." --

ἐκχυννόμενον⟧ { ἐκχυνόμενον}. ( part sg pres mp neut nom ) "Is shed" is from ekcheo, which means to "pour out", "pour away", " spill", "squander", "waste", "spread out", "throw down," and, as a metaphor, "to be cast away", "forgotten", "give oneself up to any emotion," and "to be overjoyed." --

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Feb 3 2019