Luke 9:50 Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Spoken to
Apostles

Apostes tell Jesus someone is using his name to cast out demons though he is not a follower.

KJV

Luke 9:50 Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

NIV

Luke 9:50 Do not stop him,for whoever is not against you is for you.

LISTENERS HEARD

Do not hinder him. Because he is not down on you. He is high on you. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The basic sense of opposition that is clear in Greek is lost in translation. The word translated as "aginst" has a primary meaning of "down" in the sense we say someone is down on us. The word that is translated as "for" primarily means "above" or "over" in the sense we say someone is "high on us." Another way of seeing this is that anyone who does not look down on us is looking up to us.

MY TAKE

To look up to some things, we must look down on others.

GREEK ORDER

Μὴ       κωλύετε,     ὃς γὰρ        οὐκ ἔστιν καθ      ᾽ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ    ὑμῶν ἐστίν.
Do not hinder him. he Because not     is   down on you. high on you   He is

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "he."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "us" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "us" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
1
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "whoever" should be something more like "this one."
EACH WORD of KJV

Forbid - "Forbid" is from a verb that means "to hinder" and "to prevent." It is a command.

him -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

not -- The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, verbs of possibility, and requests.  It applies to will, feeling, and thought. Used with verbs in the mood of possibility to express a prohibition.

for --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why." However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause." 

he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, "he," "she," "it," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "when," "for which reason," and many similar meanings. This is not the word usually translated as "he."

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

is -- 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.

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. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

against - The word translated as "against" means "down from," "down into," "against," "opposite," "separately," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally." As an adverb is means "downward" or "down."

us -- -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "us" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. The word in today's source is translated as "you."  a plural, second-person pronoun in the possessive (genitive) case.

is -- 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. As an object of a preposition, the genitive indicates movement away or a position away from something

for -- "For" is a preposition that means "over" "beyond," "concerning," "on behalf of,"  and "instead of" with many other specific uses.

us -- -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "us" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. The word in today's source is translated as "you."  a plural, second-person pronoun in the possessive (genitive) case.

EACH WORD of NIV

Do -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek

not -- The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, verbs of possibility, and requests.  It applies to will, feeling, and thought. Used with verbs in the mood of possibility to express a prohibition.

stop - "Forbid" is from a verb that means "to hinder" and "to prevent." It is a command.

him -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

for --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why." However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause."

whoever -- (WW) The word translated as "whoever" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, "he," "she," "it," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "when," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

is -- 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.

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. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. 

against - The word translated as "against" means "down from," "down into," "against," "opposite," "separately," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally." As an adverb is means "downward" or "down."

you -- The word translated as "yor" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the possessive (genitive) case. As an object of a preposition, the genitive indicates movement away or a position away from something.

is -- 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.

for -- "For" is a preposition that means "over" "beyond," "concerning," "on behalf of,"  and "instead of" with many other specific uses.

you -- The word translated as "you" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the possessive (genitive) case. This pronoun follows the noun so the possessive "of yours." As an object of a preposition, the genitive indicates movement away or a position away from something

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." The negative, μή, rejects, is relative,  and subjective. It is used with verbs of subjective action:  thinking, feeling, seeing, etc. It is used in imperative and subjunctive clauses because both express opinions. With pres. or aor. subjunctive, it is used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care." The combination of ἵνα μή means "lest." The combination of ὅτι μή, means "except." Used before tis with an imperative to express a will or wish for something in independent sentences and, with subjunctives, to express prohibitions. It is used with infinitives that express a purpose. When used with verbs of physical action, its sense is that "not wanting" or "thinking" something, not that it isn't done or thought.  With these verbs, the sense is rejecting the action, rather than simply not doing it. With the verb "to be," the sense is "doesn't seem." When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words. Used with an imperative to express a will or wish. Used in negative conditional "when/if/whoever" clauses. With "have," the sense is "lacks" or "wants."

κωλύετε,  [7 verses]((verb 2nd pl pres imperat act) "Forbid" is kolyo, which means "to hinder," "withhold," and "to prevent."  -

ὃς  [294 verses](pron sg masc nom) "He" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "it," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "when," " "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

γὰρ [205 verses](partic) "For" comes from gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for," "since," and "as." In an abrupt question, it means "why" and "what."

οὐκ [269 verses](adv) "Not" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.  The negative, οὐ, denies, is absolute, and objective.

ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind 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."

καθ᾽[60 verses](prep/adv) "Against" is kata can be a preposition or an adverb. As a preposition with the genitive, it means, means "downwards," "down from," "down into," "against," "down toward," "down (from),"  and, or time, "for." With the accusative, it means "down (to)," "according to," "about," " during," of motion, "on," "over," "throughout a space," "opposite," "separately," "individually," "at a time," "towards," "in accordance with," "concerning," "corresponding with," "during the course of a period," and "severally." As an adverb, it means "according as," "just as," "in so far as," "wherefore," "like as if" and "exactly as." As an adverb is means "downward" or "down."-

ὑμῶν [168 verses](pron 2nd pl gen) "Us" 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.

ὑπὲρ [17 verses](prep) "On our part" 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 or 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 [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

ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind 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."

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