Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always,

After a woman pours oil on Jesus's head in the house of Simon the leper.

KJV: 

Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

NIV : 

Mark 14:7  The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified): 

Mark 14:7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Because you always have the beggars among yourselves, and, when you want, you always have the power to do well for them. Me, however, you do not always have.

MY TAKE: 

We always say always when we mean often.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

πάντοτε γὰρ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ἔχετε μεθ᾽ ἑαυτῶν,
Since always the beggars you have among yourselves,

καὶ   ὅταν         θέλητε      δύνασθε                   αὐτοῖς   [πάντοτε] εὖ     ποιῆσαι,
and, whenever you want, you have the power for them always    well to do .   

ἐμὲ  δὲ            οὐ  πάντοτε ἔχετε:
Me, however, not always  do you have 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The Greek here has  a uncommon word for Jesus, translated as "always."  This word actually begins the verse and, in the negative, almost ends it, though it is not translated that way. This word only appears in only eight of Jesus's verses, but here it is used two or three times, though one of its repetitions is not translated in English Bibles because it doesn't appear in all ancient manuscripts. However, it does appear in the middle of the verse in the two oldest, Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus. To me, is use three times appears to be humorous exaggeration to make a point.

The Greek word translated as "may" or "can" is not the helping verb it is in English, but a word means means "have the power." It takes an infinitive verb after it so "the power to do" or "the power to help."  This word is from the same root as the word translated as "power" in the Gospels.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

4
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "will " is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "may" means "can."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "do" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to do."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "good" is not an adjective verb but an adverb, "well" or "rightly."

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

7
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "help" does not capture these words' specific meaning in this situation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "help" is not an active verb but an infinitive.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "any time" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.

# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

6
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "can" is not a helper verb, but the active verb in the sentence.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "help" does not capture these words' specific meaning in this situation.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "help" is not an active verb but an infinitive.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

For -- The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation. To prevent a run-on sentence, it can be translated as "this is why" or "this is because..." to start a new sentence. However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause". 

ye --  This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

have -- The word translated as "ye have" means "to possess" or "to keep."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

poor -- "Poor" is from an adjective, used as a noun, which means "beggaring", and "beggarly." The sense is "the begging. Christ uses this term a number of times, and through it, he gives a clear sense of the role that beggars play in the world. The first time he uses the word is it in the context of being "beggars of spirit,"that is, lacking spirit in the Beatitudes and throughout the Gospels, Christ separates beggars into two types: those who are spiritually afflicted and those that are physically incapacitated.

with -- "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of".

you -- The word translated as "you" is not the common  second person pronoun, "you." It is the reflexive pronoun, "themselves." This translation is as "with you" goes back to the Latin Vulgate and it is continued in all other Biblical translations. The sense, just reading the words, is "among themselves" or "by means of themselves."

always, -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Jesus seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. He is clearly exaggerating the idea, perhaps for humorous reasons. This word begins the verse. In Greek, the most important words come first in the sentence, generally. Except, of course, in humor.

and The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

whensoever -- The Greek word translated as "whensoever" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since."

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

will --  (CW) The Greek word translated as "ye will" is not the same as the helper verb "will" in English, which primarily expresses the future tense. Its primary purpose is to express consent and even a delight in doing something. It means "to consent" and "to be resolved to a purpose". In English, we say "want" or "desire."

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

may -- (WW) The verb translated as "ye may" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. It is usually translated as "can" not "may" but that it not quite right either  In Greek, this word indicates ability or power, never permission. It is in the "middle form" when the subject acts on themselves, "you have the power".

do --(WF) The Greek word translated as "do" has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  It is not as broad a word as the English "do", which covers all actions, productive or not.  The form is an infinitive, "to perform" or "to produce".  The form is an infinitive, "to do."

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

good: -- (WF) The adverb translated as "good" is not a noun or an adjective, but an adverb. It means "well", "thoroughly", "competently", and "fortunately." This is the adverb form of "good", not the adjective "good". The word is uncommon for Christ to use as an adverb, but he commonly uses it in compound words such as the Greek word translated as "gospel" which means "good news." See this article on the real Greek meaning of the terms translated as "good" and "evil."

but -- The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. When used in writing, it creates complex sentences, but when spoken, it makes a good pausing point so that an important or humorous word can follow.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek.

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

have The word translated as "ye have" is the same as above and means "to possess" or "to keep".

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

always. -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Christ seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. Most people uses the terms "always" whenever they discuss something that it done frequently. Christ never makes this mistake. This word actually starts the sentence.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" introduces a reason or explanation. To prevent a run-on sentence, it can be translated as "this is why" or "this is because..." to start a new sentence. However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause". 

The -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

poor -- "Poor" is from an adjective, used as a noun, which means "beggaring", and "beggarly." The sense is "the begging. Christ uses this term a number of times, and through it, he gives a clear sense of the role that beggars play in the world. The first time he uses the word is it in the context of being "beggars of spirit,"that is, lacking spirit in the Beatitudes and throughout the Gospels, Christ separates beggars into two types: those who are spiritually afflicted and those that are physically incapacitated.

you --  This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

will -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the future tense, but the following verb is not the future tense.

always, -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Jesus seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. He is clearly exaggerating the idea, perhaps for humorous reasons. This word begins the verse. In Greek, the most important words come first in the sentence, generally. Except, of course, in humor.

have -- The word translated as "ye have" means "to possess" or "to keep."

with  -- "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of".

you -- The word translated as "you" is not the common  second person pronoun, "you." It is the reflexive pronoun, "themselves." This translation is as "with you" goes back to the Latin Vulgate and it is continued in all other Biblical translations. The sense, just reading the words, is "among themselves" or "by means of themselves."

and The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

can -- (CW) The verb translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. In Greek, this word indicates ability or power, never permission. It is in the "middle form" when the subject acts on themselves, "you have the power".

help -- (CW, WF) This word is from two Greek word that mean "do well" but the verb is an infinite because of the way the Greek word translated "can" really works.   The Greek word translated as "do" has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  It is not as broad a word as the English "do", which covers all actions, productive or not.  The form is an infinitive, "to perform" or "to produce".  "Well" is the adverb form of "good", not the adjective "good". The word is uncommon for Jesus to use as an adverb, but he commonly uses it in compound words such as the Greek word translated as "gospel" which means "good news." See this article on the real Greek meaning of the terms translated as "good" and "evil.

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

any time - (CW) The Greek word translated as "any time" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since."  It is the same word translated as "whenever" in KJV. It does not reference any Greek word for time.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

want. -- The Greek word translated as "want" expresses consent and even delight in doing something. It is not the same as the helper verb "will" in English. It means "to consent" and "to be resolved to a purpose." As a participle, it can mean "willingly" and "gladly."

But -- The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. When used in writing, it creates complex sentences, but when spoken, it makes a good pausing point so that an important or humorous word can follow.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the "have" verb.

will -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the future tense, but the following verb is not the future tense.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

always -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Christ seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. Most people uses the terms "always" whenever they discuss something that it done frequently. Christ never makes this mistake. This word actually starts the sentence.

have -- The word translated as "ye have" is the same as above and means "to possess" or "to keep".me.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek.

EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted): 

missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" introduces a reason or explanation. To prevent a run-on sentence, it can be translated as "this is why" or "this is because..." to start a new sentence. However, since this word always appears in the second position, it is more like an aside remark like, "consequently" or "as a cause". 

The -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

poor -- "Poor" is from an adjective, used as a noun, which means "beggaring", and "beggarly." The sense is "the begging. Christ uses this term a number of times, and through it, he gives a clear sense of the role that beggars play in the world. The first time he uses the word is it in the context of being "beggars of spirit,"that is, lacking spirit in the Beatitudes and throughout the Gospels, Christ separates beggars into two types: those who are spiritually afflicted and those that are physically incapacitated.

you --  This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

will -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the future tense, but the following verb is not the future tense.

always, -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Jesus seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. He is clearly exaggerating the idea, perhaps for humorous reasons. This word begins the verse. In Greek, the most important words come first in the sentence, generally. Except, of course, in humor.

have -- The word translated as "ye have" means "to possess" or "to keep."

among -- "Among" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of".

you -- The word translated as "you" is not the common  second person pronoun, "you." It is the reflexive pronoun, "themselves." This translation is as "with you" goes back to the Latin Vulgate and it is continued in all other Biblical translations. The sense, just reading the words, is "among themselves" or "by means of themselves."

and The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

can -- (CW) The verb translated as "can" means having the power or possibly a desire to accomplish something. In Greek, this word indicates ability or power, never permission. It is in the "middle form" when the subject acts on themselves, "you have the power".

help -- (CW, WF) This word is from two Greek word that mean "do well" but the verb is an infinite because of the way the Greek word translated "can" really works.   The Greek word translated as "do" has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  It is not as broad a word as the English "do", which covers all actions, productive or not.  The form is an infinitive, "to perform" or "to produce".  "Well" is the adverb form of "good", not the adjective "good". The word is uncommon for Jesus to use as an adverb, but he commonly uses it in compound words such as the Greek word translated as "gospel" which means "good news." See this article on the real Greek meaning of the terms translated as "good" and "evil.

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

whenever -- The Greek word translated as "whenever " introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since."  It is the same word translated as "when" above.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the following verb.

want to -- -- The Greek verb translated as "want to" expresses consent and even delight in doing something. It is not the same as the helper verb "will" in English. It means "to consent" and "to be resolved to a purpose." As a participle, it can mean "willingly" and "gladly."

But -- The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. When used in writing, it creates complex sentences, but when spoken, it makes a good pausing point so that an important or humorous word can follow.

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the "have" verb.

will -- (WT) This helping verb indicates the future tense, but the following verb is not the future tense.

not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.

always -- The word translated as "always" means "at all times" but what makes it interesting is that Christ seldom uses this word but it occurs two or three times in this verse. Most people uses the terms "always" whenever they discuss something that it done frequently. Christ never makes this mistake. This word actually starts the sentence.

have -- The word translated as "ye have" is the same as above and means "to possess" or "to keep".me.

me -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

πάντοτε [8 verses](adverb) "Always" is pantote, which means "always," "at all time", and literally breaks down to "all then." "All" is from pas, which means "all", "the whole", "every", "anyone", "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way", "on every side", "in every way," and "altogether." "Then" is from tote, which means "at that time" and "then."

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."

τοὺς [821 verses] (article pl masc acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

πτωχοὺς [17 verses](adj pl masc acc) "Poor" is from ptochos, which means "beggar", "beggar-woman," and "beggarly."

ἔχετε [181 verses](verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye have" is from echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to carry", "to keep close", "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."

μεθ [103 verses](prep) "With" is from meta, which means "with", "in the midst of", "among", "between", "in common", "along with", "by the aid of", "in one's dealings with", "into the middle of", "coming into", "in pursuit of", "after", "behind", "according to," and "next afterward."

ἑαυτῶν,  [75 verses](adj pl masc gen) "You" is from heautou, is a reflexive pronoun that means "himself", "herself", "itself" and "themselves." It is an alternative to autos.

καὶ [1089 verses](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." --

ὅταν [70 verses](adv/conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)."

θέλητε [61 verses](verb 2nd pl pres subj act ) "Ye will" is the verb, dynamai, which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities," "to be able," and "to be strong enough."

δύνασθε ( verb 2nd pl pres ind mp ) "Ye may" is the verb, dynamai, which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities", "to be able," and "to be strong enough." -

αὐτοῖς [55 verses](adj pl masc dat) "Them"  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." -- 

[πάντοτε] [8 verses](adverb) "Always" is from pantote, which means "always," "at all time", and literally breaks down to "all then." "All" is from pas, which means "all", "the whole", "every", "anyone", "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way", "on every side", "in every way," and "altogether." "Then" is from tote, which means "at that time" and "then."

εὖ [4 verses](adv) "Good" is eu, the word for "well", "thoroughly", "competently", "fortunately," and "happily."

ποιῆσαι, [168 verses]( verb aor inf act ) "Do" is poieo, which means "to make", "to produce", "to create", "to bring into existence", "to bring about", "to cause", "to perform", "to render", "to consider", "to prepare", "to make ready," and "to do." --

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 indirect cause ("so"). In an  "if" (εἰ ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then."

οὐ [269 verses](partic) "Not" is from ou which is 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.

πάντοτε [8 verses](adverb) "Always" is from pantote), which means "always," "at all time", and literally breaks down to "all then." "All" is from pas, which means "all", "the whole", "every", "anyone", "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way", "on every side", "in every way," and " "altogether."

ἔχετε[181 verses](verb 2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye have" is from echo, which means "to have", "to hold", "to possess", "to keep", "to have charge of", "to maintain", "to hold fast", "to bear", "to carry", "to keep close", "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Oct 9 2023