Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe;

Spoken to: 

Apostles

After Jesus's resurrection, he appears to the eleven.

KJV: 

Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

NIV : 

Mark 16:17  And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified): 

Mark 16:17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

But these signs should follow the ones trusting: in that name of mine, they should toss out demons,  they should chatter with new tongues.

MY TAKE: 

Trust cures us of past ills and allows us to progress into new ideas.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

σημεῖα δὲ             τοῖς            πιστεύσασιν ἀκολουθήσει   ταῦτα,
Signs,  however,  the ones     trusting          should follow these,

ἐν τῶ  ὀνόματί μου         δαιμόνια ἐκβαλοῦσιν,               γλώσσαις        λαλήσουσιν,           καιναῖς 
in that name     of mine, demons   they should toss out ,  with tongues. they should chatter new

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

It is the last verse of Mark. It is omitted from many of the most ancient Greek texts. This verse continues the theme of the power of trust.The verbs in this verse are all translated in the future tense, but they could also be expressing a possibility.

The concept of "tossing out devils" is discussed in this article on "demons" and "devils." The "new" here doesn't mean "different tongues" but "freshly made" tongues. In other words, they will create new languages. Christianity spawned a host of new polyglot languages like English.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

6

And(WW) these signs shall follow them that(IW) believe(CW,WF); In my (MW) name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak(CW) with new tongues;

  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "however".
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "believe" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "believe" is not an active verb but a participle, "the one trusting."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "speak" does not capture the word's specific meaning.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

9

And(WW) these signs will accompany those who(IW) believe(CW,WF): In my (MW) name they will drive out demons; they will speak(CW) in new tongues;

  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "however".
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" does not necessarily mean the future tense.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who" doesn't exist in the source.."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "believe" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "believe" is not an active verb but a participle, "the one trusting."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" before "drive out" does not necessarily mean the future tense.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "will" before "speak"  does not necessarily mean the future tense
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "speak" does not capture the word's specific meaning.

# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

8

(MW) These miraculous(IW) signs will accompany those who(IW) believe(CW,WF): They will cast out demons in my (MW) name, and(IW) they will speak(CW) in new languages.

  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "miraculous" doesn't exist in the source.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who" doesn't exist in the source.."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "believe" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "believe" is not an active verb but a participle, "the one trusting."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "speak" does not capture the word's specific meaning.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

And   (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  This word indicate opposition to something said. Since this verse doesn't oppose the previous one of Jesus, we can assume that the statement was spoken by another.

these -- The "these" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. It likely refers to the word "signs" but the words "signs" starts the clause and this word ends it or is part of another clause entirely.

signs --  "Signs" is a noun that means "mark [by which things are known]", "sign [of the future]", "sign from the gods", "signal [to do things]," and "standard [flag]."

shall - This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

follow -- The term "follow" means -- The term "follow" means "to follow," "to go after," and "to go with." It also means "to be guided by" and means following a leader as a disciple. The dative object is the person followed or "gone after." in a physical sense, but it is also a metaphor meaning "to be guided by" or "to follow the meaning of." This verb takes the indirect form of an object when it is a person. The form requires a singular subject. It could be a future tense or the tense indicating a specific time in the past, present, or future possibility. The form of possibility seems more likely because it matches the following verb.

them -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the ones."

that -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "that" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

believe; -- (CW, WF) The Greek word translated as "believe" is the verb that means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing." It is in the form of an adjective, "trusting" or "complying." The tense is something happening at a specific point in time.

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

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

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word 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. 

name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as in English, but it doesn't mean the thing itself, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss."

shall - This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

cast out" -- "Cast out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out", "turn out," or "take out." It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT.

devils;  "Devils" is a word that means "belonging to a demon." It is based on the noun for "demon." The word 'demon" doesn't necessarily mean "evil". In Greek, it is used to refer to a controlling spiritual power, inferior to the gods. It was used to mean "knowing" and "skilled" in the sense that we might say, "He is a demon poker player." See this article on "demon" and related terms such as "devil". Generally, "having a demon" was how people of Christ's time said that someone had mental problems. See this article on demons and mental illness. 

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

shall - This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense or a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

speak -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "speak" is not the ordinary "to say," "to talk," "to tell," or "to speak" in Greek. This word means "idle chatter," "gossip," and "the proclamations of an oracle." Jesus uses it to capture the idea of "passing on." "conveying,"  or "relaying" information.  When there isn't an object, "transmit" captures the idea of being a conduit rather than a source of information.

with  -- "With" comes from the form of the word "tongues" which can indicate an instrument.

new -- The word translated as "new" means "new" in the sense of "newly made" and "fresh."

tongues; -- "Tongues" is another uncommon word that means "tongue" as the organ of speech, "spokesperson", "language", word of mouth" and related meanings. 

EACH WORD of NIV : 

And (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  This word indicate opposition to something said. Since this verse doesn't oppose the previous one of Jesus, we can assume that the statement was spoken by another.

these -- The "these" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. It likely refers to the word "signs" but the words "signs" starts the clause and this word ends it or is part of another clause entirely.

signs --  "Signs" is a noun that means "mark [by which things are known]", "sign [of the future]", "sign from the gods", "signal [to do things]," and "standard [flag]."

will - (CW) This helping verb "will " indicates that the verb is the future tense but the verb could also be a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

accompany -- The term "accompany" means -- The term "follow" means "to follow," "to go after," and "to go with." It also means "to be guided by" and means following a leader as a disciple. The dative object is the person followed or "gone after." in a physical sense, but it is also a metaphor meaning "to be guided by" or "to follow the meaning of." This verb takes the indirect form of an object when it is a person. The form requires a singular subject. It could be a future tense or the tense indicating a specific time in the past, present, or future possibility. The form of possibility seems more likely because it matches the following verb.

those -- The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the ones."

who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

believe; -- (CW, WF) The Greek word translated as "believe" is the verb that means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing." It is in the form of an adjective, "trusting" or "complying." The tense is something happening at a specific point in time.

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

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

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word 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. 

name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as in English, but it doesn't mean the thing itself, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss."

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

will - (CW) This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense but the verb could also me a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

drive out -- "Drive out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out", "turn out," or "take out." It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT.

demons;  -- "Demons" is a word that means "belonging to a demon." It is based on the noun for "demon." The word 'demon" doesn't necessarily mean "evil". In Greek it is used to refer to a controlling spiritual power, inferior to the gods. It was used to mean "knowing" and "skilled" in the sense that we might say, "He is a demon poker player." See this article on "demon" and related terms such as "devil". Generally, "having a demon" was how people of Christ's time said that someone had mental problems. See this article on demons and mental illness.

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

will - (CW) This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense but it could also be a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

speak -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "speak" is not the ordinary "to say," "to talk," "to tell," or "to speak" in Greek. This word means "idle chatter," "gossip," and "the proclamations of an oracle." Jesus uses it to capture the idea of "passing on." "conveying,"  or "relaying" information.  When there isn't an object, "transmit" captures the idea of being a conduit rather than a source of information.

in-- "In" comes from the form of the word "tongues" which can indicate an instrument.

new -- The word translated as "new" means "new" in the sense of "newly made" and "fresh."

tongues; -- "Tongues" is another uncommon word that means "tongue" as the organ of speech, "spokesperson", "language", word of mouth" and related meanings. 

EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted): 

missing "however"-- (MW) The untranslated word "however" means "but", "however", and "on the other hand". Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  This word indicate opposition to something said. Since this verse doesn't oppose the previous one of Jesus, we can assume that the statement was spoken by another.

These -- The "these" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. It likely refers to the word "signs" but the words "signs" starts the clause and this word ends it or is part of another clause entirely.

miraculous -- (IW) There is no Greek word that can be translated as "miraculous" in the Greek source.

signs --  "Signs" is a noun that means "mark [by which things are known]", "sign [of the future]", "sign from the gods", "signal [to do things]," and "standard [flag]."

will - This helping verb "will " indicates that the verb is the future tense but the verb could also be a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

accompany -- The term "accompany" means -- The term "follow" means "to follow," "to go after," and "to go with." It also means "to be guided by" and means following a leader as a disciple. The dative object is the person followed or "gone after." in a physical sense, but it is also a metaphor meaning "to be guided by" or "to follow the meaning of." This verb takes the indirect form of an object when it is a person. The form requires a singular subject. It could be a future tense or the tense indicating a specific time in the past, present, or future possibility. The form of possibility seems more likely because it matches the following verb.

those -- The word translated as "those" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the ones."

who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who" in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

believe; -- (CW, WF) The Greek word translated as "believe" is the verb that means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing." It is in the form of an adjective, "trusting" or "complying." The tense is something happening at a specific point in time.

They -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

will - (CW) This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense but the verb could also me a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

cast  out -- "Cast out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out", "turn out," or "take out." It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT.

demons;  -- "Demons" is a word that means "belonging to a demon." It is based on the noun for "demon." The word 'demon" doesn't necessarily mean "evil". In Greek it is used to refer to a controlling spiritual power, inferior to the gods. It was used to mean "knowing" and "skilled" in the sense that we might say, "He is a demon poker player." See this article on "demon" and related terms such as "devil". Generally, "having a demon" was how people of Christ's time said that someone had mental problems. See this article on demons and mental illness.

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

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

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word 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. 

name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as in English, but it doesn't mean the thing itself, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss."

and -- (IW) There is no Greek word that can be translated as "and"  here in the Greek source.

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

will - This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense but it could also be a form that indicates possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

speak -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "they shall speak " is not the ordinary "to say" or "to speak" in Greek. This word means both "idle chatter", "gossip," and "the proclamations of an oracle." Christ uses it to capture the idea of "pass on," because that captures both someones gossiping and what an oracle does. The word is somewhat self-effacing.

in-- "In" comes from the form of the word "tongues" which can indicate an instrument.

new -- The word translated as "new" means "new" in the sense of "newly made" and "fresh."

languages; -- "Languages" is another uncommon word that means "tongue" as the organ of speech, "spokesperson", "language", word of mouth" and related meanings. 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

σημεῖα [15 times]( noun pl neut nom/acc) "Signs" is from semeion, which means "mark [by which things are known]", "sign [of the future]", "sign from the gods", "signal [to do things]," and "standard [flag]."

δὲ [446 verses](conj/adv) "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 a weak connective ("and") and explanation of cause ("so").

τοῖς [821 verses]( article pl masc dat ) "Them that" 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." --

πιστεύσασιν [69 verses]( part pl aor act masc dat ) "Believe" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing." --

ἀκολουθήσει  [22 verses] ( verb 3rd sg fut ind act or verb 3rd sg aor subj act) "Shall follow" is akoloutheo, which means "to follow," "go after," and "to go with." It also means "to be guided by" and means following a leader as a disciple. The dative object is the person followed or "gone after."

ταῦτα,[96 verses]( adj pl neut nom/acc ) "These" is tauta, which is a referring pronoun meaning "these", "this", "that," and "here." It can mean the nearer or further depending on usage. As an adverb, it can mean "therefore" and "that is why." --

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means "in", "on", "at", "by", "among", "within", "surrounded by", "in one's hands", "in one's power," and "with".

τῶ [821 verses] (article sg neut dat)  Untranslated 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." -

ὀνόματί [47 verses]( noun sg neut dat ) "Name" is onoma, which means "name." It means both the reputation of "fame," and "a name and nothing else," as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.

μου [239 verses](pro sg masc gen) "My" is mou, which means "my," or "mine."

δαιμόνια [13 verses](noun pl neut acc) "Devils" is daimonion, which means "divinity", "divine power", "a lower divine being," and "evil spirit." Technically, it means "belonging to a demon. "Evil spirit" is a New Testament usage or interpretation. " It is from daimôn, which actually is the noun "demon." The word 'demon" doesn't necessarily mean "evil" (though it seems the way the Jews used it here), but in Greek is used to refer to a controlling spiritual power, inferior to the gods. It was used to mean "knowing" and "skilled" in the sense that we might say, "He is a demon poker player." -- 

ἐκβαλοῦσιν[33 verses] ( verb 3rd pl fut ind act or 3rd pl aor subj act ) "Shall they cast out" is ekballo and means "throw out", "cast out of a place,"and "expose." Ek means "out of", "from," and "away from." Ballo is "to throw" or "to scatter." --

γλώσσαις [2 verses]( noun pl fem dat ) "Tongue" is glossa, which means "tongue" as the organ of speech, "spokesperson", "language", word of mouth" and related meanings.  

λαλήσουσιν, [49 verses]( verb 3rd pl fut ind act or verb 3rd pl aor subj act) "They shall speak" is laleo, which means "to talk," "to speak" "to prattle", "to chat," and [for oracles] "to proclaim." It also means "chatter" as the opposite of articulate speech. --

καιναῖς  [9 verses](adj pl fem dat) "New" is kainos, which means "new," "fresh," "newly made," "newly invented," and "novel."

Front Page Date: 

Nov 7 2023