Spoken to:
Scribes think that Jesus is blaspheming by letting go of sins.
KJV:
Mark 2:10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,..
NIV :
Mark 2:10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,
LISTENERS HEARD:
In order that, however, you might know that this son of the man has authority upon this planet to let go of mistakes.
MY TAKE:
We need someone in authority to help us to let go of past mistakes.
GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page):
GREEK ORDER:
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
The word used here for "power" is not just having an ability, but means explicitly having authority over something. Here, the area of authority is that of "letting go of past mistakes." The word translated as "forgive" means "let go." See this article. The word translated as "sins" means mistakes. See this article. The idea was to release people from paying the consequences of their mistakes. The idea of the time was that physical afflictions, such as paralysis, were caused by the mistakes made by a person or their parents. These afflictions were divine judgment, but the cause of that judgment was a human failure.
# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "earth" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "forgive" should be "let go."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "sin" should be "mistakes."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "in order that" is not shown in the English translation.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "I want" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "you" is not the object of a verb but its subject.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word "to" should be "may" or "should."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "earth" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "forgive" should be "let go."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "sin" should be "mistakes."
EACH WORD of KJV :
But -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. It can also be an explanation of cause ("so").
that -- The word translated as "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" "when," or "because." It is used as an introduction to a command, where it isn't translated.n."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
may -- This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility, the subjunctive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
know -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know" as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.
that -- (CW) The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because." This is a different Greek word than the "that" above.
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.
Son -- The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense is "the child of the man." The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant". The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs.
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.
man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".
hath - The word translated as "hath" means "to possess" or "to keep" but it isn't used in the same way as a "helper" verb that the English "have" is.
power - The term translated as "power" isn't the "power" of skill or energy but of authority, control, and the ability to make a decision. This is the "power" that comes down through channels of authority. This word also does not have an article ("the") in front of it, so it is "a power" not "the power".
on --The word translated as "on" is a preposition that "upon", "at," or "against."
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.
earth - The word translated as "earth" means the physical planet or ground, not society. Christ uses this word as the opposite of "the sky", which is the realm of that which is beyond nature. Normally, Christ discusses authority as part of human society, translated as "the world" in the KJV. See this article for more on these
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English
forgive - (WW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave", "forgive", "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See the article before on the concept of "forgiving sins".
sins - (WW) The word translated as "sin" is a form of a word that means "to fail in one's purpose", "to neglect," and "to be deprived of." It has no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
EACH WORD of NIV :
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.
missing "in order that" -- (MW) The untranslated word"that" is a word that means "there", "where," and "in order that."
I want -- -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "I want" in the Greek source.
you -- (WF) This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb "know" not the object of "want" because there is no ver "want."
to -- (WW) This "to" should be a "may" because the verb is not an infinitive. This helping verb "may" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
know - -- The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.
that The second "that" is a different word from the first "that." This one introduces a statement of fact or 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.
Son -- The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense is "the child of the man." The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant". The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs.
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.
man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".
has - The word translated as "has" means "to possess" or "to keep" but it isn't used in the same way as a "helper" verb that the English "have" is.
authority - The term translated as "authority means authority, control, and the ability to make a decision. This is the "power" that comes down through channels of authority. This word also does not have an article ("the") in front of it, so it is "a power" not "the power".
on -- The word translated as "on" is a preposition that "upon", "at," or "against."
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.
earth - The word translated as "earth" means the physical planet or ground, not society. Christ uses this word as the opposite of "the sky", which is the realm of that which is beyond nature. Normally, Christ discusses authority as part of human society, translated as "the world" in the KJV. See this article for more on these words.
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English
forgive - (WW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave", "forgive", "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See the article before on the concept of "forgiving sins".
sins - WW) The word translated as "sin" is a form of a word that means "to fail in one's purpose", "to neglect," and "to be deprived of." It has no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV :
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when," but when beginning a phrase "so that," "in order that," "when," and "because." -
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." In a series begun by men, its means "on the other hand." In a series begun by men, its means "on the other hand."
εἰδῆτε [38 verses](2nd pl perf subj act) "Ye may know" is oida which has the sense of "to know." This listing is not a root word, but the past perfect tense of eido, which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know." That which "has been seen" is that which is "known." This is a somewhat legalistic idea because the truth can only be established by eyewitnesses.
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
ἐξουσίαν [23 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Power" is exousia which means "control," "the power of choice," "permission," "the power of authority," "the right of privilege," "abundance of means," and "abuse of power."
ἔχει: [181 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "He hath" is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." It can also mean "to without" or "keep back" a thing. -
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
υἱὸς [158 verses](noun sg masc nom) "The Son" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ἀνθρώπου [209 verses](noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is from 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. -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.
ἀφιέναι [73 verses](verb pres inf act) "To forgive" is aphiemi, which means "to let fall," "to send away," "give up," "hand over," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself."
ἁμαρτίας [28 verses](noun pl fem acc )"Sins" is hamartia, which means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin."
ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "of an end or purpose," "of the condition upon which a thing is done," "on condition that," and "of price." With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, judging, it means "in the case of."
τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). for more.
γῆς [59 verses](noun sg fem gen) "Earth" is ge, which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky. Like our English word "earth," it means both dirt and the planet.