Spoken to:
Sending of Apostles, finding a place to stay.
KJV:
Matthew 10:11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
NIV :
Matthew 10:11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave.
3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified):
Matthew 10:11 Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.
LISTENERS HEARD:
For that, however, when a city or a town, you should enter, investigate who in it is deserving! There stay until when you leave.
MY TAKE:
Those who are deserving are good hosts.
GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page):
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
This verses has an conjunction, "but" or "however," that is edited out of English translation because it indicates that Jesus is contradicting a statement or assumptions in a question. The word translated as "enquire/searech" is used by Jesus only in this verse and it not his usual word for either "ask" or "search." This usually indicates that he is humorously or using it to answer a question in which it was used.
This verse has a pronoun early one that could mean "meat" or "sustenance" that Jesus referred to in the previous verse, but that fact is lost in translation. It could also refer to the "journey" from the previous verse. A word translated as "into" in the KJV and left out of the other English translations was translated as "for" in the previous verse and seems to be used in the same sense here. It means either "for a journey" or "for a meal. This verse also somewhat humorously repeats a Greek word indicating some doubt or trepidation ("maybe") but that word is also editing out of the English translation.
The keyword here is translated as "worthy." It was used for the first time in the previous verse (Matthew 10:10), and it appears again in the verse after next (Matthew 10:13 And if the house is worthy,). This word is clearly a focus of these three verses.
# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" means "but."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "into" here was translated as "for" twice in the previous verse.
- CW - Confusing Word --- The word translated as "whatsoever" means "this" and "when."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "go" is translated as an assertion, but the Greek mood indicates something that "should" or "might" happen.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "but" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word --- The word translated as "whatever" means "this" and "when."
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "enter" is translated as an assertion, but the Greek mood indicates something that "should" or "might" happen.
- WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "there" doesn't with this verb but the next.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "for" means "in."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "some" means "it."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "is" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "person" means "someone."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- IP - Inserted phrase-- The phrase "at their house" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "leave" is translated as an assertion, but the Greek mood indicates something that "should" or "might" happen.
# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "but" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word --- The word translated as "whenever" means "this" and "when."
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "enter" is translated as an assertion, but the Greek mood indicates something that "should" or "might" happen.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "for" means "in."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" means "it."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "is" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "person" means "someone."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- IP - Inserted phrase-- The phrase "at their house" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "there" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "when" is not shown in the English translation.
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "leave" is translated as an assertion, but the Greek mood indicates something that "should" or "might" happen.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "town" doesn't exist in the source.
EACH WORD of KJV :
And -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" joins phrases in an adversarial way and is usually translated as "but." Since it usually falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. In this case, it falls in the third position, after the "for that" phrase.
into -- (CW) The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure. However, this term also means "for" a purpose, which was the way it was used in the previous verse to refer to "way," which matches the pronoun here. It does not appear before "city" but at the very beginning of the verse before the demonstrative pronoun that refers to the noun meaning "meat" or "sustenance."
whatsoever -- (CW) The "whatsoever" appears to come from combining two Greek words that do not appear together. The first word means "this" or "that" and it matches the "meat/keep/sustenance," or "journey/way"which was the last noun in the previous verse. The second word means "if" or, as Jesus uses it commonly, "when."
city The Greek word for "city" means a city and a nation, culture, or a society.
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.
town -- "Town" is a word meaning a village where farmers lived close to their fields, rather than a place of trade and commerce or for a specific quarter of a larger city.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
shall -- (CW) This helping verb "shall" does not indicate the future tense, but that the verb describes a possibility, the subjunctive voice. A "might" or "should" in English is more appropriate but is assumed in an "if/when/whoever/except" clause. Helping verbs are not needed in Greek since the main verb carries this information in its form.
enter, -- "Enter" is a Greek verb that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." It is in a form that indicates something that might possibly happen. In English, this sense is usually communicated by the use of an "if" or "when" in the clause or the use of the word "might." It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners.
enquire -- "Enquire" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses here. This word means to "search out," "inquire closely," and "investigate." It has the sense of a more serious investigation than simply asking someone in passing. Jesus uses more common words to mean "ask" or "search."It is a command or request. It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners.
who -- The Greek word translated as "who" has a lot of meanings including "anyone," "someone," and "anything." Christ frequently uses it in questions. It could mean "who" here, but it could also mean "what," "why, "anything" or "anyone."
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "on" and "within" or "among." It is not the same word translated as "into" earlier in this verse.
it -- The word translated as "it" means "the same." Jesus usually uses it as a third-person pronoun. It can mean "their true selves" as opposed to appearances, which is the point here.
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. This verb was only implied in the previous verse.
worthy; -- The word translated here as "worthy" means "counterbalancing." It is the idea of weighing the same as something of equal value. From this comes the idea of "being worthy" or "due," not from inherent worth but because you give value for equal value. We saw this word for the first time in the previous verse (Matthew 10:10), and it appears again in the verse after next ( Matthew 10:13). This word is clearly a focus of this section of verses.
and -- (IW) There is no Greek word meaning "and" in the original. It is added by the translators.
there -- "There" is translated from a Greek word meaning "in that place" and "there," but in logic means "the intelligible world."
abide -- The Greek verb translated as "abide" has more of a sense of to "stay" or "remain," not necessarily at dwelling. This word is another command or request.
till -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
ye -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
missing "when"-- (MW) The untranslated word means "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."
go -- (WM) The word translated as "go" means literally "to go or come out." It also means "to go out of office" or "to come to an end." The root is a verb usually translated as "come," which can also mean "go" but primarily means "start." It has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." It is addressed to a group of listeners. This is not a simple statement, but a verb form ("mood") of something that might or should happen.
thence -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb, which mean "out of" or "from."
EACH WORD of NIV :
missing "but"-- (MW) The untranslated word "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way and is usually translated as "but." Since it usually falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. In this case, it falls in the third position, after the "for that" phrase.
missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure. This term also means "for" a purpose, which was the way it was used TWICE in the previous verse. It does not appear before "city" but at the very beginning of the verse before the demonstrative pronoun that refers to the noun meaning "meat" or "sustenance."
Whatever -- (CW) The "whatever" appears to come from combining two Greek words that do not appear together. The first word means "this" or "that" and it matches the "meat/keep/sustenance," or "journey/way" which was the last noun in the previous verse. The second word means "if" or, as Jesus uses it commonly, "when."
town -- The Greek word for "town" means a city and a nation, culture, or a society.
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.
village -- "Village" is a word meaning a village where farmers lived close to their fields, rather than a place of trade and commerce or for a specific quarter of a larger city.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
enter, -- (WM) "Enter" is a Greek verb that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." It is in a form that indicates something that might possibly happen. In English, this sense is usually communicated by the use of an "if" or "when" in the clause or the use of the word "might." It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners. This is not an assertion, but a verb form ("mood") of something that might happen at some time.
search -- (CW) "Search" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses here. This word means to "search out," "inquire closely," and "investigate." It has the sense of a more serious investigation than simply asking someone in passing. Jesus uses more common words to mean "ask" or "search." It is a command or request. It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners.
there -- (WP) "There" is translated from a Greek word meaning "in that place" and "there," but in logic means "the intelligible world." This word appears with the word "stay" not the verb here.
for -- (WW) The word translated as "for" means "in," "on" and "within" or "among." It is not the same word translated as "into" earlier in this verse.
some -- (WW) The word translated as "some" means "it" or "the same." Jesus usually uses it as a third-person pronoun.
missing "is"-- (MW) The untranslated word here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. This verb was only implied in the previous verse.
worthy -- The word translated here as "worthy" means "counterbalancing." It is the idea of weighing the same as something of equal value. From this comes the idea of "being worthy" or "due," not from inherent worth but because you give value for equal value. We saw this word for the first time in the previous verse (Matthew 10:10), and it appears again in the verse after next ( Matthew 10:13). This word is clearly a focus of this section of verses.
person -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "who" has a lot of meanings including "anyone," "someone," and "anything." Christ frequently uses it in questions. It could mean "who" here, but it could also mean "what," "why, "anything" or "anyone." Here, this word begins a phrase.
and -- (IW) There is no Greek word meaning "and" in the original. It is added by the translators.
stay -- The Greek verb translated as "abide" has more of a sense of to "stay" or "remain," not necessarily at dwelling. This word is another command or request.
at their house -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "at their house" in the Greek source.
until -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
you -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
missing "when"-- (MW) The untranslated word means "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."
leave-- (WM) The word translated as "go" means literally "to go or come out." It also means "to go out of office" or "to come to an end." The root is a verb usually translated as "come," which can also mean "go" but primarily means "start." It has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." It is addressed to a group of listeners. This is not a simple statement, but a verb form ("mood") of something that might or should happen.
EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted):
missing "but"-- (MW) The untranslated word "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way and is usually translated as "but." Since it usually falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. In this case, it falls in the third position, after the "for that" phrase.
missing "for"-- (MW) The untranslated word "for" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, and "up to" limits in time and measure. This term also means "for" a purpose, which was the way it was used TWICE in the previous verse. It does not appear before "city" but at the very beginning of the verse before the demonstrative pronoun that refers to the noun meaning "meat" or "sustenance."
Whenever -- (CW) The "whenever" appears to come from combining two Greek words that do not appear together. The first word means "this" or "that" and it matches the "meat/keep/sustenance," or "journey/way"which was the last noun in the previous verse. The second word means "if" or, as Jesus uses it commonly, "when."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
enter, -- (WM) "Enter" is a Greek verb that means "go or come into" and has the double meaning of "coming into one's mind." It is in a form that indicates something that might possibly happen. In English, this sense is usually communicated by the use of an "if" or "when" in the clause or the use of the word "might." It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners. This is not an assertion, but a verb form ("mood") of something that might happen at some time.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
city -- The Greek word for "city" means a city and a nation, culture, or a society.
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
village -- "Village" is a word meaning a village where farmers lived close to their fields, rather than a place of trade and commerce or for a specific quarter of a larger city.
search -- (CW) "Search" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses here. This word means to "search out," "inquire closely," and "investigate." It has the sense of a more serious investigation than simply asking someone in passing. Jesus uses more common words to mean "ask" or "search." It is a command or request. It is the second person plural, form addressing a group of listeners.
for -- (WW) The word translated as "for" means "in," "on" and "within" or "among." It is not the same word translated as "into" earlier in this verse.
a -- (WW) The word translated as "a" means "it" or "the same." Jesus usually uses it as a third-person pronoun.
missing "is"-- (MW) The untranslated word here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. This verb was only implied in the previous verse.
worthy --- The word translated here as "worthy" means "counterbalancing." It is the idea of weighing the same as something of equal value. From this comes the idea of "being worthy" or "due," not from inherent worth but because you give value for equal value. We saw this word for the first time in the previous verse (Matthew 10:10), and it appears again in the verse after next ( Matthew 10:13). This word is clearly a focus of this section of verses.
person -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "who" has a lot of meanings including "anyone," "someone," and "anything." Christ frequently uses it in questions. It could mean "who" here, but it could also mean "what," "why, "anything" or "anyone." Here, this word begins a phrase.
and -- (IW) There is no Greek word meaning "and" in the original. It is added by the translators.
stay -- The Greek verb translated as "abide" has more of a sense of to "stay" or "remain," not necessarily at dwelling. This word is another command or request.
in his home -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "in his home" in the Greek source.
missing "there"-- (MW) The untranslated word "there" is from a Greek word meaning "in that place" and "there," but in logic means "the intelligible world." This word appears with the word "stay" not the verb here.
until -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
you -- The word translated as "till" means "until" but it also means "in order that."
missing "when"-- (MW) The untranslated word means "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when."
leave-- (WM) The word translated as "go" means literally "to go or come out." It also means "to go out of office" or "to come to an end." The root is a verb usually translated as "come," which can also mean "go" but primarily means "start." It has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." It is addressed to a group of listeners. This is not a simple statement, but a verb form ("mood") of something that might or should happen.
town. -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "town" in the Greek source.
COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV :
εἰς (prep) "Into" is from eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."
ἣν (pron sg fem acc) Untranslated is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
δ᾽ (partic) "And" is from 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 cause ("so").
ἂν (partic) "Whatsoever" is from ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if)and an (might)) which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event.
πόλιν (noun sg fem acc) "City" is from polis, which means "city," "citadel," "one's city," "one's country," "community," "state," "state affairs," and "civic duties."
ἢ (conj) "Or" is e which is a particle meaning "either," "or," or "than."
κώμην [6 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Town" is from kome, which means an "unwalled village," "country town," and the ward or quarter of a city.
εἰσέλθητε, (2nd pl aor subj act) "Ye shall enter" is from eiserchomai which means both "to go into," "to come in," "to enter," "to enter an office," "to enter a charge," (as in court) and "to come into one's mind."
ἐξετάσατε [unique](2nd pl aor imperat act) "Enquire" is exetazo, which means to "search out," "examine well or closely," "scrutinize," "review," "pass in review," "enumerate," "prove by scrutiny or test."
τίς (irreg sg masc/fem nom) "Who" is from tis which can mean "someone," "any one," "everyone," "they [indefinite]," "many a one," "whoever," "anyone," "anything," "some sort," "some sort of," "each," "any," "the individual," "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what."
ἐν (prep) "In" is from en, which means "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," and "with."
αὐτῇ (adj sg fem dat) "It" is from 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."
ἄξιός (adj sg masc nom) "Worth" is axios, which means "counterbalancing," "weighing as much," "of like value," "worth as much as," "worthy," "goodly," "deserved," "due," "worthy," "estimable," "worthy of," "deserving," "fit," "due," and "as deserved."
ἐστιν: (verb 3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is from eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible." (The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")
κἀκεῖ (adv) "there" is from kakei, which means "there," "in that place," "what is or happens there," "events there," "then [rarely of time]," and "in an intelligible world."
μείνατε (2nd pl aor imperat act) "Abide" is from meno, which, as a verb, it means "stand fast" (in battle), "stay at home," "stay," "tarry," "remain as one was," "abide," and (transitive) "await."
ἕως (conj) "Till" is heos which means "until," "till," and "in order that" and "up to the point that."
ἂν (partic) Untranslated is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if)and an (might)) which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event.
ἐξέλθητε. (2nd pl aor subj act) "Ye go thence" is from exerchomai, which means "to come or go out of " "to march forth," "go out on," "to stand forth," "to exceed all bounds," "to come to an end," "to go out of office," and [of dreams or prophecies] "to come true."
Wordplay:
The word translated as "worthy" connects this verse and the previous one.
The use of related words with the double meanings of "to come into mind" and "to come true." So the phrase implies that the idea of going into a place comes into your mind and that you stay in it until your dreams come true.
Related Verses:
Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings:
"Going into strange towns,” said Brother James, thinking out loud. Not knowing anyone. Not having any food. Being hungry. The Father provided manna in the desert. Will we find our sustenance just lying on the ground?”
Everyone laughed including the Master, but he shook his head, “no.”
“For that, however, when you enter into a city or a town,” he commanded, “investigate! Who in it is deserving?”
“Who deserves the honor of feeding us?” joked Brother John.
“Those who are deserving,” added Ugly Jake optimistically, “will recognize that we are deserving!”
“And where to we stay for the night?” asked Brother James.
“There,” answered the Master. “Stay until when you leave.