Spoken to:
Asked by Pharisees why followers eat with unwashed hands, violating tradition. Jesus said that they reject the command of the Divine.
KJV :
Mark 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
NIV :
Mark 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.
Listeners Heard:
Because Moses said, "Honor that father of yours and that mother of yours." And "the one cursing a father or a mother must end by death."
My Takeaway:
Being fond of speaking evil can be deadly.
Lost in Translation:
Jesus combines two old testament verses here, Exo 20:12 and Exo 21:17. His purpose is to offer a contrast of ideas, in this case, life versus death. He contrasts the honor due your parents for giving you life with the deadly effects of speaking evil of your parents.
The uncommon word translated as "curse" literally means "to be fond of speaking evil" with the prefix that means "evil" and a root that means "to be fond of speaking."
The word translated as "die" (KJV) and "to be put" (NIV) means "to finish" or "to accomplish." It is a rare word for Jesus to use, but it is used originally in the Greek Old Testament. It is the verb form of the word usually translated as "end" in the Bible and the sense of "end by death" works here. The word meaning "end" is the end of the verse.
Wordplay:
By using "the father and the mother" instead of "thy father and mother," Jesus indicates that the words are meant in a more general or symbolic sense rather than the personal one, "the Father" and "the source."
Original Word Order:
WORD-BY-WORD COMPARISON OF THE GREEK TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:
Μωυσῆς [18 verses](Hebrew Name) "Moses" is Moyses, which means "Moses".
γὰρ [205 verses](adv/conj) "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."
εἶπεν [162 verses] ( verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Said" is from eipon, which means "to speak", "to say", "to recite", "to address", "to mention", "to name", "to proclaim", "to plead", "to promise," and "to offer." --
“Τίμα [12 verses](verb 2nd sg pres imperat act ) "Honour" is from the Greek timao, which means "to revere", "to honor," and "to value."
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
πατέρα [191 verses](noun sg masc acc) "The Father" is from pater, which means "father", "grandfather", "author", "parent," and "forefathers."
σου [144 verses] (adj sg masc gen) "Thy" is sou which means "of you" and "your." -- The word translated as "thy" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun.
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is from 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."
τὴν [821 verses](article sg fem acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
μητέρα,” [27 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Mother" is meter, which means "mother," "grandmother," "mother hen," "source," and "origin." --
σου [144 verses] (adj sg masc gen) "Thy" is sou which means "of you" and "your." -- The word translated as "thy" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun.
καί [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is from 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."
“Ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "He" 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." -- The word translated as "the" 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.
κακολογῶν [3 verses](part sg pres act masc nom) " Curseth " is from the verb kakologeo, which means "revile" and "abuse." It is a compound of the word that means "bad" and "evil" kakos and the word logos) which means "word", "computation", "reckoning," and "value."
πατέρα [191 verses](noun sg masc acc) "The Father" is from pater, which means "father", "grandfather", "author", "parent," and "forefathers."
ἢ [92 verses] (conj) "Or" is e which is a particle meaning "either", "or," or "than."
μητέρα [27 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Mother" is from mêtêr (meter), which means "mother", "grandmother", "mother hen", "source," and "origin."
θανάτῳ [15 verses](noun sg masc dat) "The death" is from thanatos, which means "death ""kinds of death," specifically, "violent death", "corpse," and "a death sentence." --
τελευτάτω [3 verses](verb 3rd sg pres imperat act) "Let him die" is from teleutao, which means "to bring to pass", "to accomplish", "to finish", "to die", "to come to an end," and, in the passive, "to be fulfilled", "come to pass", "happen," and "to be accomplished." As an adverb in means "to finish with", "at the end," and "at last." However, Christ uses this word for the OT Hebrew word, muwth, in Exo 21:17 which means "to die ""to put to death," and "to kill."
Septuagint versions:
Exo 20:12 τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα
Exo 21:17 ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ μητέρα αὐτοῦ τελευτήσει (verb 2nd sg fut ind mid OR verb 3rd sg aor subj act OR verb 3rd sg fut ind act) θανάτῳ
KJV Analysis:
For - The word translated as "for" can be treated as supporting a dependent clause, or, in written English, as "this is because..." to start a new sentence.
Moses -- "Moses" is from the Greek spelling of the name for the author of the first five books of the OT. Unlike most Hebrew names, Jesus sometimes adds Greek ending to it in the form of a first-declension Greek noun.
said --, "Said" is from the Greek verb that means "to say" and "to speak" also. It is usually just translated as "say" or "tell."
Honour -- "Honour" is a Greek verb which means "to revere", "to honor," and "to value." It even has a sense of value in an economic sense meaning "to estimate," which has the same root as our word "to esteem." Jesus used this same verb in Mark 7:6 when quoting Isaiah.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
thy -- The word translated as "thy" is the possessive form of the second-person pronoun. It follows the noun "father" here so "of yours."
father "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor. It is introduced by an article "the." In Christ's quote, the "your" is missing with "father" though it appears in the Septuagint version of Exo 20:12.
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".
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
thy -- The word translated as "thy" is the possessive form of the second-person pronoun. It follows the noun "mother" here so "of yours."
mother: -- "Mother" is the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something. It is introduced by an article "the."
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".
He -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, as it is here, 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.
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.
curseth --(WF) "Curseth" is from a Greek verb which means "to revile" and "to abuse." The verb is in in the form of an adjective used as a noun, "the one abusing."
father - Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor. It is introduced by an article "the."
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
mother, -- "Mother" is the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something. It is introduced by an article "the."
let - This comes from the form of the verb, a third-person command.
him -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "him " in the Greek source.
die - (CW) "Die" is from an uncommon Greek verb which means "to bring about", "to accomplish", "to finish," and "to die." This is the verb form of the word usually translated in the Bible as "end" which has more the sense of "culmination" or "accomplishment." The form is a 3rd person command, which the Bible translates as "let him" in English but has more the sense of "he must." Interestingly, the Septuagint is in a different verb form, see Greek for specifics.
missing "by"-- (MW) The dative case of the following word requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to," "with," "in," "of," "as," "by," "for," "at" or "on," can all be used depending on the context. "By" works best because "death" is the means of the end.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source. It is added because the previous word is translated as "die." IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
death. "Death" is the Greek word meaning "death" generally and the death penalty specifically. In Greek, it has the clear meaning of separating the spirit from the body.
KJV Translation Issues:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common pronoun usually translated as "he."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "curse" is not an active verb but a participle, "cursing."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "him " doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "die" is not the common word usually translated as "to die."
- MW -- Missing Word -- This dative word requires a preposition to capture its meaning.
NIV Analysis:
For - The word translated as "for" can be treated as supporting a dependent clause, or, in written English, as "this is because..." to start a new sentence.
Moses -- "Moses" is from the Greek spelling of the name for the author of the first five books of the OT. Unlike most Hebrew names, Jesus sometimes adds Greek ending to it in the form of a first-declension Greek noun.
said --, "Said" is from the Greek verb that means "to say" and "to speak" also. It is usually just translated as "say" or "tell."
Honor -- "Honor" is a Greek verb that means "to revere", "to honor," and "to value." It even has a sense of value in an economic sense meaning "to estimate," which has the same root as our word "to esteem." Jesus used this same verb in Mark 7:6 when quoting Isaiah.
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
your -- The word translated as "your " is the possessive form of the second-person pronoun. It follows the noun "father" here so "of yours."
father "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor. It is introduced by an article "the." In Christ's quote, the "your" is missing with "father" though it appears in the Septuagint version of Exo 20:12.
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".
missing "the/this" -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," 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," and "those"). See this article for more.
mother: -- "Mother" is the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something. It is introduced by the article "the."
missing "of your" -- (MW) The untranslated word MW - Missing Word -- The word "your" is not shown in the English translation. "your" is the possessive form of the second person pronoun. It follows the noun "mother" here so "of yours."
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".
Anyone -- (CW) The word translated as "anyone " is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, as it is here, 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.
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.
curses --(WF) "Curses" is from a Greek verb that means "to revile" and "to abuse." The verb is in in the form of an adjective used as a noun, "the one abusing."
their -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "their" in the Greek source.
father - Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor. It is introduced by an article "the."
or -- "Or" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
mother, -- "Mother" is the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something. It is introduced by the article "the."
is to be -- (WT) This helping verb "is to be" indicates that the verb is the future tense. This is not the tense of the verb here.
put - (CW) "Die" is from an uncommon Greek verb that means "to bring about", "to accomplish", "to finish," and "to die." This is the verb form of the word usually translated in the Bible as "end" which has more the sense of "culmination" or "accomplishment." The form is a 3rd-person command, which the Bible translates as "let him" in English but has more the sense of "he must." Interestingly, the Septuagint is in a different verb form, see Greek for specifics.
to -- The dative case of the following word requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to," "with," "in," "of," "as," "by," "for," "at" or "on," can all be used depending on the context. "By" works best because "death" is the means of the end.
death. "Death" is the Greek word meaning "death" generally and the death penalty specifically. In Greek, it has the clear meaning of separating the spirit from the body.
NIV Translation Issues:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "of yours" after "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "anyone " is not the common pronoun usually translated as "anyone ."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who " doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "their" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "curse" is not an active verb but a participle, "cursing."
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "it to be" indicates the future tense, but the tense is the present.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "put" is not the common word usually translated as "to put."
Related Verses:
Possible Symbolic Meaning:
Jesus sees parents as symbols. Generally, the father is the symbol for God, that is, the spiritual, and the mother as a source of life, in a physical sense. That union creates a new spirit and new life.
Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings:
The version in Matthew quotes God here, not Moses, which makes more sense in the context of talking about the command of God. In Matthew, it quotes these verses before the discussion of rejecting a command of God, which makes more sense.
In the Greek, there is an odd correspondence between the verbs used for "honor" and "die." The former means "value" and the later can also mean "to accomplish" in the sense of finishing a task. In the Greek, I am left with the sense that those who speak evil of their parents are honoring the accomplishment of death over the accomplishment of life. This wordplay only works in Greek.However, there is similar contrast in the original Hebrew, which is interesting as well. The term for "honor" means "to be heavy." Here the contrast that is brought to mind is between the heaviness of birth and the heaviness of death.
(Note: The Greek and Hebrew versions of "die the death" are a little different and, interestingly, the English translation here is closer to the Hebrew, something we don't see very often. The Hebrew phrase repeats the verb muwth with its infinitive, meaning something like "kill dead" while the Greek version from the Septuagint uses to different verbs and is closer to "make dead," but the ideas are the same.)