*Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now:

Spoken to
audience

Jesus begins teaching in the plain of Judea, attracting people from all over wanting to be healed.

KJV

Luke 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

NIV

Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

LISTENERS HEARD

Fortunate those craving now: because you will be filled. Fortunate those weeping now: because you will laugh. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate" but with the sense of being favored by God, but it was not primarily a religeous word. In Christ's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor. It can also mean "wealthy". 

There is no verb "are ye" here. There is just the label "fortunate" put before a group of people.  He doesn't seem to be initially addressing the poor, but the audience. The definite article, translated as "that" makes it clear that Jesus is not addressing them. There is no definite article used when addressing someone. No article is used or they used two other letters. The verse says "those hungering" and "those weeping" are participles, verbal adjectives, introduced with an article, "those,"

Jesus switches to "yours" in the "because" clause. Jesus often uses "because" to answer a question so perhaps the beggars asked, "why?"

MY TAKE

We cannot know what happiness really is without knowing sadness.

GREEK ORDER

μακάριοι    οἱ       πεινῶντες νῦν,    ὅτι        χορτασθήσεσθε.
Fortunate   those craving     now: because you will be filled.

μακάριοι    οἱ       κλαίοντες νῦν,   ὅτι         γελάσετε.
Fortunate  those weeping    now: because you will laugh. 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8

Blessed(CW) are ye(IW) that(WN) hunger(WF) now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed(CW) are ye(IW) that(WN) weep(CW) now: for ye shall laugh.

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "ye" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "that" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "hunger" is not an active verb but a participle, "hungering."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "ye" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "that" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural
  • .WF - Wrong Form -  The "weep" is not an active verb but a participle, "weeping."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8

Blessed(CW) are you(IW) who(CW) hunger(WF) now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed(CW) are you(IW) who(CW) weep(CW) now, for you will laugh.

 

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "you" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "who."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "hunger" is not an active verb but a participle, "hungering."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "you" doesn't exist in the source.
  • .WF - Wrong Form -  The "weep" is not an active verb but a participle, "weeping."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "who."
EACH WORD of KJV

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings."

are -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

ye -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "ye" in the Greek source.

that --- (WN) The word translated as "that" 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. This word is not singular but plural.

hunger --(WF) The word for "hunger" is the verb for "to hunger" as in needing food and, like the English word, it is a metaphor for any craving. However, unlike the English verb, this Greek verb is transitive like our "crave."  It is in the form of an adjective that, with the article, has the sense of, "the ones hungering."

now: -- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

for-- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context.

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

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

be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

filled. -- The Greek word translated in this version as "filled" also means "to satisfy" with a close association with the physical satisfaction of eating. Jesus uses a bit of humor here, choosing a word that is usually applied to cattle, specifically the fattening of cattle. There is another potential take that may or may not work, that is, interpreting this as "get their fill."

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings."

are -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

ye -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "ye" in the Greek source.

that --- (WN) The word translated as "that" 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. This word is not singular but plural.

weep - (WF) The verb translated as "weep" means "to weep", "to lament," and "to cry". t is in the form of an adjective that, with the article, has the sense of, "those weeping."

now: -- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

for-- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context.

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

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

laugh. - The verb translated as "laugh" means "to laugh" but it covers not just happy laughter. It includes laughing at people and deriding them. Its use is entertaining because so much of what Jesus said was designed to make people hearing him laugh. Some of the humor was even used to deride others in a light-hearted way. 

EACH WORD of NIV

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings."

are -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

you -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "ye" in the Greek source.

who --- (CW) The word translated as "who" 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. This word is not singular but plural. This is not the word usually translated as "who." 

hunger --(WF) The word for "hunger" is the verb for "to hunger" as in needing food and, like the English word, it is a metaphor for any craving. However, unlike the English verb, this Greek verb is transitive like our "crave."  It is in the form of an adjective that, with the article, has the sense of, "the ones hungering."

now: -- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

for-- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context.

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

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

filled. -- The Greek word translated in this version as "filled" also means "to satisfy" with a close association with the physical satisfaction of eating. Jesus uses a bit of humor here, choosing a word that is usually applied to cattle, specifically the fattening of cattle. There is another potential take that may or may not work, that is, interpreting this as "get their fill."

Blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed" in Greek is an adjective from a root word meaning "happy" or "fortunate." In Jesus's era, all luck was attributed to divine favor but this is not otherwise a religious word. It has no relationship to the Greek verb "bless" or the noun "blessings."

are -- There is no verb "are" in the Greek source. It is implied by the equating of "workman" with "worthy" both in the Greek form of subjects.

you -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "ye" in the Greek source.

who --- (CW) The word translated as "who" 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. This word is not singular but plural. This is not the word usually translated as "who."

weep - (WF) The verb translated as "weep" means "to weep", "to lament," and "to cry". t is in the form of an adjective that, with the article, has the sense of, "those weeping."

now: -- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

for-- The word translated as "for" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context.

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

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

laugh. - The verb translated as "laugh" means "to laugh" but it covers not just happy laughter. It includes laughing at people and deriding them. Its use is entertaining because so much of what Jesus said was designed to make people hearing him laugh. Some of the humor was even used to deride others in a light-hearted way. 

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

μακάριοι (adj pl masc/fem nom) "Blessed" is from makarios which means "blessed", "prosperous", "happy", "fortunate," and "blissful."

οἱ [821 verses] (article pl masc nom) "that" 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."

πεινῶντες [9  verses](part pl pres act masc nom) "Hunger" is peino, which means "to be hungry", "crave after," or "to be starved," and it is a metaphor for desire and cravings.

νῦν, [31 verses](adv) "Now" is nyn (nun), which means "now," "at the present moment," "at the present time," "just now," "presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "for" 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."

χορτασθήσεσθε. [6 verses](verb 2nd pl fut ind pass) "Filled" is chortazo, which means "feed", "feast", "fatten" and "to eat their fill." It is a term most commonly used for cattle.

μακάριοι (adj pl masc/fem nom) "Blessed" is from makarios which means "blessed", "prosperous", "happy", "fortunate," and "blissful."

οἱ [821 verses] (article pl masc nom) "That" 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."

κλαίοντες  [8 verses](part pl pres act masc nom) "Shall weep" is from klaio, which means "to weep", "to cry", "to lament," and "to wail."

νῦν[31 verses](adv) "Now" is nyn (nun), which means "now," "at the present moment," "at the present time," "just now," "presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

ὅτι (adv) "For" is from 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."

γ​ελάσετε. [2 verses] (verb 2nd pl fut ind act or verb 2nd pl aor subj act) "Ye shall laugh" is from gelao, which means to "laugh", "laugh at", and "deride".

Wordplay

The wordplay here is on the surface: your current state leads to its opposite. 

parallel comparison

The first part of this verse is a bare bones version of Matthew 5:6, while the second part of this verse might be compared to Matthew 5:4 (Blessed [are] they that mourn), but the two verses share no key vocabulary. However, one important change for the Beatitudes of Matthew is that these are in the second person, not the third person. (See this article, The Beatitudes, about Matthew's version).

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