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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 21:21 Truly I tell you, If you have faith...

Responding to the Apostles after they see the fig tree wither away.

Spoken to
Apostles

Matthew 21:21 Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν καὶ μὴ διακριθῆτε, οὐ μόνον τὸ τῆς συκῆς ποιήσετε, ἀλλὰ κἂν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ εἴπητε Ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, γενήσεται:

KJV Verse

Matthew 21:21 Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 21:21Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

What His Listeners Heard:

Amen, I tell you: when you have confidence and don't feel divided, not only this. the fig tree, will you perform, instead if also to the mountain/mule here,  you say, "Be raised and be tossed into the sea, it will happen by itself.

Lost In Translation:

The passive words here, "be lifted up" and "be thown" are important here, though lost in the NIV, because they mean some other power is acting on the mountain.

Also, the word translated as "mountain" here is a play on words that Jesus uses elsewhere, where "mountain" can also mean "mule," implying stubbornness.

Jesus here is referring to our human tendency to second-guess ourselves and be conflicted in our beliefs, but this idea is lost in translation because the Greek word meaning "divided" or "decided" is translated as "doubt," when it has not relationship to trust or faith.

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Verily I say unto you, If(CW) ye have faith, and doubt(CW) not, ye shall not only do this [which is done(IP)] to the fig tree, but(CW) also if ye shall(CW) say unto this (MW) mountain, Be(WV) thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done(WW).

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

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See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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