Home

Today's Verse Analysis

Luke 5:34 Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast,

The Pharisees ask why Jesus's students to not fast.

Spoken to:
The Pharisees

Luke 5:34  Μὴ δύνασθε τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐν νυμφίος μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ποιῆσαι νηστεῦσαι;

KJV Verse:

Luke 5:34 Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?

NIV Verse:

Luke 5:34 Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?

What His Listeners Heard:

You do not have the power. These sons of the wedding chamber? During this? The bridegroom is with them! To make them fast.

Lost In Translation:

Jesus is asked why his students don't fast like those of others.  His answer starts by saying his opponents don't have the power but leaves them in suspense about what they lack. He then describes his followers and himself as members of a wedding. Weddings were the era's major celebrations of food and drink. Then comes the punchline: "to make them abstain," which can refer to alcohol as well as food.

KJV w/Translation Issues :

(MW) Can(CW) ye make the children of the bridechamber fast(WF), while(WW) (MW) the bridegroom is with them?

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):

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 to work through 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.

About this Site

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.

Free Supscriptions

Regular emails from Substack, subscribe to Rediscovering Jesus's Words.

Do Your Own Research

Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.