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Today's Verse Analysis

Matthew 16:2 When it is evening, you say, fair weather:

The Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign. 

Spoken to
The Pharisees

Matthew 16:2  Ὀψίας γενομένης λέγετε Εὐδία, πυρράζει γὰρ ὁ οὐρανός:

KJV Verse

Matthew 16:2 When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 16:2 When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’

What His Listeners Heard:

Evening occurs, you say, Tranquil weather because it is fiery, this sky.

Lost In Translation:

This verse has only nine Greek words, but three of them are uncommon for Jesus. One is only used here. There is a metaphorical meaning here that says that when the sky is on fire, it leads to tranquility since the Greek word for "red" is literally "is fiery."  Today, we have our own saying for this idea: "Red sky at night, sailor's delight."

KJV w/Translation Issues :

When(WW) it(IW) is(WW,WF) evening, ye say, It will(IP) be fair weather: for the sky is red.

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.

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.

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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.