John 14:26 But the Comforter,

Spoken to: 

Apostles

At the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles. After Jesus says his words aren't his own but his father's.

KJV: 

John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

NIV : 

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

However, the summoned assistant, the breath, the one holy, that he will send, the Father in this name of mine, he there will teach you everything and will remind what I told you, I myself.

MY TAKE: 

The spirit summoned to aid us is hard to describe in earthly terms

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

This verse demonstrates Jesus's playful style, one that keeps his listeners in suspense. The first part of this verse is a long introduction of the subject describing it in five ways. Jesus described it as 1) the summoned assistant, 2) the spirit, 3) the holy one, 4) the one the Father will send, and 5) that one there. More jarring, these names switch back and forth between masculine and neuter: 1) masculine: the summoned assistant, 2) neuter: the spirit, 3) neuter: the holy one, 4) neuter: the one the Father will send, and 5) masculine: that one there.

In most of these words, the gender is connected to the nature of the word, but when Jesus has to choose a gender the first time in "the one the Father will send," he chooses "it" not "he." However, he then chooses the masculine form for the next pronoun, "he there." This is very confusing, seemingly intentionally so. Jesus seems to intentionally position this "spirit" somewhere between a masculine person and a neuter thing.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

8
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "which" is not the common word usually translated as "but."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "is" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "bring" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "to your" is not the possessive form of the verb but the object.
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

8
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "which" is not the common word usually translated as "but."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "is" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "that one there" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "everything" is the same word translated as "all things" above.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "what" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW -- Missing Word  -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).

EACH WORD of KJV : 

But -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  It can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

Comforter, -- "Comforter" is an adjective that means "called to one's aid", "assisting in legal matters", "acting as an advocate", and "summoned."

which -- (CW) The word translated as "which" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

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

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

Holy -- The Greek word translated as "holy" means "dedicated to the divine," which itself means both "pure" since things dedicated to God were first purified and "accursed" since using such things for your own purposes carried a punishment. 

Ghost, -- The word translated as "ghost" primarily means "breath," "wind," a "non-material being," and "blast." Like "spirit" in English, it can also mean "attitude" or "motivation.' It also means the "breath of life," from which we get to "spirit" and "spiritual." Its meaning as "the breath of life" is brought out by the idea of creating life. Its meaning as "spiritual" is brought out by the contrast with "physical." Read more about this word in this article on the holy spirit.

whom  ---- The word translated as "whom" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

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.

send -- "Send" is from a Greek verb that means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort." This is the second most common word Jesus uses that is translated as "send out," but this one doesn't have the prefix that has the sense of "out."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." 

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. 

name, -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.

he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here."

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.

teach -- The Greek verb translated as "teach" means "to teach", "to instruct", and "to give a sign of." It is the root for the common word for "teacher" or "master."

you -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.

all things, -- The word translated as "all things" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."

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 can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

bring -- (CW) "Bring to remembrance" is Greek verb that Jesus only uses here that means "to put one in mind of," "to remind," "bring to mind," and "suggest" when used with an accusative object as it is here. It is a compound word where the prefix means "under" and the root means "to remember." It has no relationship to "bring."

all things, -- The word translated as "all things" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."

to your -- (WF) The "to your" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition.  It is not a possessive form.

remembrance, - This completes the idea of the verb.

whatsoever . -- The word translated as "whatsoever" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. Since the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English. This word appears at the end of the verse

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

have -- (WT) This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

said - The word translated as "said" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.

unto -- This word "unto" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

you. -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

But -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." It joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better.  It can also be an explanation of cause ("so").

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

Advocate, -- "Advocate" is an adjective that means "called to one's aid", "assisting in legal matters", "acting as an advocate", and "summoned."

which -- (CW) The word translated as "which" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

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

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.

Holy -- The Greek word translated as "holy" means "dedicated to the divine," which itself means both "pure" since things dedicated to God were first purified and "accursed" since using such things for your own purposes carried a punishment. 

Spirit, -- The word translated as "spirit" primarily means "breath," "wind," a "non-material being," and "blast." Like "spirit" in English, it can also mean "attitude" or "motivation.' It also means the "breath of life," from which we get to "spirit" and "spiritual." Its meaning as "the breath of life" is brought out by the idea of creating life. Its meaning as "spiritual" is brought out by the contrast with "physical." Read more about this word in this article on the holy spirit.

whom  ---- The word translated as "whom" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

Father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

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.

send -- "Send" is from a Greek verb that means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort." This is the second most common word Jesus uses that is translated as "send out," but this one doesn't have the prefix that has the sense of "out."

in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here.  With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." 

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. 

name, -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as it does in English, but it doesn't mean the things themselves, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name," or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only." It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss." See this article for more.

missing "that one there"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "that one there" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here."

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.

teach -- The Greek verb translated as "teach" means "to teach", "to instruct", and "to give a sign of." It is the root for the common word for "teacher" or "master."

you -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.

all things, -- The word translated as "all things" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." As an adverb, it means "in every way," "on every side," and "altogether."

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 can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

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.

remind -- "Remind" is Greek verb that Jesus only uses here that means "to put one in mind of," "to remind," "bring to mind," and "suggest" when used with an accusative object as it is here. It is a compound word where the prefix means "under" and the root means "to remember."

you -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.

of -- This completes the idea of the verb.

everything -- (CW) The word translated as "everything" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." However, it is confusing because it was translated as "all things" above.

missing "what"  -- (MW) The untranslated word"what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

I -- The pronoun "I" is used here. Since the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English. This word appears at the end of the verse

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The subjective pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."

have -- (WT) This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

said - The word translated as "said" means "to say" and "to speak." It is one of the two most common words translated "speak," "say" and "tell," but it has more a sense of addressing and proclaiming.

to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

you. -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so"). With the Greek word for "if" the sense is "if...than."

παράκλητος, [4 verses](adj sg masc nom) "Comforter" is from parakletos, which is an adjective that means "called to one's aid", "assisting in legal maters", "acting as an advocate", and "summoned."

τὸ  [821 verses](article sg neut nom)  "Which" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

πνεῦμα [40 verses](noun sg neut nom) "Ghost" is pneuma, which means "blast," "wind," "breath," "the breath of life," "divine inspiration," "a spiritual or immaterial being," and "the spirit" of a man.

τὸ  [821 verses](article sg neut nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἅγιον [18 verses] (adj sg neut nom) "Holy" is hagios, which means "devoted to the gods," "pure," "holy," and on the negative side "accursed."

  [294 verses](pron sg neut acc) "Whom" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

πέμψει [39 verses](verb 3rd sg fut ind/aor subj act) "Will send" is pempo, which means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort."

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

πατὴρ [191 verses](noun sg masc nom) "The Father" is pater, which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

τῷ [821 verses](article sg neut dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ὀνόματί [47 verses](noun sg neut dat) "Name" is onoma, which means "name." It means both the reputation of "fame," and "a name and nothing else," as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.

μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "Me" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

ἐκεῖνος [107 verses](adj sg masc nom) "He" is ekeinos, which means "the person there," "that person," "that thing," and, in the form of an adverb, "in that case," "in that way," "at that place," and "in that manner."

ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."

διδάξει   [12 verses](verb 3rd sg fut ind/aor subj act) "Teaching" is didasko, which means "to teach", "to instruct", "to indicate", "to explain," and "to give sign of."

πάντα [212 verses](adj pl neut acc) "All things" is pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." 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."

ὑπομνήσει [1 verse](verb 3rd sg fut ind/aor subj act) "Bring to remembrance" is from hypomimnesko, which means "to put one in mind of," "to remind," "bring to mind," and "suggest" when used with an accusative object as it is here. 

ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."

πάντα [212 verses](adj pl neut acc) "Everything" is pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether." 

 [294 verses](pron pl neut acc) "Whatsoever" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings

εἶπον [162 verses] (verb 1st sg aor ind act) "I have said" is eipon, which means "to speak," "to say," "to recite," "to address," "to mention," "to name," "to proclaim," "to plead," "to promise," and "to offer."  This is the second most common word Jesus uses for this idea. Perhaps translating it consistently as "tell" would work.

ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "Unto you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." 

ἐγώ. [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom) "I" is ego, which is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.

Possible Symbolic Meaning: 

This verse seems to be saying that there are two forces at work in our lives: the Father through Christ as an external force and the Spirit through Christ within us as an internal force. This problem brings us back to the spirit within us. This spirit explains all things and prevents us from forgetting.

Front Page Date: 

Oct 13 2022