John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things

Spoken to
an individual

Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. They discuss the nature of man's origin. Nicodemus asked how anyone is able to know these things himself.

KJV

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

NIV

John 3:12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

LISTENERS HEARD

Whenever I speak to you all about that upon earth and you all don't 't trust it. How then when I might speak to you all of that upon sky will you trust?"

 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The Greek word translated as "if" also means "whenever." This is important because Jesus is referring in this first phrase to the past not to some possibility.

Both "earthly" and "heavenly" are words that Jesus only uses in this verse. They mean, literally, "upon earth" and "upon sky."

In the second sentence, Jesus changes the Greek word translated as "if" actually means "when" and the verb indicates that something might happen. This indicates a possibility.

 

MY TAKE

Matter and information exist upon earth but people don't trust that they exist.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "if" should be something more like "whenever."
  • 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).
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "if" should be something more like "when."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "of" doesn't exist in the source.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "whenever" is not shown in the English translation.
  • 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).
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "of" doesn't exist in the source.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "then" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "if" should be something more like "when."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "you" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "of" doesn't exist in the source.
EACH WORD of KJV

If  - -- (WW) The "if" here  means "if ever" and "whenever."  If cannot be a simple "if" because the verb is not in the form of possibility.

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

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.

told - The word translated as "told" 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.

you --  The "you" here is from the plural, dative, second-person pronoun.

earthly - "Earthly" is from an adjective meaning "upon earth." It is used as a noun, because of the untranslated article before it, "the ones upon earth."

things  - There is no word, "things," in the Greek source, but this word comes from the neuter, plural form of the previous adjective.

, and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

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

believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.

not,  - -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact.

how -- "How" is the adverb that means "how," "by any means," and "I suppose." This is a common interrogatory pronoun used by Jesus.

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.

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

believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.

if -- (WW) The Greek word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

tell - The word translated as "told" 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.

you --  The "you" here is from the plural, dative, second-person pronoun.

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

heavenly - "Heavenly" is from an adjective meaning "upon sky." It is used as a noun, because of the untranslated article before it, "the ones upon heaven."

things  - There is no word, "things," in the Greek source, but this word comes from the neuter, plural form of the previous adjective.?

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "whenever"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  means "if ever" and "whenever."  If cannot be a simple "if" because the verb is not in the form of possibility.

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

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.

spoken - The word translated as "spoken " 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 "you" here is from the plural, dative, second-person pronoun.

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

earthly - "Earthly" is from an adjective meaning "upon earth." It is used as a noun, because of the untranslated article before it, "the ones upon earth."

things  - There is no word, "things," in the Greek source, but this word comes from the neuter, plural form of the previous adjective.

, and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

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

do -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement.

not,  - -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact.

believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.

how -- "How" is the adverb that means "how," "by any means," and "I suppose." This is a common interrogatory pronoun used by Jesus.

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

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.

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

believe -- The Greek word translated as "believe" does not apply to religious belief as much as it does trusting in other people, especially their word. Christ usually uses it in contexts, as the one here, that apply to trusting words. The negation of "belief" with the objective, instead of subjective, negative, equates trust with a fact.

if -- (WW) The Greek word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

speak - The word translated as "told" 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.

missing "you"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "you" here is from the plural, dative, second-person pronoun.

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

heavenly - "Heavenly" is from an adjective meaning "upon heaven." It is used as a noun, because of the untranslated article before it, "the ones upon heaven."

things  - There is no word, "things," in the Greek source, but this word comes from the neuter, plural form of the previous adjective.?

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

εἰ [90 verses](conj)  "If" is from ei, which is the particle used to express conditions "if" (implying nothing about its fulfillment) or indirect questions, "whether." It also means "if ever", "in case," and "whenever." It is combined with various conjunctions to create derivative conditions.

τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut acc/nom)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἐπίγεια [1 verse](adj pl neut acc/nom) "Earthly things" is from epigeios, which is an adjective (used as a noun) meaning "of earth", "terrestrial," and "land-based." It literally means "on earth."

εἶπον [162 verses] (1st sg aor ind act) "I have told" 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."

ὑμῖν. [299 verses](pron 2nd pl dat)  "You" is from hymin, which is the 2nd person plural dative pronoun. Dative is the case which indicates to whom something is given.

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv)  "And" is from 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."

οὐ [440 verses](conj) "Not" is ou which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.

πιστεύετε [69 verses] (2nd pl pres ind act) "Ye believe" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing."

πῶς [36 verses](pron indecl form) "How" is pos, which means "how," "how in the world," "how then," "in any way," "at all," "by any mean," "in a certain way,"and "I suppose."

ὰν [162 verses](conj) "If" is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if) and an (might), which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event. This is how we use the word "when." -

εἴπω [162 verses] (1st sg aor subj act) "I have told" 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."

ὑμῖν. [299 verses](pron 2nd pl dat)  "You" is from hymin, which is the 2nd person plural dative pronoun. Dative is the case which indicates to whom something is given.

τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut acc/nom)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἐπουράνια  - [1 verse](adj pl neut acc/nom) "Heavenly things" is from epouranios, which is an adjective (used as a noun) means "heavenly", "of the gods" [Homer], and "up to sky." It means literally "upon sky."

πιστεύσετε [69 verses] (verb 2nd pl fut ind act) "Shall believe" is pisteuo, which means "to trust, put faith in, or rely on a person", "to believe in someone's words", "to comply", "to feel confident in a thing," and "to entrust in a thing." -

Wordplay

 The last verse and this both begin with the same Greek word, ei, but they actually are homographs, words spelled the same with different meanings. 

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