John 6:39 And this is the Father's will

Spoken to: 

audience

A crowd comes to Jesus in Capernaum after eating of the loaves. The discussion is now about the will of the Father and the last day.

KJV: 

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

NIV : 

John 6:39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

This, however, is the pleasure of the one sending me. In order that, every thing he has given me, I should not lose [it] from him, instead I should raise it up on the last day.

MY TAKE: 

Those give to Jesus are all lambs that he cannot lose from his Father.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The "all" hear sounds as if it refers to everyone, but it is singular, which is usually translated as "every." And it is followed by a singular, neuter pronoun, "thing." The only sense is "everything."

The verbs "lose" and "raise up" are in a verb form that is either in a form of possibility, something that "should" or "might" happen at some time, or they are in the future tense. However, the negative used is the negative of opinion, which indicates that the verb is the subjunctive, that is, a "should" or "might" possibility. That negative is lost in English translation, made part of "nothing" and "none," but it actually modifies the verb, negating not just a noun or pronoun but the entire clause. Specifically, the one sending Jesus desires that it should happen.

Oddly, all English translations miss a phrase that seems significant. The Greek says that Jesus should not want to lose "from him." The sense is that all that Jesus has been given, he must raise up so that all of them are not lost to the one who sent him. The last clause says "raise it up on the last day." But the "it" refers back to the word "all."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

12
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "but" should be something more like "and."
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "father's" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "which" is not the common word usually translated as "which."
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "hath" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "sent" is not an active verb but a participle, "sending."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "of" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "all" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular, "every."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "no-" is the subjective negative of opinion with the sense of "not wanting," "not thinking" or not seeming when used with a non-opinion verb.
  • WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The word "no-" doesn't appear here but before the verb.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "out of'" did not  existed in the KJV Greek source but does exist in the one we use today.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "but" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "again" doesn't exist in the source.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

14
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "but" should be something more like "and."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "him" is not the common word usually translated as "which."
  •  IW - Inserted Word -- The word "he" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "sent" is not an active verb but a participle, "sending."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "none" is the subjective negative of opinion with the sense of "not wanting," "not thinking" or not seeming when used with a non-opinion verb.
  • WP -- Wrongly Placed -- The negative word "none" doesn't appear here but before the verb.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "of" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "all" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular, "every."
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "those" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "out of" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "it" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "but" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" or "might" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WN  - Wrong Number- The word "them" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

And -- (WW) 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").

this -- The word translated as "this" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there." It usually comes after the noun, emphasizing it.

is  -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."

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.

Father's -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "father" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used.

will -- The word translated as "will" means what someone's "pleasure," that is wants or desires, as well as the "will" of character. It mostly means what one wishes or has determined shall be done. It also means a desire or a choice. When applied to people, "desires" works, but when applied to God, the concept "intent" seems closer to the concept.

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. It is not the pronoun for "which" though it could be the pronoun "anyone."

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

sent -- (WF) "Sent" 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." It is not in the form of an active verb, but a participle, with the article, "the one sending me."

me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause  "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."

of -- (IW) This word does not exist in the source and it is not justified by the following word forms.

all  -- (WN) The word translated as "all" is the Greek adjective meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. When it is used as a noun, we would say "everything." However, in the singular, as it is used here, it is usually translated as "every."

which . -- The word translated as "which" 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.

he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

hath -- This helping verb "hath" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.

given -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek.

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

should -- This helping verb "should" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verb could also be the future tense.

lose -- The word translated as "perish" means to destroy or demolish. However, it can also mean to "lose" things.

no- -- -- (CW, WP) The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought.   With the verb "to be," the sense is "doesn't seem." When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. Here, it precedes the verb, not the "things."

missing "out of"  -- (OS) The untranslated word "out of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases the "of" phrases. The word is not in the source that the KJV translators used.

thing, --  The word translated as "thing" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  It could be a neuter. a thing, or masculine, so a person.

but -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead," "but instead,"or "rather." It is not the common word usually translated as "but." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, not doing something, with a positive one, "instead do this."

should -- This helping verb "should" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verb could also be the future tense.

raise -- "Raise " is a Greek verb that means "to make to stand up," "to raise from the dead," "to rouse to action," and "to make people rise up."

it -- The word translated as "it" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It was translated as "thing" above when it was in a masculine form, but here it is neuter so "it" is correct. It is in the form of an object.

up - This is from the prefix of the verb that means, among other things, "up.".

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

at -- This word "at" comes from the dative case of the following words that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with,"  "in,"   "of,"  "as," "by," "for," "at," or "on" depending on the context.

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. 

last -- "Last" is from an adjective that, in space, this means "furthest." In degree, it means "uttermost" and "highest." In persons, it means "lowest" and "meanest." Of time, it means "last" and "ending." If the context is the previous verse, it can refer to distance or people so it means "furthest" or "meanest." However, clearly, its use is intended for a double meaning, meaning both. KJV English has a double meaning as well, but it is not quite the same.

day. -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

EACH WORD of NIV : 

And -- (WW) 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").

this -- The word translated as "this" means "from here" "from there" or "this/that thing/person here/there." It usually comes after the noun, emphasizing it.

is  -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to."

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.

will -- The word translated as "will" means what someone's "pleasure," that is wants or desires, as well as the "will" of character. It mostly means what one wishes or has determined shall be done. It also means a desire or a choice. When applied to people, "desires" works, but when applied to God, the concept "intent" seems closer to the concept.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession.

him -- The word translated as "him" 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. It is not the common pronoun for "him." 

who - (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who" in the Greek source. It was added because the previous verb was translated as active rather than a participle.

sent -- (WF) "Sent" 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." It is not in the form of an active verb, but a participle, with the article, "the one sending me."

me, -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause  "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."

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

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility at some time. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. This verb could also be the future tense.

lose -- The word translated as "perish" means to destroy or demolish. However, it can also mean to "lose" things.

none - -- -- (CW, WP) The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought.   With the verb "to be," the sense is "doesn't seem." When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. Here, it precedes the verb, not the "things."

of -- (IW) This word does not exist in the source and it is not justified by the following word forms.

all  -- (WN) The word translated as "all" 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."

those. -- (WN) The word translated as "those" 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. However, the word is singular, not plural.

he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

has -- This helping verb "has " indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.

given -- The verb translated as "given" means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe." It is almost always translated as some form of "give."

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek..

missing "out of"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "out of" means "out of" or "from." In Greek, they use the genitive case instead of a preposition for the types of phrases the "of" phrases. The word is not in the source that the KJV translators used.

missing "it"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "it" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  It could be a neuter. a thing, or masculine, so a person.

but -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead," "but instead,"or "rather." It is not the common word usually translated as "but." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise." Jesus often uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, not doing something, with a positive one, "instead do this."

missing "should" or "might"-- (MW) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. The helping verb is not needed in a clause beginning with an "if" or a "when."

raise -- "Raise " is a Greek verb that means "to make to stand up," "to raise from the dead," "to rouse to action," and "to make people rise up."

them -- (WN) The word translated as "them " is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. It was translated as "thing" above when it was in a masculine form, but here it is neuter so "it" is correct. It is in the form of an object.

up - This is from the prefix of the verb that means, among other things, "up.".

at -- This word "at" comes from the dative case of the following words that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object. However, the translator can choose other prepositions: "with,"  "in,"   "of,"  "as," "by," "for," "at," or "on" depending on the context.

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. 

last -- "Last" is from an adjective that, in space, this means "furthest." In degree, it means "uttermost" and "highest." In persons, it means "lowest" and "meanest." Of time, it means "last" and "ending." If the context is the previous verse, it can refer to distance or people so it means "furthest" or "meanest." However, clearly, its use is intended for a double meaning, meaning both. KJV English has a double meaning as well, but it is not quite the same.

day. -- The Greek word translated as "day" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

τοῦτο [93 verses](adj sg neut acc) "That" is touto, which means "from here," "from there," "this [thing] there," or "that [person] here."

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").

ἐστίν.[614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen,"  and "is possible."

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

θέλημα [16 verses](noun sg neut acc) "Will" is the noun, thelema, which means "will" and "pleasure."

τοῦ (article sg masc gen)  "Which" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

πέμψαντός [39 verses](part sg aor act masc gen) "Hath sent" is pempo, which means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort."

με [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means  "me."

ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place," "there," "where," "when,"  but when beginning a phrase "that," "in order that," "when," and "because."

πᾶν [212 verses](adj sg neut acc) "All" 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 sg neut acc) "Which" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings

δέδωκέν [147 verses](3rd sg perf ind act) "He hath given" " is didomi, which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," "appoint," "establish," and "to describe."

μοί, [96 verses](pron 1st sg masc/fem dat) "Me" is moi (emoi) , which means "I," "me," and "my."

μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective. With pres. or aor. subj. used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care" It can be the conjunction "lest" or "for fear that." Used before tis with an imperative to express a will or wish for something in independent sentences and, with subjunctives, to express prohibitions.

ἀπολέσω [43 verses] (verb 1st sg aor subj act or 1st sg fut ind act) "I should lose" is apollymi, which means "to demolish," "to lay waste," "to lose" things, "to perish," "to die," "to cease to exist," and "to be undone."

ἐξ [121 verses] (prep)  Untranslated is ek, which means 1) [of motion] "out of," "from," "by," "away from;" 2) [of place] "beyond," "outside of," "beyond;" 3) [of succession] "after," "from;" 4) [of rest] "on," "in," 5) [of time] "since," "from," "at," "in;" 5) [of materials] "out of," "made from;" 6) cause, instrument, or means "by."

αὐτοῦ [720 verses](adj sg masc/neut gen) "-Thing" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

ἀλλὰ [154 verses](conj) "But" is alla, which means "otherwise," "but," "still," "at least," "except," "yet," nevertheless," "rather," "moreover," and "nay."

ἀναστήσω [29 verses](1st sg aor subj act or verb 1st sg fut ind act) "Should raise" is from anistemi, which means "to make stand up," "to raise up," "to raise from sleep," "to wake up," "to raise from the dead," "to rouse to action," "to put up for sale," "to make people rise," "to emigrate," "to transplant," and "to rise and leave the sanctuary."

αὐτὸ  [720 verses](adj sg neut acc) "It" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

τῇ [821 verses](article sg fem dat)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἐσχάτῃ [21 verses](adj sg fem dat) "Last"  is eschatos. In space, this means "furthest." In degree, it means "uttermost" and "highest." In persons, it means "lowest" and "meanest." Of time, it means "last" and "ending."

ἡμέρᾳ [96 verses](noun fem sg dat) "Days" is hemera, which, as a no -  -  - un, means "day" "a state or time of life," "a time (poetic)," "day break" and "day time." It is also and also has a second meaning, of "quiet," "tame (animals)," "cultivated (crops)," and "civilized (people)."

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Mar 29 2022