Jesus tells his followers that the truth or real will make them free, and they respond that they have been slaves to no one.
John 8:34 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
John 8:34 “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Ameni, Amen, I tell you, everyone making that mistake is a slave of that mistake.
First, Jesus starts with his most common catchphrase (discussed in detail in this article) that he uses humorously to introduce difficult ideas that he explains in a light-hearted way. However, the translators want to make a religious point so they must ignore the specifics of what Jesus says.
The verb and noun translated as "commit sin" and "sins" is better translated as "making that mistake." The verb primarily means "to make." The word translated as "sin" means "mistake," "error," and "failure" (See this article). It is a noun and singular. Before it, Jesus uses the definite article, "the," edited our of our translation. This means a specific mistake, and, in Greek, the definite article overlaps with the demonstrative pronoun, "this" and "that" so the sense is "that mistake." But what mistake is Jesus referring to? Given the context, it seems to be his followers' statement that they have never been slaves because they are the sons of Abraham. This is in direct contradiction to Leviticus 25:55, which declares all Judeans slaves of the Divine. This section of Leviticus (25:8–17, 23–55) describes the rules of the Jubilee and the freeing of slaves, which is the whole point here. Jesus goes on to explain this in the following verses, which are about slavery and freedom. The idea of slavery is connected to "mistakes" because going into debt was the primary cause of slavery. Debt was both the result of mistakes and itself a mistake.
We are all slaves to someone, if only to the Divine.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "whosoever" should be something more like "every."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the one" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "committeth" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "sin" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the general meaning of the word.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "the" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "sin" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the general meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "very" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "making" should be something more like "every."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "who" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "sin" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the general meaning of the word.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "sin" is not an active verb but a noun.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "sin" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "sin" does not capture the general meaning of the word.
Verily, -- The word translated as "verily" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."
verily -- The word translated as "verily" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.
say -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.
unto -- This word "unto" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English, but the translator must decide which preposition to use: a "to" as an indirect object.
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
Whosoever -- (WW) The word translated as "whosoever" 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."
missing "the one" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
committeth -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "to do" has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action. It is not as broad a word as the English "do," which covers all actions, productive or not.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
sin -- (CW) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
the -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source.
servant -- The noun translated as "servant" means "slave." It is translated as "servant" to update the Bible.
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.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
sin. -- (CW) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
Very, -- (CW) The word translated as "very" is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."
truly -- The word translated as "truly " is from the Hebrew word that means "truly" or "certainly," but it sounds like the Greek word with the same meaning. In Greek, the word also means "to reap." See this article discussing this "amen phrase."
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the following verb.
tell -- The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say," and "to speak," but it also means "to teach," which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself." Christ usually uses this word to refer to his own speaking or teaching.
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
every- -- The word translated as "ever" 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."
one -- The "one" 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," "those"). See this article for more.
who -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "who" in the Greek source.
missing "making" -- (MW) The untranslated word has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action. It is not as broad a word as the English "do," which covers all actions, productive or not.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
sins -- (CW, WF) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context. This is not a verb but a noun.
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 word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.
slave -- The noun translated as "servant" means "slave." It is translated as "servant" to update the Bible.
to -- (WW) 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.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
sin. -- (CW) The word translated as "sins" means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin," having no sense of doing malicious evil in Greek. The best English translation is "mistake," "fault," or "failure" rather than what we commonly think of as the evils of "sin." See this article for more information and context.
Ἀμὴν [88 verses](exclaim) "Verily" is amen, which is the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek of this meaning before the NT. However, this is also the infinitive form of the Greek verb amao, which means "to reap" or "to cut."
ἀμὴν [88 verses](exclaim) "Verily" is amen, which is the Hebrew, meaning "truly," "of a truth," and "so be it." It has no history in Greek of this meaning before the NT. However, this is also the infinitive form of the Greek verb amao, which means "to reap" or "to cut."
λέγω [264 verses](1st sg pres ind act) "I say" is lego, which means "to recount," "to tell over," "to say," "to speak," "to teach," "to mean," "boast of," "tell of," "recite," nominate," and "command." It has a secondary meaning "pick out," "choose for oneself," "pick up," "gather," "count," and "recount." A less common word that is spelled the same means "to lay," "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep."
ὑμῖν, [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore." -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
πᾶς [212 verses](adj sg masc nom) "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."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ποιῶν [168 verses] (part sg pres act masc nom) "Committeth" is poieo, which means "to make," "to produce," "to create," "to bring into existence," "to bring about," "to cause," "to perform," "to render," "to consider," "to prepare," "to make ready," and "to do."
τὴν [821 verses](article sg fem acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ἁμαρτίαν [28 verses](noun article sg fem acc)"Sins" is hamartia, which means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin."
δοῦλος [56 verses](noun sg masc nom) "The servant" is doulos, which means a "slave," a "born bondsman," or "one made a slave."
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." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.
[τῆς [821 verses](article sg fem gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
ἁμαρτίας]: (noun article sg fem gen)"Sins" is hamartia, which means "missing the mark," "failure," "fault," and "error." Only in religious uses does it become "guilt" and "sin."
A play on the two meanings of "amen," the Greek "to reap" and the Hebrew "truly."