Luke 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied

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A crowd gathers, and Jesus addresses his followers.

KJV

Luke 12:9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

NIV

Luke 12:9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

LISTENERS HEARD

The one, however, denying me in front of these people? He shall be denied in front of the messengers of the Divine. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The participle phrase "the one denying me" is translated as an active verb, "he that denies" in the KJV. In the NIV, the "he" is replaced with "whoever," which is more inaccurate.

"The angels" is a noun meaning "messenger" and "envoys" though it became to mean "semi-divine beings" in later use from its use in the NT.

The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the Divine."

MY TAKE

Our choice of agreeing with Jesus or rejecting him determines how others see us.

GREEK ORDER

             δὲ           ἀρνησάμενός με ἐνώπιον   τῶν      ἀνθρώπων
The one, however, denying        me in front   of these people?

ἀπαρνηθήσεται       ἐνώπιον   τῶν ἀγγέλων      τοῦ    θεοῦ.
He will be denied  in front of the  messengers of the Divine. 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "he" should be something more like "the one."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "deny" is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "these" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "confess" should be something more like "but."
  • UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "angels" means "messengers." It is an untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "whoever" should be something more like "the one."
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "deny" is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "these" before "men" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "confess" should be something more like "but."
  • UW --Untranslated Word -- The word "angels" means "messengers." It is an untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
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. 

he -- (WW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This word doesn't mean "he." 

that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

denieth -- (WF) "Deny" is translated from a Greek word that means "to reject" and "to deny utterly." The form is either the future tense or a tense meaning something that might happen at some specific time, past, present, or future. If the word is the "at some time" tense, it is in a form that indicates something that "might" happen. This later "might at some time" form is always used with "if" clauses, which is the sense here. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."

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

before -- The Greek term translated as "before" is not used outside of Luke except once in John. It appears here for the first time in Jesus's words here. It means "in front of".

missing "these"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.

men -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." 

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

denied - - "Denied" is translated from a Greek word that means "to reject" and "to deny utterly." The form is either the future tense or a tense meaning something that might happen at some specific time, past, present, or future. If the word is the "at some time" tense, it is in a form that indicates something that "might" happen. This later "might at some time" form is always used with "if" clauses, which is the sense here. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."

before -- The Greek word translated as "before" means "in front of" referring to place and when used to apply to time means "beforehand."

the -- The Greek word translated as "before" means "in front of" referring to place and when used to apply to time means "beforehand."

angels -- (UW)  "Angels" is a noun meaning "messenger" and "envoys" though it became to mean "semi-divine beings" in later use from its use in the NT. Jesus uses this word to describe the means by which Jesus communicates to us and our thoughts.

of -- This word comes from the genitive case of the following word(s) that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or  "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, 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. 

God. -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

EACH WORD of NIV

But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

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. 

whoever -- (WW) The word translated as "whoever " is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This word doesn't mean "whoever." 

that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.

denieth -- (WF) "Deny" is translated from a Greek word that means "to reject” and "to deny utterly." The form is either the future tense or a tense meaning something that might happen at some specific time, past, present, or future. If the word is the "at some time" tense, it is in a form that indicates something that "might" happen. This later "might at some time" form is always used with "if" clauses, which is the sense here. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."

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

before -- The Greek term translated as "before" is not used outside of Luke except once in John. It appears here for the first time in Jesus's words here. It means "in front of".

missing "these"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more.

men -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." 

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

denied - - "Denied" is translated from a Greek word that means "to reject” and "to deny utterly." The form is either the future tense or a tense meaning something that might happen at some specific time, past, present, or future. If the word is the "at some time" tense, it is in a form that indicates something that "might" happen. This later "might at some time" form is always used with "if" clauses, which is the sense here. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, ending with "-ing."

before -- The Greek word translated as "before" means "in front of" referring to place and when used to apply to time means "beforehand."

the -- The Greek word translated as "before" means "in front of" referring to place and when used to apply to time means "beforehand."

angels -- (UW)  "Angels" is a noun meaning "messenger" and "envoys" though it became to mean "semi-divine beings" in later use from its use in the NT. Jesus uses this word to describe the means by which Jesus communicates to us and our thoughts.

of -- This word comes from the genitive case of the following word(s) that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of", "which is", "than" (in comparisons), or  "for", "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, 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. 

God. -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

[821 verses](article sg masc nom)  "Them" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").   It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

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 an indirect cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). In an  "if" (εἰ) clause or temporal "when" (ὅταν) clause the sense is "if/when... then." In a series begun by men, it means "on the other hand." In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then." It can also be an explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if").  When used with a conditional starting a clause, the sense is "if/when...then." When used with a particle meaning "indeed" the sense is "on one hand...on the other hand." In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet." After an interruption, "so then."

ἀρνησάμενός  [9 verses] (part sg aor mp masc nom) "That denieth" is from aparneomai, which means "to deny utterly," "to refuse," "to reject," and "to deny."

με [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means  "me." As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement

ἐνώπιον [8 verses] (prep) "Before" is from enopionwhich means " facing" and "to the front".

τῶν [821 verses](article sg masc gen)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

ἀνθρώπων,  [209 verses](noun pl masc gen) "Men" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

ἀπαρνηθήσεται [9 verses] (verb 3rd sg fut ind mp) "Shall be denied" is from aparneomai, which means "to deny utterly," "to refuse," "to reject," and "to deny.” "Deny" is translated from a Greek word that means "to reject" and "to deny utterly." The form is either the future tense or a tense meaning something that might happen at some specific time, past, present, or future. If the word is the "at some time" tense, it is in a form that indicates something that "might" happen. This later "might at some time" form is always used with "if" clauses, which is the sense here.

ἐνώπιον [8 verses] (prep) "Before" is from enopionwhich means " facing" and "to the front".  -- The Greek term translated as "before" is not used outside of Luke except once in John. It appears here for the first time in Jesus's words here. It means "in front of".

τῶν [821 verses](article pl masc gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").   It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

ἀγγέλων  [25 verses](noun pl masc gen) "Angels" is from aggelos, (aggelos) which means "messenger" and "envoy." "Angels" is aggelos, which means "messenger" and "envoys" though it became to mean "semi-divine beings" in later use.

τοῦ   [821 verses] (article)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

θεοῦ. [144 verses]( noun sg masc gen ) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity.” The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

parallel comparison
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