Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husk

Spoken to
audience

After the analogies of the lost sheep and lost coin, Jesus continues the analogy of the prodigal son.

KJV

Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

NIV

Luke 15:16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

LISTENERS HEARD

And he yearned to be fattened from the carob pods that the swine ate, and--no one gave them to him. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The word translated as "filled" means to feed animal with the idea of fattening them. The young man passionately yearns to be fattened, which is a funny image. The "and" connecting the two clauses seems like it should be a "but," but Jesus uses it as a setup for the disappointment at the end. The "and" followed by a pause is a storytelling technique. 

MY TAKE

And...we don't get what we want. 

GREEK ORDER

καὶ   ἐπεθύμει     χορτασθῆναι ἐκ    τῶν κερατίων   ὧν    ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι,  καὶ οὐδεὶς  ἐδίδου αὐτῷ.
And he yearned to be fattened from the carob pods that  ate,        the swine and no one gave    to him. 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4

And he would fain have(WT) filled(WF) [his belly(OS)] with(CW) the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

  •  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).
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but a passive infinitive, "to be filled”.
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "his belly" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
  •  CW --Confusing Word -- The "with" does not capture the word's specific meaning.

 

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8

(MWand) He longed to fill(WV) [his stomach(IP2)] with(CW) the pods that the pigs were eating(WF), but(WW) no one gave him anything(IW).

  •  MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • WV --Wrong Voice - The verb here is translated as active but it is passive.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "his stomach" doesn't exist in the source. This is counted as 2 translation issues, not 1.
  •  CW --Confusing Word -- The "with" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not a participle but an active verb.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "but" should be something more like "and”.
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "anything" doesn't exist in the source.
EACH WORD of KJV

And -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even”, "also” and "just”.

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

would fain  --  "Would fain" meaning "wanted gladly" is a Greek verb that means "to set one's heart upon", "to desire", "to covet” and "too long for”. Jesus uses this word five times, always in reference to hunger and thirst. The form the past where the action continues.

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.

filled  -- (WF) The Greek word translated "filled" also means "to satisfy" with a close association with the physical satisfaction of eating. Jesus uses a bit of humor here, choosing a word that is usually applied to cattle, specifically the fattening of cattle. There is another potential take that may or may not work, that is, interpreting this as "get their fill”. This is not an active verb but a passive infinitive.  

his belly -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. 

with -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "with" means "out of" or "from”. The word also means "beyond”, "on”, "in”, "since” or "by" based upon its context, but it indicates separation "from" something rather than being a part "of "it like "of" does. It is also used to describe the author or means "by" which something is done, especially with passive verbs. 

the -- The word translated as "the" 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.  

 husks  -- The Greek noun translated as "husks" means "carob pod", the fruit of the carob tree, a non-fleshy and bean-like seed pod. See picture above. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this", "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, "he", "she”, "it”, "which”, "what”, "who”, "whosoever”, "where”, "when”, "for which reason”, and many similar meanings. In the neuter, plural, its sense is "these things”.

the -- The word translated as "the" 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.  

 swine- The Greek word translated as "swine" primarily means "sow," but it was also used as a Greek slang term for the female sexual parts. Of course, the pig was an unclean animal among the Jews and we may assume was used by them as a derogatory term. It is introduced by an article so "the sows".

 did - This is from the past tense of the verb.

eat:  -- The word translated as "eat" means "eat" but it also means "fret," as we say "something is eating me up”.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even”, "also”, and "just”,

 no man -- The Greek adjective translated as "no man" also means "no one”, "nothing”, and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective.  However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.

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

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

him. --  The word translated as "him" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person,  indirect object pronoun.

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "And "  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "and" is used as the conjunction "and”, but it also is used to add emphasis, "even”, "also” and "just”.

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

longed   --  "Longed" meaning "wanted gladly" is a Greek verb that means "to set one's heart upon", "to desire", "to covet” and "too long for”. Jesus uses this word five times, always in reference to hunger and thirst. The form the past where the action continues.

to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.

fill -- (WV) The Greek word translated "filled" also means "to satisfy" with a close association with the physical satisfaction of eating. Jesus uses a bit of humor here, choosing a word that is usually applied to cattle, specifically the fattening of cattle. There is another potential take that may or may not work, that is, interpreting this as "get their fill”. The verb here is translated as active but it is passive. 

his stomach -- -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source

with -- (CW) The Greek preposition translated as "with" means "out of" or "from". The word also means "beyond”, "on”, "in”, "since” or "by" based upon its context, but it indicates separation "from" something rather than being a part "of "it like "of" does. It is also used to describe the author or means "by" which something is done, especially with passive verbs. 

the -- The word translated as "the" 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.  

 pods -- The Greek noun translated as "pods " means "carob pod", the fruit of the carob tree, a non-fleshy and bean-like seed pod. See picture above. 

that -- The word translated as "that" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this", "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun, "he”, "she”, "it”, "which”, "what”, "who”, "whosoever”, "where”, "when”, "for which reason” and many similar meanings. In the neuter, plural, its sense is "these things”.

the -- The word translated as "the" 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.  

 pigs - The Greek word translated as "pigs" primarily means "sow”, but it was also used as a Greek slang term for the female sexual parts. Of course, the pigs was an unclean animal among the Jews and we may assume was used by them as a derogatory term. It is introduced by an article so "the sows".

 were - This is from the past tense of the verb.

eating -- (WF) The word translated as "eating" means "eat" but it also means "fret”, as we say "something is eating me up”. This is not a participle but an active verb, a verbal adjective, "eat". This form is the progressive present in English, a form that didn't exist in Greek.

but -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "but" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even", "also” and "just”. This word doesn't mean "but”.  

 no one  -- The Greek adjective translated as "no one" also means "no one”, "nothing” and other negative pronouns. It is used by Jesus more like a negative pronoun than an adjective.  However, to avoid the English double-negative, we translate it as its opposite "anyone" when used with another Greek negative.

no one gave him .

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

him. --  The word translated as "him" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person,  indirect object pronoun.

anything - -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. In Greek, we can assume a previous object as the current one but we use a simple pronoun.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

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”. In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also”. After words implying sameness "as”.

ἐπεθύμει  [5 verses] (verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "He would fain"is epithymeo, which means "to set one's heart upon", "to desire", "to covet” and "to long for”. The root of this word is thymos, (θυμός), which is the seat of passion and heat. The prefix means "upon”.

χορτασθῆναι [6 verses](verb aor inf pass) "Have filled his belly" is from chortazo, which means "feed", "fatten" and "to eat their fill”. It is a term most commonly used for cattle. 

ἐκ  [121 verses] (prep) "From" 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”; 7) [of materials] "out of”, "made from”; 7) cause, instrument, or means "by”. It is also used to describe the author or means "by" which something is done, especially with passive verbs.-- The Greek preposition translated as "from" means "out of" or "from." The word has a number of different meanings based upon its context, but it indicates separation "from" something rather than being a part "of "it like "of" does. It is also used to describe the author or means "by" which something is done, especially with passive verbs.

τῶν [821 verses](article pl fem 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 word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones”.

κερατίων [1 verse](noun pl fem gen) "Husks" is keration, which means "carob", the fruit of the carob tree, a non-fleshy and bean-like seed pod.ὧν  [294 verses](pron sg neut gen) "That" is hos, which means "this”, "that”, "he”, "she”, "it”, "which”, "what”, "who”, "whosoever”, "where”, "when”, "for which reason”, and many similar meanings. In the neuter, plural, its sense is "these things”.

ἤσθιον" [30 verses] (verb 3rd pl imperf ind act) "Did eat is esthio, which means "to eat", "devour”, "fret", "vex”, and to "take in one's mouth”. It is also a metaphor for decay and erosion.

οἱ  [821 verses](noun pl masc/fem nom) "The swine"  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”.

 χοῖροι,  [3 verses](noun pl masc/fem nom) "The swine" is choiros, which means "sow", "young pig", "porker", "swine” and slang for the female sex organ.  

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”. In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also”. After words implying sameness "as”.

οὐδεὶς  [69 verses](adj sg masc non) "No man" is oudeis which means "no one”, "not one”, "nothing”, "naught”, "good for naught” and "no matter”.

ἐδίδου [147 verses](verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "Gave" is didomi, which means "to give”, "to grant”, "to hand over”, "appoint”, "establish” and "to describe”. 

αὐτῷ [106 verses](pron/adj sg masc/neut dat) "Him" is  is auto, the dative case of the third-person, singular adjective that is used as a pronoun. The word also means "the same”, "one's true self” and "the soul" as opposed to the body. It also means "of one's own accord”. The form is the third person, plural as an indirect object of the verb or the object of a preposition.  When used as a noun, it is preceded by a definite article, and it means "the same”. A dative object of a preposition implies no movement but in a fixed position. With the "to be”, it acts as a possessive, "his”.

parallel comparison

The first part of the Greek of this verse is translated in the KJV in the previous verse and analyzed in the article on  Luke 15:15. Vocabulary in provided here for completeness. 

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