After the analogies of the lost sheep and lost coin, Jesus continues the analogy of the prodigal son.
Luke 15:18 I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Luke 15:18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Awakening, I will march myself before that father of mine and I will say to him, 'Father, I have erred in regards to the sky and before you.
This verse is interesting because it offers a clue to how Jesus use the words translated as "sinned" and "heaven”. This verse and Luke 15:21 are the only verses that use the two words together. The word "sin" is never used with "heaven”. The Greek word doesn't mean "sin" but "erred" and "heaven" means "the sky”. How does one "err" in regards to "the sky”? The only explanation is that some people looked at "the sky" more generally as the realm of higher concepts such as moral and ideas.
This is obscured by the translation as "sinned" and the mistranslation of the two different prepositions here as "against", the preposition before "the sky" means "in regards to” and the "against" before "you" (NIV) means "in front of”.
We can err against people and against best practices.
I will arise(WF) and(IW) go to my (MWthe) father and will say unto him, Father, I have(WT) sinned(CW) against(WW) (MWthe) heaven(CW), and before thee,
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "arising."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" 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).
- CW --Confusing Word -- The word "sinned" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "against" should be something more like "regarding”.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The word, "heaven," is a religious concept, but this word just means "sky”.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "set out" should be something more like "arising”.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "arising”.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "back" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father" 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).
- CW --Confusing Word -- The word "sinned" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "against" should be something more like "regarding”.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "heaven" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The word, "heaven," is a religious concept, but this word just means "sky”.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "against" should be something more like "in front of you”.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb "go" here.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
arise -- (WF) "Rise " 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". Its root is usually translated as "stand" and its prefix as "up" or "over". So it literally means “to make stand up.” It is used elsewhere in ancient Greek to refer to “raising the dead”. However, its secondary meaning was “to raise from sleep”, “wake up”, “to rouse to action” and “to stir up”. It was used to refer to erecting a building. It also means “to rise to go”, “to set out” and “to go away”. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "arising."
and -- (IW) These is no "and" here. It is added because the previous verb was changed from an adjective to an active verb in translation.
go -- The word translated as "go”, means, in the passive, used here, to "go", "march", "depart” and "proceed". It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT but Jesus uses it to mean "depart”. This word uniquely means "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life”. Jesus also uses it for a play on words referring to its "depart from life" meaning.
to -- The word translated as "to" has a meaning that depends on the form of it object and its verb types. Generally, it means "towards”, "by reason of”, "before" both in time and place, "in the presence of", "against” and several other types of "before”. Jesus uses this word to describe
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my”, "me” and "mine". Usually follows the noun so, "of mine”.
missing "the/this" -- (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.
father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.
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”.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English. -
say - The word translated as "say" 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.
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.
Father, -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers”. It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb "go" here.
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.
sinned -- (CW) "Sinned" is from the verb which means "to miss the mark”, "to fail in one's purpose”, "to err”, "to be mistaken” and "to neglect". See this article about "sin" for more detail. The word "sinned" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have.
against -- (WW) The word translated as "against" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as” (of measure or limit), "in regards to" a subject, "up to" limits in measures, "until" in reference to time, "within" a time limit, and "for" a purpose or object. Used with the Greek "from" it means "from...to". This word doesn't mean "against”.
missing "the/this" -- (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. MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "word" is not shown in the English translation.
heaven -- (CW) The word translated as "heaven" means simply the "sky," but it can also mean the "climate”, or the "universe”. It was used to indicate all higher ethics including ideals, and values. It also meant the home of the gods in a physical sense: the sun, moon, and planets were named for the gods. More about the word in this article.
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”.
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".
thee, - The "thee" here is the singular, possessive (genitive) form the second-person pronoun, "you". As an object, it indicates movements or positions away from something.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb "go" here.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
set out -- (WW, WF) "Rise " 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”. Its root is usually translated as "stand” and its prefix as "up" or "over". So it literally means “to make stand up”. It is used elsewhere in ancient Greek to refer to “raising the dead”. However, its secondary meaning was “to raise from sleep”, “wake up”, “to rouse to action” and “to stir up”. It was used to refer to erecting a building. It also means “to rise to go”, “to set out” and “to go away”. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "arising”. This word doesn't mean "set out”.
and -- (IW) These is no "and" here. It is added because the previous verb was changed from an adjective to an active verb in translation.
go -- The word translated as "go," means, in the passive, used here, to "go", "march”, "depart” and "proceed”..It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT but Jesus uses it to mean "depart". This word uniquely means "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life”. Jesus also uses it for a play on words referring to its "depart from life" meaning.
back -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
to -- The word translated as "to" has a meaning that depends on the form of it object and its verb types. Generally, it means "towards”, "by reason of", "before" both in time and place, "in the presence of”, "against” and several other types of "before’”. Jesus uses this word to describe
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my”, "me" and "mine”. Usually follows the noun so, "of mine”.
missing "the/this" -- (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.
father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers". It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.
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”.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
say - The word translated as "say" 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 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.
Father, -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers”. It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.
I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb "go" here.
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.
sinned -- (CW) "Sinned" is from the verb which means "to miss the mark", "to fail in one's purpose", "to err”, "to be mistaken” and "to neglect". See this article about "sin" for more detail. The word "sinned" has a religious meaning that the Greek word didn't have.
against -- (WW) The word translated as "against" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in" (a position), "as much as” (of measure or limit), "in regards to" a subject, "up to" limits in measures, "until" in reference to time, "within" a time limit, and "for" a purpose or object. Used with the Greek "from" it means "from...to". This word doesn't mean "against”.
missing "the/this" -- (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.
heaven -- (CW) The word translated as "heaven" means simply the "sky", but it can also mean the "climate" or the "universe”. It was used to indicate all higher ethics including ideals, and values. It also meant the home of the gods in a physical sense: the sun, moon, and planets were named for the gods. More about the word in this article.
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”.
against -- (WW) The Greek term translated as "against " 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". This word doesn't mean "against”.
you, - The "thee" here is the singular, possessive (genitive) form the second-person pronoun, "you”. As an object, it indicates movements or positions away from something.
ἀναστὰς [28 verses](part sg aor act masc nom) "I will rise" 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".
πορεύσομαι [54 verses]( (verb 1st sg fut ind mid) "Go" is poreuomai (poreuo) which means, in the active voice, "make to go”, "carry”, "convey" and "bring”. In the passive, it means to "go", "march”, "depart” and "proceed”. It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT. Jesus uses it to mean "depart”. He sometimes uses it in situations where its "depart from life" meaning comes into play.
πρὸς [92 verses](prep) "To" is from pros, which means both "from" (descent, a place)”, "on the side of” and "toward”. Its meaning depends on the form of its object. An indirect object (dative) implies no movement but in a fixed position. A direct object (accusative ) indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time. In statements about time, it means "at", "near”, "about” or "for" a future time. With verbs of motion, towards, to, with verbs implying previous motion, upon, against; verbs of addition "to”, verbs of seeing "towards", "to face", in hostile sense, "against”, "in accusation”, without any hostile "to”, of various kinds of intercourse or reciprocal action "with”, "at the hands of”, "incurred by”, "inspired by”, "before" a witness, of Time, "towards” or "near”, of Relation between two objects "in respect of”, "touching”, "in reference to”, "in consequence of", "for a purpose", "in proportion”, "in comparison with”, of measurements of time "for”, "a little past”, of Numbers "up to”, "about”. A possessive object (genitive) indicates movement away or a position away from something, "from”, "towards”, "from the presence of”. Events occur within a specified time. Examples of indirect object: "hard by”, "near”, "at”, "close”, "before one”, "in the presence of”, with verbs denoting motion towards a place "upon”, "against”, with a notion of clinging closely "clasped to”, to express close engagement "at the point of", to express union or addition "besides", "in addition to”.
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) 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”.
πατέρα [191 verses] (noun sg masc acc) "The Father" is pater, which means "father", "grandfather”, "author”, "parent”, and "forefathers”.
μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "My" is from mou (emou), which means "me” and "mine”. It is in a possessive (genitive) form. As a genitive of a preposition here, it implies movement away from something or a position away from something else.
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”.
ἐρῶ [162 verses] (verb 1st sg fut ind act) "Will say" 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". This is the second most common word Jesus uses for this idea. The other word is used more for discussion. Perhaps translating it consistently as "tell" would work.
αὐτῷ [106 verses](pron/adj sg masc/neut dat) "Him" 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”.
Πάτερ, [191 verses] (noun sg masc voc) "Father" is pater, which means "father”, "grandfather”, "author”, "parent” and "forefathers”.
ἥμαρτον [7 verses] (verb 1st sg aor ind act) "I have sinned" is from hamartanô, which means "to miss the mark”, "to fail in one's purpose”, "to err”, "to be mistaken” and "to neglect”,
εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)”, "up to (of time)", "until (of time)”, "in" (a position), "as much as (of measure or limit)”, "as far as (of measure or limit)”, "towards (to express relation)”, "in regard to (to express relation)", "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)". With verbs of speaking, it is the person spoken "to”. With time, a limit "until", or a duration "for”, "throughout” or a date, "on”, "at”. Used with ek, it means "from...to”.
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) 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”.
οὐρανὸν [111 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Heaven" is the Greek ouranos, which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky", "heaven as the seat of the gods”, "the sky”, "the universe” and "the climate”, It was not the religious concept of heaven.
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”.
ἐνώπιον [8 verses] (prep) "Before" is from enopion, which means "facing" and "to the front”.
σου [150 verses] (pron sg masc gen) "You" is from sou, the possessive (genitive) form of the second-person, singular pronoun. A genitive object means a movement away from something or a position away from something else. The time sense of a genitive object is that the event occurred within a specified time.