Jesus is surrounded by sinners and criticized by the Pharisees for it and Jesus gave the analogy of the lost sheep.
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
I tell you that this is why joy will exist in these skies upon one mistake-maker changing his mind than upon ninety-nine righteous somebodies having no need of a change of heart.
The word translated as the verb, "repent," and and the noun, "repentance," are Greek word that means to/a "change of mind or heart", "repentance", "regret", "afterthought", and "correction". In English, this idea is more precisely expressed as "hindsight". It is from a verb that means "to perceive afterward" from a root that mean "change mind."
In Greek, the word translated as the verb, "need," is a noun. The phrase is "have a need."
λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι οὕτως χαρὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἔσται ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι
I tell you that this is why joy in these skies will exist upon one mistake-maker changing his mind
ἢ ἐπὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα δικαίοις οἵτινες οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν μετανοίας.
than upon ninety- nine righteous somebodies no need having of a change of heart.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in (MWthese) heaven(CW, WN) over one sinner(CW) that(IW) repenteth(CW, WF), more(IW) than over ninety and(IW) nine just persons, which (MWhave) need no repentance(WF, CW).
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" 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."
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "heaven" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "sinners" adds a moral condemnation that the Greek word does not have.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "repented" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "repenting."
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "more" doesn't exist in the source.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "have" after "which" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF -- Wrong Form - The repentance is in the form of a possessive, "of repentance."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "repentance" does not capture the word's non-religious meaning in this situation.
I tell you that in the same way there will be more(IW) rejoicing in (MWthese) heaven(CW, WN) over one sinner(CW) who(IW) repents(CW, WF), than over ninety-nine righteous persons who (MWhave) do not need to(WF) repent(CW).).
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" 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."
- WN --Wrong Number- The word "heaven" is translated as singular but the Greek word is plural.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "sinners" adds a moral condemnation that the Greek word does not have.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "more" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "repented" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an noun but a participle, a verbal adjective, "repenting."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "have" after "which" is not shown in the English translation. "have" means
- WF -- The following verb is not an infinitive but an a noun "of repentance."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "repent" does not capture the word's non-religious meaning in this situation.
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. The form of the verb could also be a possible action, "might say" or "should say."
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.
that The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," "seeing that," "that," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context. It means "because" when answering a "why" question and "that" when explaining a "what" question. Another common word is used for "for."
likewise -- -- The word translated in KJV as "likewise " is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner," "so, "so much," or "so excessively."
joy -- "Joy" is from a word that means "joy" and "delight." More about Christ's use of emotions in this article.
shall -- This "shall" indicates the future tense, but this tense of this verb is the present.
be -- 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. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "on," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time," "in the time," "within," and "in." With the direct object form, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
missing "these/those/the"-- (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, WN) The word translated as "heaven" means simply the "sky," but it can also mean the "climate," or the "universe." 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.
over -- The word translated as "over" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of."
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
sinner -- (CW) "Sinners" is word that means "erroneous" or "erring." It also means "of bad character" but with the sense of being a slave or low-born not evil. Only in biblical translations is this term given the sense of wickedness. More about the translation issues regarding "sin" here.
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.
repenteth, -- (CW, WF) The word translated as "repent" has nothing to do with sin or, generally, with religion or asking for forgiveness. The Greek word translated as "repent" has a primary meaning of understanding something after the fact, with the sense of seeing it is too late. Its specific meaning is to "understand afterward," as seeing the truth after a mistake is made. From this idea, it comes to mean to change your mind, shifting your perspective. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "repenting."
more --- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
than -- "Than" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
over -- The word translated as "over" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of."
ninety -- This is the Greek number ninety.
and -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
nine == The "nine" is the Greek word from "nine."
just -- The Greek adjective translated as "just" means "observant of rules," "observant of customs," "well-ordered," "civilized," and "observant of duty." It could be translated as "law-abiding."
persons, -- It is plural.
which -- "Which" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever."
missing "have" -- (MW) The untranslated word "have" means to "have," "possess," "bear," "to indulge in," "keep close," "hold in," "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses.
need -- The word translated as "need" means "need" and "poverty," but it also means "familiarity" and "intimacy."
no -- The Greek word translated as "no" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
repentance. -- (CW,WF) "Repentance," is the uncommon noun form of a very common verb. It means "a change of mind or heart", "repentance", "regret", "afterthought", and "correction". In English, this idea is can be expressed as "hindsight". It is from a verb that means "to perceive afterward". The word is not primarily religious as "repentance has come to mean.
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. The form of the verb could also be a possible action, "might tell" or "should tell."
you, -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
that The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," "seeing that," "that," and "wherefore." Jesus usually uses this word to mean "because" in statements that seem like an answer to a question because of the change of context. It means "because" when answering a "why" question and "that" when explaining a "what" question.
in the same way -- The word translated in KJV as "in the same way " is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner," "so, "so much," or "so excessively."
there -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
will -- This "will" indicates the future tense, but this tense of this verb is the present.
be -- 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. The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.
more --- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
rejoicing -- (WF) "Rejoicing " is from a word that means "joy" and "delight." More about Christ's use of emotions in this article. This is not a participle but an adjective.
in .- -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "on," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with an indirect-object form object. About time, it means "during the time," "in the time," "within," and "in." With the direct object form, it means "into," "on," and "for." When referring to time, it means "during." It can mean "on," "at," or "by" in the sense of "near."
missing "these/those/the"-- (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, WN) The word translated as "heaven" means simply the "sky," but it can also mean the "climate," or the "universe." 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.
over -- The word translated as "over" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of."
one -- The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.
sinner -- (CW) "Sinners" is word that means "erroneous" or "erring." It also means "of bad character" but with the sense of being a slave or low-born not evil. Only in biblical translations is this term given the sense of wickedness. More about the translation issues regarding "sin" here.
who -- (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.
repents - (CW, WF) The word translated as "repents" has nothing to do with sin or, generally, with religion or asking for forgiveness. The Greek word translated as "repent" has a primary meaning of understanding something after the fact, with the sense of seeing it is too late. Its specific meaning is to "understand afterward," as seeing the truth after a mistake is made. From this idea, it comes to mean to change your mind, shifting your perspective. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "repenting."
than -- "Than" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "or" but serves as "than" in a comparison. The same word could also be the exclamation "hi" or the adverb meaning "in truth."
over -- The word translated as "over" means "on," "over," "upon," "for," "against," "before," "after," "during," "by" "in the case of."
ninety -- This is the Greek number ninety.
-nine == The "nine" is the Greek word from "nine."
righteous -- The Greek adjective translated as "righteous " means "observant of rules," "observant of customs," "well-ordered," "civilized," and "observant of duty." It could be translated as "law-abiding."
persons, -- - "Persons" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever." Jesus often uses the root word as an adjective describing a high-status people as "somebodies."
who -- "Which" is a pronoun that means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever."
do -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly." It makes a negative statement of fact. When a negative precedes the verb, it affects the whole clause. When it precedes other words, its force is limited to those words.
missing "have" -- (MW) The untranslated word "to have due to one," or "keep" and many specific uses.
need -- The word translated as "need" means "need" and "poverty," but it also means "familiarity" and "intimacy."
to -- (WF) This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb. The following verb is not an infinitive but a possessive noun.
repent. -- (CW) "Repent" is the uncommon noun form of a very common verb. It means "a change of mind or heart", "repentance", "regret", "afterthought", and "correction". In English, this idea is can be expressed as "hindsight". It is from a verb that means "to perceive afterward". The word is not primarily religious as "repent" has come to mean.
λέγω [264 verses](1st sg pres ind act/subj) "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." This is the same word can be translated as both "because" and "that" in the same verse when answering two different types of questions. --
οὕτως [54 verses](adv) "So" is houtos, an adverb that means "in this way," "therefore," "so much" ("for" w/gen.), "to such an extent," "so very," "so excessively," and "that is why. With an imperative "just," "without more ado." At beginning of a story, "once upon a time."
χαρὰ [14verses] (noun sg fem nom) "Joy" is chara, which means "joy" and "delight."
οὕτως [54 verses](adv) "So" is houtos, an adverb that means "in this way," "therefore," "so much" ("for" w/gen.), "to such an extent," "so very," "so excessively," and "that is why. With an imperative "just," "without more ado." At beginning of a story, "once upon a time."
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with its usual indirect (dative) object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With a direct (accusative) object, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during."
τῷ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) 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 a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."
οὐρανῷ [111 verses] (noun sg masc dat) "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. The word is plural, "skies
ἔσται [614 verses] (verb 3rd sg fut ind mid) "Shall be"is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the possessive (genitive) object, it means "is descended from," "is the type of," "belongs to," "is made of," "is a duty of," "is at the mercy of," or " is dependent on." With an indirect (dative) object, it means "have" where the subject and object are reversed. "It is to him" becomes "it is his" or "he has it." With the preposition,"into" (εἰς), the sense is "consist of." When the verb "to be" appears early in the clause before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi, which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," "for," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "for" a person, an end, or purpose," "on condition that," and "for" (a price). With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards,"after," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, and judging, it means "in the case of."
ἑνὶ [85 verses] (noun sg masc dat) "One" is heis, which means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same." This noun/adjective is irregular, having a number of forms depending on gender and case. It is always singular.
ἁμαρτωλῷ [15 verses](adj sg masc dat) "Sinner" is hamartolos, which means "erroneous" or "erring." It also means "of bad character" but with the sense of being a slave or low-born not evil.
μετανοοῦντι [9 verses] (part sg pres act masc dat) "Repenteth," is from metanoeo, which literally means "to perceive afterward," "to perceive too late," "to change one's mind," "to change one's purpose," and "to repent."
ἢ [92 verses](conj/adv) "Than" is e, which is a particle used as a disjunctive, "either," "or," , or as a comparative, "than" or "rather than." It is also an exclamation, "hi!" and an adverb,(adv) meaning "in truth" and "of a surety." It is used with comparative forms of adjective or with positive adjective implying a comparison.
ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi, which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," "for," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "for" a person, an end, or purpose," "on condition that," and "for" (a price). With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards,"after," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, and judging, it means "in the case of."
ἐνενήκοντα [4 verses]] (numeral)"nine" is enenekonta that is the Greek number ninety. The article preceding it makes it a noun and the object of the verb.
ἐννέα [5 verses](numeral) "Nine" is ennea, the number "nine."
δικαίοις [21 verses](adj pl masc dat) "Just persons" is dikaios which means "observant of rules," "observant of customs," "well-ordered," "civilized," and "observant of duty." Later it means "well-balanced," "impartial," and "just." As a verb, it means to "set right," "hold or deem right," "claim or demand as a right," "pronounce judgment," "do a man right or justice," "chastise," "punish, and in passive, "have right done one."
οἵτινες [90 verses] (pron pl masc nom) "Which" is hostis, which means "that," "anyone who," "anything which," "whosoever," "whichsoever" and "anybody whatsoever."
οὐ [269 verses](adv) "No" is ou , the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The negative, οὐ, denies, is absolute, and objective.
χρείαν [13 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Need of" is chreia, which means "need," "want," "poverty," "a request of a necessity," "business," "military service," "a business affair," "employment," "familiarity," "intimacy," and "maxim."
ἔχουσιν [181 verses](part pl pres act masc dat) Untranslated is echo, which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to have due to one," "to maintain," "to indulge in," "to hold fast," "to hold in," "to bear," "to carry," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do." In aorist, it can mean "acquire," or "get." The main sense when it has an object is "to have" or "to hold." In reference to habits or states, it means "indulge in." With a gen. object, "to keep back" or "withhold" a thing. When its object is an infinitive verb, it means "to have the means or power," or "to be able" not "it must" as in English. This verb isn't used to form past tenses as the helper verb does in English.Nor does it have the sense of "must" when used with infinitives.
μετανοίας. [3 verses] (noun sg fem gen) "Repentance," is metanoia, which "a change of mind or heart", "repentance", "regret", "afterthought", and "correction". In English, this idea is more precisely expressed as "hindsight". It is from a verb that means "to perceive afterward".