Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him

Spoken to
audience

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

KJV

Luke 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

NIV

Luke 16:27  “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,

LISTENERS HEARD

But he said, I beseech you, therefore, father, that you might send him into that house of that father of mine. 

LOST IN TRANSLATION

This is a simple sentence, which is often the case for the final setup before the punchline. The word translated as "ask/beg" is an uncommon word for Jesus which is best translated as "beseech" so as not to confuse it with the common word for "ask" and "beg”.

The "to" here is really more of an "into”. It seems to assume that Lazarus, as a spirit need not bother with using doors. 

MY TAKE

When all else fails, beseeching from the Father can work. 

GREEK ORDER

εἶπεν     δέ   Ἐρωτῶ    σε     οὖν,         πάτερ, ἵνα πέμψῃς               αὐτὸν 
he said, But I beseech you, therefore, father,  that you might send him 

εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου,
into that house of that father of mine. 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
5

Then(WW) he said, I pray(CW) thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest(WW) send him to my (MW) father's (MW) house:

  •  WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "then" should be something more like "but”.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "pray" is not the common word usually translated as "pray”.
  • WW  - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "would" should be something more like "might”.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "father's" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "house" is not shown in the English translation. 
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
7
(MW) He answered(CW), ‘Then I beg(CW) you, father, (MW) send(WF) Lazarus(WW) to my family(PP),
 
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "but"  at the beginning of the sentence is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- "Answered" is more specific than the word's more general meaning.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "beg" is not the common word usually translated as "beg”.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "that"  after "father" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • WF -- Wrong Form  -- This verb is in the form of possibility, a subjunctive, which requires a "should" or "might" before the verb.
  •  WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "Lazarus " should be something more like "him”.
  • PP -- Paraphrase - The phrase "the house of that father of mine"  exists in the source but "family" doesn't. 
EACH WORD of KJV

Then  -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "then" means "but”, "yet”, "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.  This word doesn't mean "then”.

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

said, - The word translated as "said" 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.

 I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

pray -- (CW) The word translated as "pray" means "consult”, inquire of” and "beseech”. It is used extremely commonly in the narrative parts of the NT, but Jesus the word rarely. Jesus usually uses another Greek word for this common idea.  It means "ask" but it is best translated as "beseech to avoid confusion with the more common "ask”. This is not the word usually translated as "pray”.

thee  -- The "you" here is the singular, direct object form the second-person pronoun. It is the object of either the action of the verb or a preposition.

therefore,  -- The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly”, "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then”, "therefore”. Jesus uses it to respond positively to questions, but in parables, it can continue the story.

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.

that - The word translated as "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause  "that”, "when”, "in order that", "when" or "because”. As an adverb it is translated as "there", "in that place”, "there”, "where” or "when”.

thou -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

wouldest -- (WW) This seems to indicate a want on the part of the one addressed or it is a helper verb expressing a past belief about the future. This is not the Greek here. This should express the the following verb is a possibility, usually a "might" or a "should”.

send -- "Sent" is from a Greek verb that means "send”, "send forth”, "send away”, "conduct” and "escort”. This is the second most common word Jesus uses that is translated as "send out”, but this one doesn't have the prefix that has the sense of "out."

him  -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as a direct object of a verb or preposition. 

to  -- The word translated as "to" 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”.

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.

's  -- The apostrophe "s" comes from the noun's genitive form. This case usually requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession for which an apostrophe "s" can be substituted.

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. 

house: -- The Greek word translated as "house”, is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well. The English word "house" captures the idea of a "ruling family" so that works well for this word. The female form of the word has more the feel of "home”.

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "but"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "but" means "but," "yet," "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.  This word doesn't mean "then”.

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

answered, - (CW) The word translated as "answered" 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. This translation is more specific than the word's meaning. 

Then   -- The Greek word translated as "then" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly”, "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative, "then”, "therefore”. Jesus uses it to respond positively to questions, but in parables, it can continue the story.

 I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

beg -- (CW) The word translated as "beg " means "consult”, inquire of” and "beseech”. It is used extremely commonly in the narrative parts of the NT, but Jesus uses the word rarely. Jesus usually uses another Greek word for this common idea.  It means "ask" but it is best translated as "beseech” to avoid confusion with the more common "ask”. This is not the word usually translated as "beg”.

you-- The "you" here is the singular, direct object form the second-person pronoun. It is the object of either the action of the verb or a preposition.

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.

missing "that"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "that" is a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause  "that”, "when”, "in order that", "when" or "because”. As an adverb it is translated as "there" is an adverb "in that place”, "there”, "where” or "when".

missing "should" or "might"-- (WF) A helping verb is necessary because the following verb is a verb of possibility, a subjunctive, something that "should" or "might" occur. 

send -- "Sent" is from a Greek verb that means "send”, "send forth”, "send away”, "conduct” and "escort”. This is the second most common word Jesus uses that is translated as "send out”, but this one doesn't have the prefix that has the sense of "out”. This is not a command but a verb of possibility. 

Lazarus -- (WW) The word translated as "Lazarus" is the Greek adjective that acts like our third-person pronoun. The form is the third person, singular, masculine as a direct object of a verb or preposition.  This word refers to Lazarus, but doesn't mean "Lazarus." 

to  -- The word translated as "to" 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”.

my - "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun, "my", "me” and "mine”. Usually follows the noun so, "of mine”.

family,  -- (PP) The Greek words meaning "the house of that father" here are not translated but instead their assumed meaning is paraphrased into different words. The untranslated word "the" is the Greek definite article, “the”. The Greek word translated as "house," is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. It means the household or clan that lives in the building as well. The "of" comes from the noun's genitive form. This case usually requires the addition of a preposition in English.   The untranslated word "that" is the Greek definite article,  "the/this/that”. "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.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

εἶπεν [162 verses]  (verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Said" 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.

δὲ [446 verses](conj) "Then" is de which means "but”, "yet”, "however" 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").

Ἐρωτῶ   [2 verses](verb 1st sg pres ind act ) "I pray" is eperotao, which means "consult", "inquire of", and "ask".   

σε [48 verses](pron 2nd sg acc) "You" is from se the accusative (direct objective) form of the second-person, singular pronoun. As an object of a preposition, it indicates movement or the result of movement. 

οὖν [82 verses](adv) "Therefore" is oun, which means "certainly”, "in fact", "really”, "in fact”, "so" and "then" (continuing a narrative), and "then" and "therefore”.

πατὴρ [191 verses](noun sg masc voc) "Father" is pater, which means "father”, "grandfather", "author”, "parent” and "forefathers”.

ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hina, which means "in that place”, "there”, "where”, "when”, but when beginning a phrase "so that”, "in order that”, "when" and "because”. It is used as an introduction to a command, where it isn't translated. Often is is better to translate it as "so that" instead of "because" to avoid confusion with another conjunction.

πέμψῃς  [39 verses] (verb 2nd sg aor subj act) "Thou wouldest send" is pempo, which means "send”, "send forth”, "send away”, "conduct” and "escort”. 

αὐτὸν [124 verses](pron/adj sg masc acc) "Him/It" is auton, is the masculine, accusative case of the third-person, singular adjective that is used as a pronoun. Masculine pronouns can refer to things as well as people, so it can be “it”. The word also means "the same” and "of one's own accord”. An accusative object of a preposition indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Event may show the amount of time.  However, masculine pronouns refer to masculine nouns, not just masculine people so this word can mean "it" as well as "he”. As a preposition's object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement. Events may show the amount of time.

εἰς [325 verses](prep) "To" 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”.

οἶκον [29 verses](noun sg masc acc) "House" is oikos, which means "house", "dwelling place”, "room”, "home”, "meeting hall”, "household goods”, "substance" and "ruling family”. It is any dwelling place but not exclusively a separate house. 

τοῦ [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”.

πατρός "[191 verses](noun sg masc gen) "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.

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