Jesus meets ten lepers.One returned to give thanks for being cleansed. A Samaritan.
Luke 17:17 Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
Luke 17:17 Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
Weren't the ten cleansed? But those nine are where?
Jesus refers to the group of lepers as "the ten”. The direct article, "the" is left out, but its form makes "ten" the subject of the sentence. This is not just a number but referring to a group. The question, "where" comes at the very end, like a punchline. We can imagine Jesus looking around for them after saying it.
Where indeed is our gratitude as most moments in life?
Were there(IW) not (MW) ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "there" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" before "ten" is not shown in the English translation.
Were not all(IW) (MW) ten cleansed? (MW) Where are the other(IW) nine?
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "all" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "these/those/the" before "ten" is not shown in the English translation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "but" after "cleansed" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "other" doesn't exist in the source.
Were -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
there -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
not --The word translated as "not" is a different form of the usual Greek negative of fact. It means "no truly”, "assuredly not”, "not however”, "nevertheless” and "notwithstanding”. Used in questions where an affirmative answer is expected. Used in answers where a "yes" must be supplied. Perhaps best translated as an "isn't it?" at the end of the sentence. The fact that ancient Greek has no clear verb form for questions makes interpreting it difficult.
missing "these/those/the" -- (MW) A keyword appearing before "ten" is not translated. It is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one”. Here indicates that the "ten" are male and the subjects of the sentence. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this”, "that”, "these" and "those"). See this article for more.
ten -- "Ten" is the Greek word for the numeral "ten”.
cleansed? -- The Greek word translated as "cleansed," means to remove dirt. It is used for a lot of specific types of "cleaning" including cleansing a person of leprosy but it also has a general meaning of "purifying" anything.
but -- The Greek word translated as "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.
where -- The word translated as "where" means as a pronoun "where?", "at what point” and [of manner] "how”. As an adverb, it means "somewhere”, "anywhere" and "perhaps”.
are -- There is no verb "is" here in the Greek source but it is implied by the noun in the form of a subject having no verb associated with it.
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.
nine? - The "nine" is the Greek word from "nine”.
Were -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
not --The word translated as "not" is a different form of the usual Greek negative of fact. It means "no truly”, "assuredly not”, "not however”, "nevertheless" and "notwithstanding”. Used in questions where an affirmative answer is expected. Used in answers where a "yes" must be supplied. Perhaps best translated as an "isn't it?" at the end of the sentence. The fact that ancient Greek has no clear verb form for questions makes interpreting it difficult.
all -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
missing "these/those/the" -- (MW) A keyword appearing before "ten" is not translated. It is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." Here indicates that the "ten" are male and the subjects of the sentence. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this”, "that”, "these”, and "those"). See this article for more.
ten -- "Ten" is the Greek word for the numeral "ten”.
cleansed? -- The Greek word translated as "cleansed," means to remove dirt. It is used for a lot of specific types of "cleaning" including cleansing a person of leprosy but it also has a general meaning of "purifying" anything.
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.
Where -- The word translated as "where" means as a pronoun "where?", "at what point” and [of manner] "how”. As an adverb, it means "somewhere”, "anywhere” and "perhaps”.
are -- There is no verb "is" here in the Greek source but it is implied by the noun in the form of a subject having no verb associated with it.
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.
other -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
nine? - The "nine" is the Greek word from "nine”.
Οὐχ [23 verses](adv) "Not" is ouchi, an adverb which means "no", "no truly", "assuredly not”, "not however”, "nevertheless”, "notwithstanding”, "yet”, "still”, "never yet”, "for not”, "indeed”, "for surely not", "no,—certainly not”, "for I don't suppose” and "for in no manner”. Sometimes it is used to create negative questions where a positive answer is expected.
οἱ [821 verses](article pl 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 word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones”.
δέκα [11 verses](numeral ) "Ten" is from deka, which means the number ten.
ἐκαθαρίσθησαν; [12 verses]( verb 3rd pl aor ind pass ) "Were cleansed" is katharizo, which means "to clean”, "to clear the ground of weeds”, "prune away”, "to remove dirt”, "to purify" and "to remove impurities". It is also used to describe the removal of the inedible parts from grain (winnowing), clearing weeds from a field, pruning a plant and so on.
οἱ [821 verses]( article pl masc nom ) "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”.
[δὲ] [446 verses](conj) "But" is de which means "buy", "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"). In a listing, the sense is "then" or "yet”. After an interruption, "so then”.
ἐννέα [5 verses](numeral) "Nine" is ennea, the number "nine”.
ποῦ [12 verses] (pron or adv) "Wither" is pou, which means as a pronoun "where?", "at what point?” and [of manner] "how”. As an adverb. it means "somewhere", "anywhere", "doubtless” and "perhaps”. The forms are the same.