Luke 18:2 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God,

KJV: 

Luke 18:2 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

LISTENERS HEARD: 

A judge, a someone, was in some city, the Divine, not fearing and man, not respecting.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The verse is much more engaging in the Greek as the start of a story.

The verb "there was" 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.  While it can mean "there are" early in a sentence, before the subject, here the subject, "judge" starts the sentence.

"A judge" is  the Greek noun that means "judge", "umpire," and "interpreter."  This word begins the sentence.

After judge is an untranslated word meaning "anyone", "someone," and "anything." The sense here is "a someone", that is, a person of importance. 

The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

Before "city" is the same untranslated word as above, meaning "anyone", "someone," and "anything." The sense here is "some".

The Greek word for "city" meant not only a city but a nation, culture, or a society. It worked something like the word "community" today.

There is no Greek word for "which" after city.

"Feared" is translated from a Greek word that means "to terrify" and "to put to flight," but in the passive, it means to be put to flight and be frightened. The form is the middle voice, present, the sense is "fearing for himself".

The negative "not" used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done or don't think something that might be true. If it wasn't done or wasn't true, the objective negative of fact would be used. This works because "fear" is a state of mind.

The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God" or "the Divine".  Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.

The Greek word translated as "neither" here is used as the conjunction "and". There is a very specific word in Greek that means "neither".  The negativity comes from an untranslated word.

The negative used here, but not directly translated, is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, the same as used above.

"Regarding" is a Greek verb that means "to turn [something] about", "to make one turn," and, as a metaphor, for "putting one to shame." In its passive form , it means "to turn [yourself] about", "to feel misgivings", "to hesitate", "to give heed", "to respect," and "to reverence." Again, the form is the middle voice present, not himself respecting.

The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Κριτής (noun sg masc nom) "The judge" is krites, which means "judge", "umpire," and "interpreter."

τις ( pron sg fem nom ) Untranslated is tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they [indefinite]", "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what."

ἦν ( verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "There was" is eimi, which means "to be", "to exist", "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen",  and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")

ἔν (prep) "In" is en, which means "in", "on", "at", "by", "among", "within", "surrounded by", "in one's hands", "in one's power," and "with".

τινι ( pron sg dat ) Untranslated is tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they [indefinite]", "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what."

πόλει ( noun sg fem dat ) "City" is polis, which means "city", "citadel", "one's city", "one's country", "community", "state", "state affairs," and "civic duties."

τὸν θεὸν ( noun sg masc acc ) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity."

μὴ (partic) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.

φοβούμενος ( part sg pres mp masc nom) "Feared" is phobeo, which means to "put to flight." "terrify", "alarm", "frighten," and in the passive, "be put to flight", "be seized with fear," be frightened", "stand in awe of" (of persons)", "dread (of persons)," and "fear or fear about something." --

καὶ (conj/adv) "Neither" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "but." 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."

ἄνθρωπον ( noun sg masc acc) "Man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

μὴ (partic) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.

ἐντρεπόμενος. ( part sg pres mp masc nom ) "Regarding" is from entrepo, which means "to turn [something] about", "to make one turn," and, as a metaphor, for "putting one to shame." In its passive form , it means "to turn [yourself] about", "to feel misgivings", "to hesitate", "to give heed", "to respect," and "to reverence."

Front Page Date: 

Oct 6 2018