Luke 20:12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also

Spoken to
audience

Jesus tells a parable of the vine-dresser to the crowd. 

KJV

Luke 20:12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

NIV

Luke 20:12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

LISTENERS HEARD

And he agreed  to send  a third. Those ones, however, this one wounding also, tossed him out.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

This is a short verse, but it has a lot of unusual constructions that biblical translators want to simplify: "these ones" instead of "they;" "that one there" instead of "him." The word translated as "wounded" is used by Jesus only here. It root is our word "trauma." It is in the form of a participle, "wounding," not an active verb. 

The punchline in this verse is one of Jesus's favorite humorous words, which has the feel of "tossed out." It is used to lighten Jesus's verses, especially when the topic has been serious.  See this article for more detail. 

 

MY TAKE

A beating is not as deadly as a wound. 

GREEK ORDER

 

καὶ  προσέθετο  τρίτον πέμψαι: οἱ                 δὲ           καὶ  τοῦτον τραυματίσαντες ἐξέβαλον.
And he agreed a third   to send. Those ones, however, also this one wounding          tossed out.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8

And again(CW, WF)  he(WW) sent a third: and(WW) they(CW) wounded(WF) him(CW) also(IW), and cast him out.

  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "again." This is not an adverb, but a verb. 
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "he" should be something more like "to."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an adverb, but a verb. 
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "he" should be something more like "to."
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "they."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "wounding."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "him" is the common word that should be translated as "this one here" or "there."
  •  IW - Inserted Word-- The "and" doesn't exist in the source.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8
(MW) He(WW) sent still(WW,WF) a third, and(WW) they(CW) wounded(WF) him(CW) and threw him out.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "and"  at the beginning of the sentence is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "he" should be something more like "to."
  •  WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "still" should be something more like "he agreed."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This "still" is not an adverb, but a verb. 
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "and" should be something more like "but."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "they."
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "wounding."
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "him" is the common word that should be translated as "this one here" or "there."
EACH WORD of KJV

And - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is best translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

again --  (CW, WF) The Greek word translated as "again" means "to apply," "to deliver," "to impose upon," and many other meanings. In this context, it works a lot like the English "to hand over."  In the Mark and Matthew version, the standard Greek word for "again" is used and the KJV wanted to keep using it. The sense of this verb seems to be "agreed." This is not the word usually translated as "again." 

he --  (WW) This word is from the form of the word, but it shouldn't be "he" but "to" since the word is an infinitive not an active verb . 

sent --  "He sent" is from a Greek verb that means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort." The form is an infinitive, "to send" being introduced by the previous verb.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

third -- The "a third" means both the third in an order and the fraction one third.

and -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and."  

they -- (CW) The word translated as "they " is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. This is not the word usually translated as "they." 

wounded -- (WF) "Wounded" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses once. It means "wound". It root is the basis of our word "trauma".  It is not an active verb, but an adjective modifying "the ones". This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "wounding." 

him --- (CW) The word translated as "him" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." So it means "there," "here," or "then." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." " 

also -- The Greek word translated as "also" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

and -- (IW) These is no "and" here. It is added because the previous participle was  changed from an adjective form to an active verb in translation.

cast  --"Cast out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out," "turn out," or "take out." The possessive object is a place tossed out of. The direct object is the thing tossed out. It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT.  See this article for more detail. 

him -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

out - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.

EACH WORD of NIV

missing "And"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

he --  (WW) This word is from the form of the word, but it shouldn't be "he" but "to" since the word is an infinitive not an active verb . 

sent --  "He sent" is from a Greek verb that means "send," "send forth," "send away," "conduct," and "escort." The form is an infinitive, "to send" being introduced by the previous verb.

still --  (CW, WF) The Greek word translated as "still" means "to apply," "to deliver," "to impose upon," and many other meanings. In this context, it works a lot like the English "to hand over."  In the Mark and Matthew version, the standard Greek word for "again" is used and the KJV wanted to keep using it. The sense of this verb seems to be "agreed." This is not the word usually translated as "again." 

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

third -- The "a third" means both the third in an order and the fraction one third.

and -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" means "but," "however," and "on the other hand." Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. This word doesn't mean "and."  

they -- (CW) The word translated as "they " is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. This is not the word usually translated as "they." 

wounded -- (WF) "Wounded" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses once. It means "wound". It root is the basis of our word "trauma".  It is not an active verb, but an adjective modifying "the ones". This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "wounding." 

him --- (CW) The word translated as "him" is an adjective that highlights its noun as being in a specific place or time from a word that means "there." So it means "there," "here," or "then." Used a pronoun, the sense is "that one there" or "this one here." " 

and -- The Greek word translated as "also" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

threw -- "Threw...out" is a verb that means "throw out." Depending on the context, it can mean "toss out," "turn out," or "take out." The possessive object is a place tossed out of. The direct object is the thing tossed out. It is usually translated as "cast out" in the NT.  See this article for more detail. 

him -- There is no Greek pronoun here, but Greek does not need pronouns when the object can be assumed from the context. In English, they are added for the subject-verb-object form of our sentences.

out - This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" 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."

προσέθετο ( verb 3rd sg aor ind mid ) "Again" is prostithemi, which is formed from two root words that mean "to put towards" and means to "put to", "to hold close", "to apply medicine [to a wound]", "to hand over", "to give something more", "to impose upon", "to attribute to", "to add", "to agree", "to associate with", "to bring upon oneself," and "to apply to oneself." -

τρίτον  (adj sg mascacc) "A third" is from tritoswhich is the Greek word for "third" meaning both the third in an order and the fraction one third.

πέμψαι: ( verb aor inf act ) "He sent" is pempo, which means "send", "send forth", "send away", "conduct," and "escort."

οἱ (article pl masc nom) "They" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

δὲ (conj/adv) "And" is de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be a weak connective ("and") and explanation of cause ("so") and a condition ("if"). --

καὶ  (conj/adv) "Also" 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." --

τοῦτον ( adj sg masc acc ) "Him" is toutou, which is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this", "here", "the nearer," and "the familiar." --

τραυματίσαντες [1 verse]( part pl aor act masc nom ) "They wounded" is traumatizo, which means to "wound". -- "Wounded" is a Greek verb that Jesus only uses once. It means "wound". It root is the basis of our word "trauma".  It is not an active verb, but an adjective modifying "the ones".

ἐξέβαλον. ( verb 3rd pl aor ind act ) "Cast out" is ekballo and means "throw out", "cast out of a place,"and "expose." Ek means "out of", "from," and "away from." Ballo is "to throw" or "to scatter."

parallel comparison

The Matthew version of this analogy doesn't have a third sending of servants. The Mark version has a parallel verse  but it describes sending one after another.

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