Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate

Spoken to
Apostles

Jesus describes the apostles being captured, imprisoned, and brought before kings and governors.

KJV

Luke 21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

NIV

Luke 21:14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.

LISTENERS HEARD

Prepare, then, in those hearts of yours not to practice beforehand to defend yourself.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

This verse is a humorous contradiction because it say "prepare not to practice beforehand." Preparing usually means practicing beforehand. But what we prepared here is not our defense, but our hearts, which has a sense of not worrying. 

The verse also contains a unique word translated as "to meditate beforehand" and "to worry beforehand." It means "to practice beforehand" and "to acquire the habit of." It is in the form of an infinitive. The last word, translated as "answer" and "defend" is also an infinitive, without the second-person or future tense. 

 

MY TAKE

Preparing and worrying are both unnecessary for defending ourselves. 

GREEK ORDER

 

θέτε        οὖν    ἐν ταῖς   καρδίαις   ὑμῶν   μὴ   προμελετᾷν                          ἀπολογηθῆναι,
Prepare, then, in those hearts   of yours not to practice beforehand to defend yourself.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
3

Settle it therefore in your (MW) hearts, not to meditate [before what ye shall(IP)] answer(WF):

  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "hearts" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The " what ye shall" doesn't exist in the source. 
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to answer."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
6
But(WW) make up (MW) your (MW) mind(WW) not to worry beforehand [how you will (IP)] defend(WF) yourselves.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "but" should be something more like "therefore."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "in"  after "makeup" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "minds" is not shown in the English translation. 
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "minds" should be something more like "hearts."
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "how you will " doesn't exist in the source. 
  • WF -- Wrong Form -  This is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to defend."
EACH WORD of KJV

Settle The Greek word translated as "settle" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "to put," and "to place," but which has many related meanings as well. The one that works best here is "prepare". This verb is in a form  of a command. The word doesn't mean putting yourself as ease as much as it does working toward something.

it -- 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.

therefore -- The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly", "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative. Jesus uses it often to add a little lightness to his statements.

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

your -- The word translated as "your" is plural addressing a group of Jesus's listeners.  It comes after the "hearts" so the sense is "those hearts of yours", which is intentional since it can come before the word as well. 

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. 

hearts-- "Hearts" is the Greek word that means "heart" both the physical organ and as the seat of emotions, which we discuss in a larger Greek context in this article here. The article explains the difference between how Jesus uses "heart" as opposed to "mind".

not -- The negative 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 is the negative used with commands.

to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.

meditate --- "Meditate before " is a unique verb used only by Jesus here in the Gospels. It means to "practice beforehand" and "acquire a habit of". The primary meaning is clearly the sense here.

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

 what ye shall: -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source

answer -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "answer" is only used in Christ's words in this verse and the next. It means to "speak in defense", "defend oneself", and  "speak in support of". This word is used only earlier in Luke in a very similar verse. This is not an active verb but an infinitive.  

EACH WORD of NIV
But --- (WW)  The Greek word translated as "therefore" either emphasizes the truth of something ("certainly", "really") or it simply continues an existing narrative. Jesus uses it often to add a little lightness to his statements. This word doesn't mean "but."  

 make up-- The Greek word translated as "settle" is translated from a Greek word that means primarily "to put," and "to place," but which has many related meanings as well. The one that works best here is "prepare". This verb is in a form  of a command. The word doesn't mean putting yourself as ease as much as it does working toward something.

missing "in"  -- (MW) The untranslated word   "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

your -- The word translated as "your" is plural addressing a group of Jesus's listeners.  It comes after the "hearts" so the sense is "those hearts of yours", which is intentional since it can come before the word as well. 

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. 

mind -- (WW) "Mind" is the Greek word that means "heart" both the physical organ and as the seat of emotions, which we discuss in a larger Greek context in this article here. The article explains the difference between how Jesus uses "heart" as opposed to "mind". This word doesn't mean "mind."  

not -- The negative 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 is the negative used with commands.

to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.

worry beforehand -- "Worry beforehand " is a unique verb used only by Jesus here in the Gospels. It means to "practice beforehand" and "acquire a habit of". The primary meaning is clearly the sense here.

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

how you will: -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source

defend -- (WF) The Greek word translated as "answer" is only used in Christ's words in this verse and the next. It means to "speak in defense", "defend oneself", and  "speak in support of". This word is used only earlier in Luke in a very similar verse. This is not an active verb but an infinitive.  

yourselves -- -- The "yourselves "comes from the middle voice of making the subject also the object directly as itself or "by" or "for" itself.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

θέτε (verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Settle" is tithemi which means "to put", "to place", "to propose", "to suggest", "o deposit", "to set up", "to dedicate", "to assign", "to award", "to agree upon", "to institute", "to establish", "to make", "to work", "to prepare oneself," "to bear arms [military]," "to lay down and surrender [military]," "to lay in the grave", "to bury," and "to put words on paper [writing]," and a metaphor for "to put in one's mind." -- 

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

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

ταῖς [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."  --

καρδίαις ( noun pl fem dat ) "Hearts" is kardia, which means "heart (the physical organ)", "the seat of emotions (especially passion, rage, and anger)", "inclination", "desire," "purpose", "mind", "the pith (in wood), and "the deep (of the sea)."

ὑμῶν (pron 2nd pl gen) "Your" is humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." --

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. --

προμελετᾷν [1 verse]( verb pres inf act ) "To meditate" is promeletaō, which means to "practice beforehand" and "acquire a habit of". - "To meditate" is a unique verb used only by Jesus here in the Gospels. It means to "practice beforehand" and "acquire a habit of". The primary meaning is clearly the sense here.

ἀπολογηθῆναι, [2 verses] (verb aor inf mp)  "Ye shall answer" is from apologeomaiwhich means "speak in defence", "defend oneself", and  "speak in support of".

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