Luke 21:8 Take heed that ye be not deceived:

Spoken to
Apostles

Apostles ask when temple will fall.  

KJV

Luke 21:8 Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

NIV

Luke 21:8 “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.

LISTENERS HEARD

Look out! You shouldn't be led astray. For many will show up for that name of mine saying, "I myself am him and the time has neared." You shouldn't march behind them.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

Jesus said "you shouldn't be deceived" and "you shouldn't go after them". The verb forms indicate a possibility,  things that one "should" or "might" do or, in this case, should not do. Most of the ten commandments are also in this form, not "commands" like the "take heed" that begin this verse.

The verse doesn't say "in my name" because the "in". It is NOT the word Jesus usually uses with the Greek phrase  translated "in" someone's name", for example, Matthew 23:39.  This preposition here can mean several things, but the most likely is "for". These people want to adopt Jesus's name or title. The verses doesn't say, "I am Christ," but simply, "I am" but this "my name" is the closest object that can be assumed. So, its sense is "I am him". "Him" because "name" is an objective of the preposition. 

MY TAKE

People can show up in Jesus's name or looking for Jesus's name. 

GREEK ORDER

 

Βλέπετε    μὴ    πλανηθῆτε:                        πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐλεύσονται   ἐπὶ       τῷ   ὀνόματί    μου 
Look out! -n't  You should-, be led astray. many    For  will show up against that name     of mine 

λέγοντες Ἐγώ       εἰμι   καί   καιρὸς ἤγγικεν:       μὴ   πορευθῆτε             ὀπίσω  αὐτῶν.
saying,   "I myself exist and the time    has neared." -n't You should- march behind them.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
8

Take heed that(IW) ye (MW) be not deceived: for many shall come in(CW) my (MW) name, saying, I (MW) am Christ(IW); and the time draweth(WT) near: go ye not therefore(OS) after them.

  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "that " doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form  -- This verb is in the form of possibility, a subjunctive, which requires a "should" or "might" before the verb.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in".
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" after "I" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "Christ" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WT --Wrong Tense - The English verb "draws near" is not the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, ""has neared".
  • OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "therefore" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
9

“Watch out that(IW) you (MW) are not deceived. For many will come in(CW) my (MW) name, claiming(CW), ‘I (MW) am he,’ and, ‘The time is near(WT).’ Do not follow(CW) them.

  • IW - Inserted Word-- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WF -- Wrong Form  -- This verb is in the form of possibility, a subjunctive, which requires a "should" or "might" before the verb.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in".
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "name" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is word not usually translated as "claiming".
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "myself" after "I" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT --Wrong Tense - The English verb "is near" is not the present tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, ""has neared".
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "follow".
EACH WORD of KJV

Take heed -- The verb translated as "take heed" means "to see", "to look to", "to look like", "to beware" and "to look for". It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding "look" in English or in a warning like this, "watch out".

that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

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. 

be -- 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 negative used, "not", 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. To capture the sense of this negative in English, we have to insert a verbal phrase that changes the form of the English verb from the Greek.

deceived -- "Deceived" is from a verb that means "to cause to wander", "to lead astray", "to mislead", "to wander", "to stray" and "to be misled". The form indicates something that "might" or "possibly" happen and it is passive, "might be led astray".

for --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why". "For" is better because another common word is also used for "because".

many -- The word translated as "many" means many in number, great in power or worth, and large in size.

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

come -- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out". It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start", "come" or "go". but it is more like our phrase "being underway". Christ, however, uses it most often, but not always, in the sense of "come". It is in the future tense.

in -- (CW) The word translated as "in" means "against", "before", "by" or "on".  The meaning is controlled by the form of the following word. In this case it can mean of place: "upon", "on" or "over"; of people: "against (in a hostile sense), regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to", of an accumulation: "upon", "after", "addition to" and "besides"; of position: "after", "behind", "in dependence upon" and "in the power of"; of time: "by" and "after"; and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause", "for" a person, an end, or purpose". 

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. 

name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as in English. This can be many things. It doesn't mean the thing itself, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name" or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only". It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss" or, in this case, "against the name".

saying  --- The word translated as "saying" is the most common word that means "to say" and "to speak", but it also means "to teach", which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. However. it also means "to proclaim", which is how it usually works best when Christ puts it in the mouth of his opponent.

I -- The pronoun "I" is added to add emphasis that he is referring to his own words. It is unnecessary because the first person is part of the verb ending. Christ sometimes uses it humorously to refer to himself. However, when you put the accent on "I" when you speak this phrase, it makes the statement sound like a claim his opponents are saying about themselves, not about Christ.

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The pronoun "I" is used here.  When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, this pronoun accentuates who is speaking "I". Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English. The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself". 

am -- The verb "am" 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.  The word also means "to exist" where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.

Christ -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. There is no "Christ" in this verse.

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

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. 

time -- "Time" is a noun that means "due measure", "season", "opportunity", "time" and "profit".

 draweth near - (WT) The verb translated as " draweth near" means "to bring near", "to approach", "to bring up to" and "to be imminent". In English, we would say "nears" or, in the form here, "has neared", doesn't quite work so perhaps "has gotten close" or, in the case of time, "is nearly here". It is the verb form of an adverb "near" in space, time, and relationships.This is the same verb that is translated as "is at hand" in the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." It is not seen in written Greek before Jesus and used by him only seventeen times. This is not the present but the past perfect tense, "has neared".

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. 

go -- The Greek verb translated as "go ye" is the most common verb translated as "go" in the NT.  This word means "to lead over", "depart" and "to carry over". This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life".

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

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.

therefore -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as this in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. 

after -- The term translated as "after" means "back", "after" and "behind" in space, but "forward" in time. The logic regarding time is that, since the future is unseen, it should be regarded as behind us, whereas the past is known and therefore before our eyes. This seems quite strange to English speakers, but the use of this word in Greek is well-established to mean "future". Our English view coincides with the ancient Greek when discussing books. The "back" of the book in English means the "end" of the book, which is the future for the reader. This use of "back" is identical to the Greek. 

them. -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there".

EACH WORD of NIV

“Watch out  -- The verb translated as "take heed" means "to see", "to look to", "to look like", "to beware" and "to look for". It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding "look" in English or in a warning like this, "watch out".

that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

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. 

are -- This helping verb "are " indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

not  -- The negative used, "not", 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. To capture the sense of this negative in English, we have to insert a verbal phrase that changes the form of the English verb from the Greek.

deceived -- "Deceived" is from a verb that means "to cause to wander", "to lead astray", "to mislead", "to wander", "to stray" and "to be misled". The form indicates something that "might" or "possibly happens and it is passive, "might be led astray".

For --The word translated as "for" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why". "For" is better because another common word is also used for "because".

many -- The word translated as "many" means many in number, great in power or worth, and large in size.

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

come -- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out". It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "start", "come" or "go". but it is more like our phrase "being underway". Christ, however, uses it most often, but not always, in the sense of "come". It is in the future tense.

in -- (CW) The word translated as "in" means "against", "before", "by" or "on". It is NOT the word Christ usually uses with the Greek phrase usually translated "in" someone's name, for example, Matthew 23:39. for "in the name of the Lord". That Greek word has the sense of "in the power of". This word does not have the same sense, nor is it the other Greek word commonly translated as "in" that means "within". "Against" seems to be the only meaning here that makes sense. This is not one of the common words usually translated as "in". 

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. 

name -- The Greek word translated as "name" is much more complicated than it might at first appear. It can simply mean a "name" as in English, this can be many things. It doesn't mean the thing itself, but what people call it. For example, it can mean a "false name" or "a pretense" as we say "this is a marriage in name only". It can also mean representing another person's authority, as we say, "he is acting in the name of the boss" or, in this case, "against the name".

claiming --- (CW) The word translated as "claiming" is the most common word that means "to say" and "to speak". but it also means "to teach", which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. However. it also means "to proclaim", which is how it usually works best when Christ puts it in the mouth of his opponent. This is word not usually translated as "claiming".  

I -- The pronoun "I" is added to add emphasis that he is referring to his own words. It is unnecessary because the first person is part of the verb ending. Christ sometimes uses it humorously to refer to himself. However, when you put the accent on "I" when you speak this phrase, it makes the statement sound like a claim his opponents are saying about themselves, not about Christ.

missing "myself" -- (MW)  The pronoun "I" is used here. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, this pronoun accentuates who is speaking "I". Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English. The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself". 

am -- The verb "am" 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.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions.

he-- -- 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.

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

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. 

time -- "Time" is a noun that means "due measure", "season", "opportunity", "time" and "profit".

is near --  (WT) The verb translated as "is near" The verb translated as "is" means "to bring near", "to approach", "to bring up to" and "to be imminent". In English, we would say "nears" or, in the form here, "has neared", doesn't quite work so perhaps "has gotten close" or, in the case of time, "is nearly here". It is the verb form of an adverb "near" in space, time, and relationships.This is the same verb that is translated as "is at hand" in the phrase, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand". It is not seen in written Greek before Jesus and used by him only seventeen times. This is not the present but the past perfect tense, "has neared". 

Do -- This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English.

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.

follow -- (CW) Two Greek words are translated as "follow" that mean "go behind". The verb translated as "follow" is the most common verb translated as "go" in the NT.  This word means "to lead over", "depart" and "to carry over". This word, however, uniquely means both "to pursue a course" and "to depart from life".  The term translated as "behind" means "back", "after" and "behind" in space, but "forward" in time. The logic regarding time is that, since the future is unseen, it should be regarded as behind us, whereas the past is known and therefore before our eyes. This seems quite strange to English speakers, but the use of this word in Greek is well-established to mean "future". Our English view coincides with the ancient Greek when discussing books. The "back" of the book in English means the "end" of the book, which is the future for the reader. This use of "back" is identical to the Greek.  This is not the word usually translated as "follow".

them. -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there".

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

Βλέπετε (verb 2nd pl pres imperat act or verb 2nd pl pres/imperf ind act ) "Seeth" is from of blepo, which means "to look", "to see", "to look to", "to look like", "to rely on", "to look longingly", "to propose", "to beware", "to behold" and "to look for".

μή "Not" is from 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.

πλανηθῆτε: (verb 2nd pl aor subj pass) "Ye be...deceived" is from planao which means "to cause to wander", "to lead astray", "to mislead", "to wander", "to stray" and "to be misled".

πολλοὶ (adj pl masc nom) "Many" is from polys, which means "many" (in number), "great" (in size or power or worth), and "large" (of space). As an adverb, it means "far", "very much", "a great way" and "long".

γὰρ "For" comes from gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for", "since" and "as". In an abrupt question it means "why" and "what".

ἐλεύσονται (verb 3rd pl fut ind) "Shall come" is from erchomai, which means "to start", "to set out", "to come", "to go" and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place.

ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "On" is from epi , which means "on", "upon", "at", "by", "before", "across", "for" and "against". With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon", "on", but not necessarily of Place, "by" (of persons), "deep" (with numbers), "in the presence of", "towards", "in the time of" and "over" (referring to a person of authority). With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon", "on" or "over", of people: "against" (in a hostile sense). regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to", of an accumulation: "upon", "after", "addition to" and "besides", of position: "after", "behind", "in dependence upon" and "in the power of", of time: "by" and "after"; and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause", "for" a person, an end, or purpose", "on condition that" and "for" (a price).  With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height", "up to", "as far as", "a little way", "a little", "towards", "to", in hostile sense: "against", of extension: "over", "over" (a space), of time: "for", "during", "up to" or "till", in a causal sense: "of" (the object), "for" (this purpose), "as regards, "after", "according to" and "by" (this cause). With verbs of perceiving, observing, and judging, it means "in the case of".

τῷ [821 verses](article sg masc dat)  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". 

ὀνόματί (noun sg neut dat) "Name" is from onoma, which means "name." It means both the reputation of "fame" and "a name and nothing else", as opposed to a real person. Acting in someone's name means to act on their behalf, as their representative.

μου (noun sg masc gen) "Me" is from emou, which means "me" and "mine".

λέγοντες (part pl pres act masc nom) "Saying" is from lego, which means "to recount", "to tell over", "to say", "to speak", "to teach", "to mean", "boast of", "tell of", "recite", nominate" and "command". It has a secondary meaning "pick out", "choose for oneself", "pick up", "gather", "count" and "recount". A less common word that is spelt the same means "to lay", "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep".

Ἐγώ (pron 1st sg masc nom) "I" is from ego, which is the first person singular pronoun meaning "I". It also means "I at least", "for my part", "indeed" and "for myself".

εἰμι (pron 1st sg masc nom) "Is" is from eimi, which means "to be", "to exist", "to be the case" and "is possible". 

καί (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and" or "also". 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".

[821 verses](article sg 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".

καιρὸς ( noun sg masc nom ) "Time" is kairos, which means "due measure", "proportion", "fitness", "exact time", "season", "opportunity", "time", "critical times", "advantage" and "profit".

ἤγγικεν: (verb sg perf ind act) "Draweth near" is eggizo, which means "to bring near". "to join one things to another", to draw near" and "to approach". This word does not appear in the Perseus dictionary. It comes from an adverb ἐγγύς, keggus, which means 1) (of place) "near", "nigh", "at hand"; 2) (of time) "nigh at hand"; 3) (of numbers) "nearly", "almost", "coming near", and 4) (of relationship) "akin to".

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.

πορευθῆτε (verb 2nd pl aor subj pass) "Go ye" is poreuomai (poreuô) which means "make to go", "carry", "convey", "bring", "go", "march" and "proceed". It is almost always translated as "go" in the NT.

ὀπίσω (adv) "After" is from opiso, which means "back", "behind" and "hereafter".

αὐτῶν. (adj pl masc gen) "Them"  is autos, which means "the same" and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself" or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her" and "it". It also means "one's true self", that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord". In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there".

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