After the apostles start asking themselves who is the greatest among them.
Luke 22:26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luke 22:26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
You, however, are not so much. Instead, the greater among you? He must become just like the younger and the one leading just like the one serving.
The verse starts with the second-person plural pronoun that emphasizes the "you," and it doesn't have a verb so that sense is "you are," but then comes the first be of humor, an adverb that means "so much." So after saying the the foreigners are ruled by their leaders, Jesus says, "You yourself? No so much."
The "greatest" and "youngest" are not superlatives, but comparatives, "greater" and "younger." Saying "like a younger" has the bit of the sense of "like a child" but more of a sense of "always inferior" since younger people were always seen as a bit inferior to the older ones.
The word translated as "chief" and "rules" is used by Jesus only here, and is neither a noun nor an active verb. It is a participle (verbal adjective) used as a noun, "the one leading". It is the root of our English word, "hegemon", which means "ruler".
Reminds me of a great song lyric, "I was much older then, I am younger than that now."
But ye shall(IW) not be so: but(CW) [he that is(IP) (MW) greatest(WF) among you, let(CW) him(WF) be(CW) as the younger; and he(CW) that(IW) is chief(WF), as he(CW) that(IW) [doth serve(WF)].
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "shall" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "but" is not the common word usually translated as "but" and works differently.
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "he that is" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "greatest" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF -- Wrong Form - It is not the superlative form, "the greatest" but the comparative, "the greater".
- CW --Confusing Word -- The verb "let" is not addressed to someone, it is a third-person command.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is the subject, "he", not an object, "him".
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "be" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "he".
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "leading".
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "he".
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "that" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "serving".
But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest(WF) among you should(WW) be(CW) like the youngest, and the one who(IW) rules(WF) like the one who(IW) serves(WF).
- WF -- Wrong Form - It is not the superlative form, "the greatest" but the comparative, "the greater".
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "should" should be something more like "must".
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "be" does not capture the word's specific meaning in this situation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "who" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "leading".
- IW - Inserted Word -- The "who" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "serving".
But -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but", "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.
ye -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves". It sometimes precedes a verbal adjective or infinitive where it is not part of the verb. It is plural.
shall -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.
be -- There is no verb "to be" here in the Greek. However, when nouns, pronouns or adjectives appear in the form of a subject without a verb, the verb "to be" can be assumed.
so -- The word translated in KJV as "so" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way".
but --- (CW) The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead", "but instead" or "rather". It is not the common word usually translated as "but". It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise". Jesus almost always uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this" with a positive one, "instead this".
he that is -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as this phrase in the Greek source.
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.
greatest -- (WF) "Greatest" is an adjective which is the comparative form of the word meaning "big" or "great". It means "bigger", "higher", "longer", "greater" and simply, "superior". When it is introduced by an article, it means "the greater". It is not the superlative form, "the greatest" but the comparative, "the greater".
among -- The word translated as "among" also means "within", "with" or "among".
you -- The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners.
let -- (CW) This "let" is the helping verb used to translate the Greek form of the third-person command. In English all commands are in the second person. This form is used as something like our word "must". Using "let" as the active verb, rather than a helper verb like "must", changes the subject from the third party to the second.
him -- (WF) This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb. This is the subject, not an object.
be -- (CW) The word translated as "be" means "to become", that is, to enter into a new state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen", "to occur" or "take place". Sometimes, "arises" works best when the subject comes into being. For things, it can be "to be produced". When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. The form of the verb's object can indicate the time or to whom it "happens". This is not the specific meaning of the word in this situation.
as -- The word translated as "as" is a word that as an adverb/conjunction means "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that". However, the form could also be a pronoun, "this one" or "that one" as an object.
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.
younger -- "Younger" is the comparative form of the adjective that means "young", "youthful", "suited to a youth", "new", "fresh". It is introduced by an article so it acts like a noun, "the young one" or "the new one".
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" 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. Here, it comes before an adjective form of a verb. This is not the word usually translated as "he".
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
is -- There is no verb "is" here in the Greek. However, when nouns, pronouns or adjectives appear in the form of a subject without a verb, the verb "to be" can be assumed.
chief -- (WF) "Chief" is the unique word here, one that Jesus only uses once in the Gospels. It is a verb that means to "go before, lead the way, be a leader", "lead", "command", "rule", "have dominion", "believe" and "hold". It is in the form of an adjective, "leading".
as -- The word translated as "as" is a word that as an adverb/conjunction means "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that". However, the form could also be a pronoun, "this one" or "that one" as an object.
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" 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. Here, it comes before an adjective form of a verb. This is not the word usually translated as "he".
that -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
doth serve. -- (WF) The Greek verb translated as "doth serve" means "to act as a servant", "to minister" and "to perform services". It is usually translated as "minister". It is from the same root as the Greek word usually translated as "minister". However, in English, the word might be better translated as "helper" though this word does include ideas such as "serving" a meal. It is not an active verb, but a verb in the form of an adjective, "serving", so with the article, "the one serving". However, this word doesn't refer to the idea of serving a meal. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "serving".
But -- The Greek word translated as "but" means "but", "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.
you -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves". It sometimes precedes a verbal adjective or infinitive where it is not part of the verb. It is plural.
are -- There is no verb "to be" here in the Greek. However, when nouns, pronouns or adjectives appear in the form of a subject without a verb, the verb "to be" can be assumed.
not -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact. Adding "really" to the sentence captures the same idea.
like that -- The word translated in KJV as "like that" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way".
Instead--- The Greek word translated as "instead" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead", "but instead" or "rather". It is not the common word usually translated as "but". It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise". Jesus almost always uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this", with a positive one, "instead this".
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.
greatest -- (WF) "Greatest" is an adjective which is the comparative form of the word meaning "big" or "great". It means "bigger", "higher", "longer", "greater" and simply, "superior". When it is introduced by an article, it means "the greater". It is not the superlative form, "the greatest" but the comparative, "the greater".
among -- The word translated as "among" also means "within", "with" or "among".
you -- The "you" here is plural, indicating many of Christ's listeners.
should -- (WW) This is not a statement of possibility (subjunctive), but a third-person command so it should be preceded by a "must".
be -- (CW) The word translated as "be" means "to become", that is, to enter into a new state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur" or "take place". Sometimes, "arises" works best when the subject comes into being. For things, it can be "to be produced". When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. The form of the verb's object can indicate the time or to whom it "happens". This is not the specific meaning of the word in this situation.
missing "as" -- (MW) The untranslated word MW - Missing Word -- The word "as" after "be" is not shown in the English translation. "as" is a word that as an adverb/conjunction means "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that".
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.
younger -- "Younger" is the comparative form of the adjective that means "young", "youthful", "suited to a youth", "new", "fresh". It is introduced by an article so it acts like a noun, "the young one" or "the new one".
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").
the one who serves.
the one -- The word translated as "the one" 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. Here, it comes before an adjective form of a verb.
who -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
rules -- (WF) "Rules " is the unique word here, one that Jesus only uses once in the Gospels. It is a verb that means to "go before, lead the way, be a leader", "lead", "command", "rule", "have dominion", "believe" and "hold". It is in the form of an adjective, "ruling".
like -- The word translated as "like" is a word that as an adverb/conjunction means "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that". However, the form could also be a pronoun, "this one" or "that one" as an object.
the one -- The word translated as "the one" 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. Here, it comes before an adjective form of a verb.
who -- (IW) This word is not in the Greek source. It was added because the next verb was translated as active rather than as a participle.
serves. -- (WF) The Greek verb translated as "serves" means "to act as a servant", "to minister" and "to perform services". It is usually translated as "minister". It is from the same root as the Greek word usually translated as "minister". However, in English, the word might be better translated as "helper" though this word does include ideas such as "serving" a meal. It is not an active verb, but a verb in the form of an adjective, "serving", so with the article, "the one serving". However, this word doesn't refer to the idea of serving a meal. This is not an active verb but a participle, a verbal adjective, "serving".
ὑμεῖς [92 verses](pron 2nd pl nom) "You" is hymeis, which is the plural nominative form of the second person, "you".
δὲ (conj) "But" 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").
οὐχ (partic) "Not" is ou which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences. The other negative adverb, μή applies to will and thought; οὐ denies, μή rejects; οὐ is absolute, μή relative; οὐ objective, μή subjective.
οὕτως, (adv) "So" is houtos, which as an adverb, it means "in this way", "therefore", "so much", "to such an extent" and "that is why".
ἀλλ᾽ [154 verses](conj) "But" is alla, which means "instead", "otherwise", "but", "still", "at least", "except", "yet", nevertheless", "rather", "moreover" and "nay". Followed by οὐ, the sense is "still" and "at least". Followed by γὰρ. the sense is "but really" and "certainly". Following an εἰ μὴ, clause the sense is "if not" some word, related to time, "at least still" and without the reference to time, "at least".
ὁ [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 word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".
μείζων (adj sg masc nom comp) "The greatest" is meizon which means "bigger", "higher", "longer" and "greater". It is the comparative form of megas, which means "big" and "great." The superlative form "greatest" is megistos, μέγιστος.
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".
ὑμῖν (pron 2nd pl dat) "You" is hymin (humin), which is the 2nd person plural dative pronoun. Dative is the case which indicates to whom something is given.
γινέσθω ( verb 3rd sg pres imperat mp ) "Let...be" is ginomai, which means "to become", "to come into being", "to happen", of things "to be produced", of events "take place", "come to pass", "to be engaged in", math "to be multiplied into", "become one of", "turn into" and "to be". It means changing into a new state of being. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi)which indicates existence in the same state.
ὡς ( pron pl masc acc / adv/ conj) "As" is hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason" and many similar meanings. As an adverb, it means "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly (with numbers)" and "know that".
ὁ [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".
νεώτερος, (adj sg masc nom comp) "Younger" is neos, which means "young", "youthful", "suited to a youth", "new", "fresh" and as an adverb of time, "lately", "just now", "anew" and "afresh".
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".
ὁ ( article sg masc nom ) "He that" 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".
ἡγούμενος [1 verse]( part sg pres mid masc nom ) "Chief" is hēgeomai, which is a verb that means to "go before, lead the way, be a leader", "lead", "command", "rule", "have dominion", "believe" and "hold".
ὡς ( pron pl masc acc / adv/ conj) "As" is hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason," and many similar meanings. As an adverb, it means to "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers), and "know that".
ὁ ( article sg masc nom ) "He that" 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".
διακονῶν: ( part sg pres act masc nom ) "Doth serve" is from diakoneo, which "to act as a servant", "to minister" and "to perform services".