Spoken to:
Healing Jairus's daughter.
KJV:
Luke 8:54 Maid, arise!
NIV :
Luke 8:54 My child, get up
LISTENERS HEARD:
The child awakens.
MY TAKE:
Jesus awakens the child sleeping within us.
GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page):
GREEK ORDER:
LOST IN TRANSLATION:
Three Greek words, four or more translation issues. Both translations ignore the "the" at the beginning. This is important because it means that this cannot be a common that Jesus gives. If the girl was addressed by Jesus, there would be not "the" at the beginning. While the verb could be a command, it is more likely as simple statement, "The child awakens." If we want to translate this verb as a command, it would be, "This child? Awaken!"
Translating the verb as "awaken" rather than "arise" is more accurate and it reflects Jesus's statement that the girl sleeps, and preserves his analogy of death as sleep.
# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "word" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- "maid's" translation is more specific than the word's more general meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not the right form to be a name he calls the girl.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "arise" does not capture the word's specific meaning of "awaken."
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES:
- IW - Inserted Word-- The "my" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "word" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW --Confusing Word -- "child's" translation is more specific than the word's more general meaning.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not the right form to be a name he calls the girl.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "get up" does not capture the word's specific meaning of "awaken."
EACH WORD of KJV :
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.
Maid, - (CW, WF) Though translated as "maid," this word means "child." It refers to either girls of boys, but it is preceded by a feminine direct article. This translation is more specific than the word's meaning. Though translated as being addressed to the girl, it cannot be. This is not the right form to be a name he calls the girl. It is also not introduced by a word used as a vocative article.
arise! -- (CW) The word for "arise" means "awaken" and is the same word Jesus uses to describe God raising the dead and false prophets arising. While its primary meaning is “awaken," “rouse,” or “stir up,” in various forms and, in different contexts, it means “wake up,” “stay awake,” and “to be awake.” It can also mean “to stir yourself,” “excite yourself,” or to “be excited” by passion.” It also forms various idioms. For example, when used with “ears” it means “prick up your ears.” It also means “raise” or “erect,” but usually in the context of constructing buildings. It is only consistently translated as “raise” in the NT and later works based on it.
EACH WORD of NIV :
My-- (IW) This word is not 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.
child, - (CW, WF) Though translated as "child," this word means "child." It refers to either girls of boys, but it is preceded by a feminine direct article. This translation is more specific than the word's meaning. Though translated as being addressed to the girl, it cannot be. This is not the right form to be a name he calls the girl. It is also not introduced by a word used as a vocative article.
get up! -- (CW) The word for "get up" means "awaken" and is the same word Jesus uses to describe God raising the dead and false prophets arising. While its primary meaning is “awaken," “rouse,” or “stir up,” in various forms and, in different contexts, it means “wake up,” “stay awake,” and “to be awake.” It can also mean “to stir yourself,” “excite yourself,” or to “be excited” by passion.” It also forms various idioms. For example, when used with “ears” it means “prick up your ears.” It also means “raise” or “erect,” but usually in the context of constructing buildings. It is only consistently translated as “raise” in the NT and later works based on it. While it could be a command, it is more likely a statement about the child because that would match the form of the subject.
COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV :
Ἡ [821 verses](article sg fem 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." Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article. -
παῖς, [2 verses](noun sg fem nom) "Maid" is pais, which means in relations to age, "child" of either sex, and, in relation to condition, "slave" or "servant."
ἔγειρε. [42 verses](verb 2nd sg pres imperat act or verb 3rd sg aor ind act) "Arise is egeiro, which means "to awaken," "to stir up," and "to rouse." -- The word for "arise" means "awaken" and is the same word Christ uses to describe God raising the dead and false prophets arising.