Matthew 15:13 Every plant, which my heavenly Father

Spoken to: 

Apostles

After being challenged by the Pharisees, Jesus's students ask if he knows that he tripped them up

KJV: 

Matthew 15:13 Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be uprooted.

NIV : 

Matthew 15:13 Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Every crop that he hasn't planted, this father of mine, the sky one? He will root out.

Every generation that he hasn't fathered, this father of mine, the sky one, he will root out.

Every cycle of crops where my universal Father has not planted [the trees] is going to be rooted out.

MY TAKE: 

Those things which do not play a part in the Divine plan are only temporary.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The words translated as "plant" and "planted" have multiple meanings and do not really mean "plant" or "planted,"  except in the sense of planting trees. It is a play on words.  The word translated as "plant" means a given season's crops or a generation of people. It is used only here by Jesus. The word translated as "planted" means "engender" or "fathered." It is used only seven times. The word translated as "uprooted" is also rare, used only three times.

While Jesus often uses symbols or, as he says, figures of speech, this verse has several meanings right on the surface. Indeed, the KJV may pull the symbols out of a verse where the plain meaning is right on the surface.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

4
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "plant" should be something more like "crop."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "heavenly" is not used as an adjective but as a noun.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "hath" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • MM -- Many Meanings -- This word has several different meanings that work here and is a form of wordplay.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

4
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "plant" should be something more like "crop."
  • WF - Wrong Form -  The "heavenly" is not used as an adjective but as a noun.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "has" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
  • MM -- Many Meanings -- This word has several different meanings that work here and is a form of wordplay.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

Every  - The word translated as "every" is a word meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. Because it modifies a singular noun, "every" works best.

plant,  - (WW) "Plant" is translated from a Greek word that doesn't mean "a plant" but "planting," "generation," and "production." It has the sense of one crop in a cycle of crops, one current crop in a cycle of harvests. Symbolically, agriculture, and wealth all belong to Christ's realm of thought as an achievement of the mind. This word is only used here by Jesus.

which  - The word translated as "which" is a demonstrative pronoun, but it often acts as a pronoun, especially a connective pronoun introducing a dependent clause.

my  -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

heavenly  - (WF) "Heavenly" is from an adjective that Christ rarely uses. Usually, he says "in the heavens," (plural), but here he uses an adjective in the form of a noun since it is introduced by an article. As with the word "heaven," his meaning is closer to our idea of the sky or universe. The use is "the sky one."

Father  - "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor.

hath -- (WT) This helping verb "hath" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

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.

planted,  - (MM) "Planted" is from a verb which means "beget," "engender," generally, "produce," "bring about," "cause (mostly of evils), "implant in, "to plant" (especially trees), "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees." When used as a noun, means "father" or, in plural, "parents." This word is only used seven times.

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

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.

uprooted.  - "Uprooted" is from a verb that means "to root out." It is the future passive, "is going to be rooted out." The prefix of the word means "out." Jesus uses this word three times.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

Every  - The word translated as "every" is a word meaning "all," "the whole," "every," and similar ideas. Because it modifies a singular noun, "every" works best.

plant,  - (WW) "Plant" is translated from a Greek word that doesn't mean "a plant" but "planting," "generation," and "production." It has the sense of one crop in a cycle of crops, one current crop in a cycle of harvests. Symbolically, agriculture, and wealth all belong to Christ's realm of thought as an achievement of the mind. This word is only used here by Jesus.

that - The word translated as "that" is a demonstrative pronoun, but it often acts as a pronoun, especially a connective pronoun introducing a dependent clause.

my  -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine."  As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.

heavenly  - (WF) "Heavenly" is from an adjective that Christ rarely uses. Usually, he says "in the heavens," (plural), but here he uses an adjective in the form of a noun since it is introduced by an article. As with the word "heaven," his meaning is closer to our idea of the sky or universe. The use is "the sky one."

Father  - "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor.

has -- (WT) This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.

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.

planted,  - (MM) "Planted" is from a verb which means "beget," "engender," generally, "produce," "bring about," "cause (mostly of evils), "implant in, "to plant" (especially trees), "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees." When used as a noun, means "father" or, in plural, "parents." This word is only used seven times.

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

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.

pulled up by the roots.  - "Uprooted" is from a verb that means "to root out." It is the future passive, "is going to be rooted out." The prefix of the word means "out." Jesus uses this word three times.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Πᾶσα (adj sg fem nom ) "Every" is from pas, which means "all," "the whole," "every," "anyone," "all kinds," and "anything." In the adverbial form, it means "every way," "on every side," "in every way," and "altogether."

φυτεία [1 verse]( noun sg fem nom ) "Plant" is from phyteia, which means "planting," "generation," and "production." It has the sense of one season's crop in a cycle of planting crops, one harvest in a cycle of harvests.

ἣν (pron sg fem acc) "Which" is from hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

οὐκ (particle) "Not" is from 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.

ἐφύτευσεν [7 verses](3rd sg aor ind act) "Hath planted" is from phyteuo, which means "beget," "engender," generally, "produce," "bring about," "cause (mostly of evils), "implant in," "to plant {especially trees," "to set-up," and specifically, "to plant with trees." When used as a noun, means "father" or, in plural, "parents."

(article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

πατήρ (noun sg masc nom) "The Father" is from pater, which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers." -- "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own father, though it can mean any male ancestor.

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

(article sg masc nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

οὐράνιος (adj sg masc nom) "Heavenly" is from the Greek ouranios, an adjective meaning "heavenly," "dwelling in heaven," "in or of heaven," "reaching to heaven," "high as heaven," "sky-blue (of color)," "from the point of view of heaven," and a metaphor for "mountainous," and "colossal."

ἐκριζωθήσεται. [3 verses](verb 3rd sg fut ind pass) "Shall be uprooted" is from ekrizoo, which means "to root out."

Wordplay: 

The entire phrase is a multiple play on words mixing agriculture with generations of people and their products. 

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Jan 23 2021