All of the adjectives to describe the needy here have double meanings. Poor means beggar. Lame means detective. Blind means lacking vision in the future. However, the word translated as "maimed/crippled is a verb meaning "you multiply to infinity". The Greek adjective meaning "maimed" is spelled slightly differently. And this is nothing like the word for "maimed" that Jesus usually used with these other words. This oddball seems intentional.
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Today's Verse Analysis
Jesus says not to invite people to a meal who could pay you back.
Spoken to
an individual
KJV Verse
Luke 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
NIV Verse:
Luke 14:13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
What His Listeners Heard:
But when an entertainment you produce, invite beggarly--you multiply to infinity--limping, dim.
Lost In Translation:
KJV w/Translation Issues :
But(CW) when(CW) thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed(CW), the lame, the blind:
KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.
Constantly Updated
My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.
What Jesus's Listeners Heard
The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.
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See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.
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Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.
Christ's Words in Matthew as a Guide to 40 Days of Prayer.