Spoken to:
Jesus asks this question of the unclean spirit infecting to man at the tombs.
KJV :
Mark 5:9 What is thy name
NIV :
Mark 5:9 What is your name?”
Listeners Heard:
What is a name for you?
My Takeaway:
Our name works for us or against us.
Lost in Translation:
There is a small mystery in this verse. Jesus uses either the plural form of "your" in the "your name" or it is a singular form of the dative, which would make it "for you." Either works.
Original Word Order:
WORD-BY-WORD COMPARISON OF THE GREEK TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:
Τί [252 verses](irreg sg neut nom/acc) "What" is tis which can mean "someone", "any one", "everyone", "they [indefinite]", "many a one", "whoever", "anyone", "anything", "some sort", "some sort of", "each", "any", "the individual", "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who", "why," or "what."
ὄνομά [47 verses](noun sg neut nom/acc) "Name" is 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. This could also be the verb form, (verb 1st sg fut ind act) of onomazo but the verb form isn't used elsewhere in the Bible. And if it was the verb, the "what name" would be its object.
σοὶ [81 verses](adj pl masc nom or pron 2nd sg dat ) "Thy" is soi, which is either the plural nominative form of an adjective that means "of yours," OR the dative form of the singular, second person pronoun, "to you".
KJV Analysis:
What - The word translated as "what" means primarily "anything" or "anyone," which are used as "what", "who", and "why" in questions.
is - There is no verb "to be" in this sentence. However, the following noun is in the form of a subject, which, when used without a verb, assumes the verb "to be." However, the verb could also be the word translated as "name" as described below.
thy - (CW) The word for "thy" is either the plural nominative form of a possessive adjective that means "of all you ," OR it is the dative form of the singular, second person pronoun, "for you". The form of this pronoun requires the addition of a preposition in English to capture its meaning. The possessive form would usually have an article before the noun "that name of yours" so the dative "for you" seems more likely "a name for you."
name -This is the noun meaning "name" or the verb means "call" in the form "will I call you." 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." This could also be the verb form, which would explain the dative but the verb form of this word isn't used elsewhere in the Bible.
KJV Translation Issues:
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "thy" does not capture the word's plural meaning.
NIV Analysis:
What - The word translated as "what" means primarily "anything" or "anyone," which are used as "what", "who", and "why" in questions.
is - There is no verb "to be" in this sentence. However, the following noun is in the form of a subject, which, when used without a verb, assumes the verb "to be." However, the verb could also be the word translated as "name" as described below.
your - (CW) The word for "your " is either the plural nominative form of a possessive adjective that means "of all you ," OR it is the dative form of the singular, second person pronoun, "for you". The form of this pronoun requires the addition of a preposition in English to capture its meaning. The possessive form would usually have an article before the noun "that name of yours" so the dative "for you" seems more likely "a name for you."
name - -This is the noun meaning "name" or the verb means "call" in the form "will I call you." 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." This could also be the verb form, which would explain the dative but the verb form of this word isn't used elsewhere in the Bible.
NIV Translation Issues:
CW --Confusing Word -- The "thy" does not capture the word's plural meaning.