Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me...

KJV : 

Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Listeners Heard: 

Because whoever, when he is ashamed of me and these my ideas, in this type, this one, the cheating and mistaken, also this son of the man will be ashamed of him when he shows up in that recognition of that Father of his, with the messengers, the holy ones.

Lost in Translation: 

This is the third verse in a row with the word usually translated as "for"  introducing it, but that word is translated ipn the KJV three different ways, "for," "or," and, here, as "therefore." The word has the sense of "because" but occurs as the second word in its clause, so "consequently>' The key word in this verse is "ashamed", which is used only twice by Jesus, here and in the parallel verse in Luke 9:26 . In Matthew 10:33, another word "deny" is used after the positive version of the "confess" version of the verse.

WORD-BY-WORD COMPARISON OF THE GREEK TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS: 

ὃς (pron sg masc nom) "Whosover" is hos, which means "this", "that", "he", "she", "which", "what", "who", "whosoever", "where", "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

γὰρ (partic) "Therefore" comes from gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for", "since," and "as." In an abrupt question, it means "why" and "what."

ἐὰν (conj) Untranslated is ean, which is a conditional particle (derived from ei (if)and an (might)) which makes reference to a time and experience in the future that introduces but does not determine an event.

ἐπαισχυνθῇ [uncommon](verb 3rd sg aor subj mp) "Shall be ashamed" is from epaischynomai, which means "to be ashamed at or of", "to be ashamed of doing or having done something," and "to feel or show shame."

με (noun sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which means "I", "me", and "my". 

καὶ (conj) "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."

τοὺς (article pl masc acc) Untranslated 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." 

ἐμοὺς (noun sg masc acc) "My" is emou, which means "me", and "mine". 

λόγους (noun pl masc acc) "Words" is logos, which means "word", "computation", "relation", "explanation", "law", "rule of conduct", "continuous statement", "tradition", "discussion," "reckoning," and "value." --

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".

τῇ (article sg fem dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

γενεᾷ (noun sg fem dat ) "Generation" is genea, which means "race", "family", "generation", "class," and "kind." It is a form of the word from which we get the scientific word,"genus."

ταύτῃ (adj sg fem dat) "This" is tauta, which is a referring pronoun meaning "these", "this", "that," and "here." It can mean the nearer or the further depending on usage. As an adverb it can mean "therefore" and "that is why."

τῇ (article sg fem dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

μοιχαλίδι (noun sg fem dat) "Adulterous" is from moichalis, which is from the Greek word for "an adulterous woman." It was also a metaphor for being unfaithful to the gods.

καὶ (conj) "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." 

ἁμαρτωλῷ, (adj sg fem dat) "Sinful" is from  hamartolos which means "erroneous," and "of bad character."

 καὶ  (conj) "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." 

(article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." -

υἱὸς (noun sg masc nom) "The Son" is huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.

τοῦ (article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

ἀνθρώπου (noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

ἐπαισχυνθήσεται (verb 3rd sg fut ind mp) "Shall be ashamed" is from epaischynomai, which means "to be ashamed at or of", "to be ashamed of doing or having done something," and "to feel or show shame."

αὐτὸν (adj sg masc acc) "Of him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."

ὅταν (adv/conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)," and "since (as a cause)." 

ἔλθῃ (verb 3rd sg aor subj act) "He cometh" is erchomai, which means "to start," "to set out", "to come", "to go," and any kind of motion. It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place. -- The word translated as "come" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "come" or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. 

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".

τῇ (article sg fem dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

δόξῃ (noun sg fem dat) "Glory" is doxa, which means "expectation", "notion", "opinion", "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are applied to external appearances but are found primarily in translating the Bible. The words "recognition" and "reputation" come closest to capturing the way Christ uses the word, especially if we consider how he uses the verb form.

τοῦ (article sg masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

πατρὸς ( noun sg masc gen ) "The Father" is pater, which means "father", "grandfather", "author", "parent," and "forefathers." 

αὐτοῦ  (adj sg masc gen) "His" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him", "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." 

μετὰ (prep) "With" is meta, which means "with", "in the midst of", "among", "between", "in common", "along with", "by the aid of", "in one's dealings with", "into the middle of", "coming into", "in pursuit of", "after", "behind", "according to," and "next afterward." 

τῶν (article pl masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

ἀγγέλων (noun pl masc gen) "Angels" is from aggelos, which means "messenger" and "envoy."

τῶν (article pl masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"), which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." -

ἁγίων. (adj pl masc gen) "Holy" is from hagios, which means "devoted to the gods", "pure", "holy," and on the negative side "accursed."

KJV Analysis: 

Whosoever -- The word translated as "whosoever" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun ("the one that), especially a connective pronoun ("the one that") introducing a dependent clause.

therefore -- The word translated as "therefore" introduces a reason or explanation so "because" and, in questions, "why."

untranslated -- An untranslated Greek word appears here meaning "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when".

shall -- This seems to indicate that the verb is the future tense, but it isn't. It is the tense that indicates something that might happen at some time. "Might" is more appropriate.

be -- This indicates a passive verb, but the verb from could either be passive or the one where the subject acts on itself.

ashamed -- The word translated as "shall be ashamed" means "to be ashamed at or of", "to be ashamed of doing or having done something," and "to feel or show shame." It is uncommon, use only here and in Luke 9:26 The form is not the future tense but a form indicates something that might happen. The shame  here is a social embarrassment.  This is the embarrassment we feel because we are out of step with the crowd.

of -- This is added because the English word "ashamed" doesn't take a direct object.

me - "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

of -- This is added because the English word "ashamed" doesn't take a direct object.

my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun.  This word follows the noun so "of me."

untranslated -- An untranslated Greek word appears here meaning "if might" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is often how we use the word "when".

words -- "Words" is translated from a Greek word that means "calculation," or "reasoning." It is the source of our word "logic" and is the root word for all the English words that end in "-ology." Most biblical translations translated it as "word" for somewhat poetic reasons. More about this word in this article. In English, we would say "idea" to describe it. 

in -- The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

untranslated -- -- The untranslated word is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

this -- The "this" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. As an adverb it can mean "therefore" and "that is why." It is not typically used as an adjective. It follows the verb.

adulterous "Adulterous" is the Greek word for "an adulterous woman." It was also a metaphor for being unfaithful to the gods. The general sense is "unfaithful" but it could be a reference to people who are divorced from their vows. It is not used as an adjective, but a noun, introduced by an article, "these unfaithful". 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

sinful -- "Sinful" is an adjective that means "erroneous," and "of bad character." It is a form fo the word translated as "sin" which is closer in meaning to "mistake."

generation; -- The word translated as "generation" means "race", "family", and "generation". The sense is a "type" or a "specimen" of a particular type.  Jesus uses this term frequently in criticism, but that criticism seems more aimed at a particular type of people than his generation. It is the word from which we get the scientific "genus".  This word comes earlier in the Greek, before the adjectives.

of  --This comes from the form of the following pronoun.

him -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.  The word means "the same" when used as an adjective. In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."  This word appears after the verb translated as "ashamed."

also -- The Greek word translated as "also" is used as the conjunction "and" above, but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as".

shall -- This comes from the future tense of the verb. The first occurrence of this verb was a different tense.

the - The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Son The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense is "the child of the man." The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant".

of -- This word comes from the form of the following article and noun.

untranslated -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

man -- The Greek word for "of man" in the singular means "person" and "humanity" and "people" and "peoples" in the plural.

be -- This indicates a passive verb, but the verb from could either be passive or the one where the subject acts on itself.

ashamed, -- The word translated as "shall be ashamed" means "to be ashamed at or of", "to be ashamed of doing or having done something," and "to feel or show shame." It is uncommon, use only here and in Luke 9:26 The form is not the future tense but a form indicates something that might happen. The shame  here is a social embarrassment.  This is the embarrassment we feel because we are out of step with the crowd.

when The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since." This is the parallel fo the "when might" in the first part of the verse. 

he -- "He" is from the third-person form of the verb.

cometh The word translated as "cometh" primarily means "to start out" but Christ usually uses it to mean "come" but not always. It indicates movement, especially its beginning, without indicating a direction toward or away from anything, so it works either as "come" or "go," but it is more like our phrase "being underway." Our English word "show up" captures both the "start" and "come" ideas. 

in The word translated as "in" also means "within", "with," or "among."

the -- The word translated as "the" 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. 

glory "Glory" from a Greek word that means "expectation", "notion", "opinion", "repute," and "popular repute." Translations as "glory" or "splendor" are applied to external appearances but are found primarily in translating the Bible. The words "recognition" and "reputation" come closest to capturing the way Christ uses the word, especially if we consider how he uses the verb form.

of -- This comes from the form fo the following words.

untranslated -- The untranslated word  is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. 

Father -- "Father" is the common word that Christ uses to address his own Father, though it can mean any male ancestor. When referring to others, Christ uses it to refer to their ancestors, that is, "forefathers."

with -- "With" is the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of". It is not the term usually translated as "after."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

holy -- The word translated as "holy" means "devoted to God." This word appears after the word "messengers" wih it own article so "the ones holy" or "the ones devoted to God."

angels. -- The word translated as "angels" means "messengers" 

untranslated -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." Here, it appears before the adjective translated as "holy."  The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those"). See this article for more. 

Related Verses: 

Possible Symbolic Meaning: 

This chapter has been about crowds of people. The miracle of the loaves that begins this chapter teaches that God can take care of us each individually in a crowd and the lessons throughout the chapter all relate to the difference in understanding of goals of society as a crowd and each of us as individuals. Leading up to this verse, Christ contrasts the value of our soul, our self-awareness with the rewards of society. This verse continues that discussion into the realm of our feelings.

The truth of Christ and his words are not found in the crowd. It is personal.  It is individual. It is about our private relationship with God and Christ's message.  It is about our self-awareness not the teachings of a group.Christ makes this clear in all his confrontations with the religious leaders of his day. A leader seeks his or her importance by his or her position in the crowd, but our relationship with God is one-on-one. It is as private as our own thoughts, as exclusive as our own self-awareness.

Front Page Date: 

Sep 2 2019