Luke 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor,

Spoken to
an individual

Jesus says not to invite people to a meal who could pay you back.

KJV

Luke 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:

NIV

Luke 14:13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

LISTENERS HEARD

But when an entertainment you produce, invite beggarly--you multiply to infinity--limping, dim.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

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.

MY TAKE

We are all crippled in some way.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
3

But(CW) when(CW) thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed(CW), the lame, the blind:

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "but" is not the common word usually translated as "but" and works differently.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when”.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "maimed”.

 

 

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4

But(CW) when(CW) you give(WW) a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled(CW), the lame, the blind,

  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "but" is not the common word usually translated as "but" and works differently.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word that should usually be translated as "when”.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "give" should be something more like "make”.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "crippled”.

 

 

EACH WORD of KJV

But -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead”, "but instead”, or "rather”. It is not the common word usually translated as "but”. It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise”. Jesus almost always uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this”, with a positive one, "instead this”.

when -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since”. This is not the more common word for "when”. Here, the condition is less certain to happen.

thou -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

makest -- The Greek word translated as "make" has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

feast, -- "Feast" is a noun Jesus only uses it. It means  "reception", and "entertainment”.

call -- The term translated as "call" is like our word "call" because it means both "to summon" and also "to name”, but it does not as clearly mean "to address."

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

poor, -- "Poor" is an adjective that means "a beggar" and "beggarly" and it a metaphor for being lacking in something.

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

maimed, -- (CW) The fun word here is translated as "maimed", but though it looks like the Greek adjective that means "maimed" or "mutilated" it is actually the Greek verb meaning "you multiply by infinity". Jesus commonly uses another word for "maimed" with these other words. This is not the word usually translated as "maimed."

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

lame, - "The lame" is a word that means both "limping" and 'defective”.

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

blind: -- "The blind" is a word that means both physically and mentally blind. It also means all things that are obscure. It has no article "the" before it.

EACH WORD of NIV

But -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "but" denotes an exception or simple opposition. It is used to emphasize the contrast between things like we use "instead”, "but instead”, or "rather”. It is not the common word usually translated as "but." It is the Greek word "other" like we use "otherwise”. Jesus almost always uses this conjunction to connect a negative clause, "not this”, with a positive one, "instead this”.

when -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "when" introduces a phrase that explains a certain condition so "whenever" or "since’. This is not the more common word for "when". Here, the condition is less certain to happen.

you -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

give -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "give " has the primary meaning of "making" or producing" something or "causing" or "performing" as service. It describes a productive action.  In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly. This word doesn't mean "give”.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a noun doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

banquet, -- "Banquet" is a noun Jesus only uses it. It means  "reception", and "entertainment”.

invite -- The term translated as "call" is like our word "call" because it means both "to summon" and also "to name”, but it does not as clearly mean "to address”.

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

poor, -- "Poor" is an adjective that means "a beggar" and "beggarly" and it a metaphor for being lacking in something.

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

crippled, -- (CW) The fun word here is translated as "crippled", but though it looks like the Greek adjective that means "maimed" or "mutilated" but which is actually the Greek verb meaning "you multiply by infinity". Jesus commonly uses another word for "maimed" with these other words. This is not the word usually translated as "maimed."

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

lame, - "The lame" is a word that means both "limping" and 'defective”.

the -- There is no Greek article "those" here in the source, but the noun is plural and in English, a definite article "the/this/that/theses/those" is used before plural nouns in phrases like this

blind: -- "The blind" is a word that means both physically and mentally blind. It also means all things that are obscure. It has no article "the" before it.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

ἀλλ᾽ [154 verses](conj) "But" is alla, which means "instead”, "otherwise”, "but”, "still”, "at least”, "except”, "yet”, “nevertheless”, "rather”, "moreover”,and "nay”. Followed by οὐ, the sense is "still” and "at least”. Followed by γὰρ. the sense is "but really" and "certainly.”.  Following an εἰ μὴ, clause the sense is "if not" some word , related to time, "at least still” and without the reference time, "at least".

ὅταν [70 verses](adv/conj) "When" is from hotan, which means "whenever (as a condition)” and "since (as a cause)”.

δοχὴν [1 verse] (noun sg fem) "Feast" is doche, which means  "reception", and "entertainment”.

ποιῇς,[168 verses] (verb 2nd sg pres subj act ) "Thou makest" is poieo, which means "to make”, "to produce”, "to create”, "to bring into existence”, "to bring about”, "to cause”, "to perform”, "to render”, "to consider”, "to prepare”, "to make ready” and "to do”. The accusative object is what is made. Double accusative is to do something to someone. When it has a genitive object, it means "made from”. When it doesn't have an object, the verb is translated as  "perform" or simply "do." When used with an accusative infinitive, it means to "cause" or "bring about”. A dative object means "made with”.  With the preposition "into" (eis) it means "made into”.

κάλει [38 verses](verb 2nd sg pres imperat act ) "Call" is kaleo, which means "call”, "summon”, "invite”, "invoke”, "call by name” and "demand”. "Shall be called" is kaleo, which means "call”, "summon”, "invite”, "invoke”, "call by name” and "demand”.

πτωχούς,[17 verses] (adj pl masc acc) "Poor" is ptochos, which means "beggar”, "beggar-woman” and "beggarly”.

ἀναπείρους,  [2 verses](adj pl masc/fem acc) "Maimed" is assumed to be anaperos(ἀναπήρους)(adj pls masc acc) which means "maimed", and "mutilated", but the actual word in Greek is apeiroo, (verb 2nd sg pres ind act) which is a verb meaning "multiply to infinity".  All the ancient Greek sources agree on this verb.

χωλούς [6 verses] (adj pl masc nom) "The lame" is from chôlos, which means "lame”, "limping” and "defective”. A very similar word, cholos, which means "gall”, "bitter”, "angry” and "wrathful”.

τυφλούς [15 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Blind'" is typhlos, which means "blind”, "lacking vision of the future”, "dark”, "dim”, "obscure”, "hidden” and "no outlet (of passages)”.

Wordplay

The word here that sounds like "maimed" is actually a word meaning "multiply by infinity" referring to the poor. Poor means lacking something. Lame means defective or bitter. Blind means dim-witted. 

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