To chief priests and elders as he is arrested.
Luke 22:52 ... Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
Luke 22:52 ... Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
You come out as against a thief with machetes and cudgels/blockheads.
The last word is the punchline. The word is translated as "staves" and "cudgels", but it could also mean "blockheads" referring to the henchmen with the elders and priests. The word also means "firewood" and could refer to the torches the henchmen carry.
Veil insults in layers of double meaning.
Be(WV) ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves(MM)?
- WV --Wrong Voice - The verb here is translated as passive but it is active.
- MM -- Many Meanings -- This "staves" has several different meanings that work here and is a form of wordplay.
[Am I leading a rebellion, that(IP)] you have(WT) come(CW) (MP) with swords and clubs(MM)?
- . IP - Inserted Phrase-- The "Am I leading a rebellion that , -" doesn't exist in the source.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "have" indicates the past perfect tense, but the tense is something that happens at a specific point in time (past, present, or future).
- CW --Confusing Word -- This is not the common word usually translated as "come".
- MP - Missing Phrase - The phrase "as against a thief" exists in the source.
- MM -- Many Meanings -- This "staves" has several different meanings that work here and is a form of wordplay.
be -- (WV) This helping verb "be" seems to indicate that the verb is passive but it is active.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
come -- The word translated as "Be ye come out" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true". However, in the Greek, it appears later in the sentence, after the "as against a thief" phase. It is from the base word that seems to translate best as "show up" so "show up out here" works well.
out -- This completes the meaning of the verb. It is from the prefix.
as -- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translating as "how", "when", "where", "just as", "like" and related words.
against --The word translated as "against" means "against", "at", "by" or "on".
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.
thief -- The word translated as "thief" means "robber" or "pirate." In the NIV study Bible, they translated "thief" as "rebel," adding a bit of historical politics into the text.
with -- "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of".
swords -- The term for "sword" specifically means a short sword, a weapon like a machete, since the Greek word used here is the source for the term. Christ seems to use "the sword" as a symbol for struggle, which is necessary.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also" and "just".
staves --(MM) The Greek word translated as "staves" means "firewood", a "piece of wood", "cudgel", and various wooden instruments of punishment. It also means the "wood" of a treat or of a table. When referring to a person, it means "blockhead". If the people actually had clubs, it probably meant that, but the double meaning is fun.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
have -- (WT) This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past. This is not the tense of the verb here.
come -- (CW) The word translated as "come out" means literally "to go or come out". It is not the simple word "come".
missing " as against a thief, " -- -- (MP) The Greek words here aren't.
with -- "With" is from the Greek word that is almost always translated as "with" or a related concept such as "among" or "by the means of".
swords -- The term for "sword" specifically means a short sword, a weapon like a machete, since the Greek word used here is the source for the term. Christ seems to use "the sword" as a symbol for struggle, which is necessary.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and", but it also is used to add emphasis, "even," "also", and "just".
clubs --(MM) The Greek word translated as "staves" means "firewood", a "piece of wood", "cudgel" and various wooden instruments of punishment. It also means the "wood" of a treat or of a table. When referring to a person, it means "blockhead". If the people actually had clubs, it probably meant that, but the double meaning is fun.
Ὡς (adv)"As" is from hos, an adverb which means to "thus", "as", "how", "when", "where", "like", "just as", "so far as", "as much as can be", "that", "in order that", "nearly" (with numbers) and "know that".
ἐπὶ (prep) "Against" is from epi, which means "on", "upon", "at", "by", "before", "across" and "against".
λῃστὴν (noun sg masc acc ) "Thief" is from lestes, which means "robber" or "pirate".
ἐξήλθατε (verb 2nd pl aor ind act) "Be ye come out" is from exerchomai, which means "to come or go out of", "to march forth", "go out on", "to stand forth", "to exceed all bounds", "to come to an end", "to go out of office" and [of dreams or prophecies] "to come true".
μετὰ "With" is from 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".
μαχαιρῶν (noun pl fem gen) "Sword" is machaira, which means a "large knife", "large dagger", "short sword" or "dirk". It specifically the type of weapon used for making sacrifices, by assassins, bodyguards, and jugglers.
καὶ "And" is from 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".
ξύλων [4 verses](noun pl neut gen) "Staves" is from xylon, which means "firewood", "timber", in the singular, a "piece of wood", "log", "beam", "post", "cudgel", "club", "various wooden instruments of punishment", "wooden collar", "stocks", "gallows", "impaling stakes", "bench", "table", of live wood, "tree" and of persons, "blockhead".
The word translated as "staves" means "clubs" or "blockheads" when referred to a person.
This verse is identical to the beginning of Matthew 26:55. It has several hallmarks of Jesus's lightheartedness, including the double meaning of the word "staves".