On his way to crucifixion, meeting women mourning for him.
Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Luke 23:30 Then they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!"
Then, they will be the first to say to the mountains, "Fall upon us;" and to the rock piles, "Hide us."
The word translated as "begin" in the KJV and missing in the NIV would be "be the first" in this context. This verse contains one unique word that means "hills" but also means "rock piles" and "altar".
They will be caught between a rock and a hard place.
Then shall they begin(CW) to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
- CW --Confusing Word -- This word doesn't mean "begin" in this situation.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "be the first" after "will" is not shown in the English translation.
- WF -- Wrong Form - This is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to say".
Then -- The Greek word for "then" means "at this time" or "then".
shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
begin -- (CW) "Shall they begin" is from a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to be first", "to begin" and "to make a beginning", "to rule", "to govern" and "to command". The two meanings, "to start" and "to command" create different meanings when paired with the following verbs. The form is someone acting on themselves, so "make a start for yourself" or "command yourself". It is in the future tense. This word doesn't mean "begin" in this situation.
to -- This "to" is added to create the infinitive form of the following verb.
say -- The word translated as "to say" is the most common word that means "to say" and "to speak", but it also means "to teach", which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself". The form is an infinitive.
to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") than the English "the". See this article for more.
mountains -- The word translated as "to the mountains" means "mountain" or "hill" but it could also be the word which means "mule". The word is in a form of an indirect object, which is where the "to" comes from. It is preceded by an article, "the".
Fall -- "Fall" is translated from a Greek word that means "to fall" and "to fall down". It is the root word for dozens of Greek terms involving moving from a higher state to a lower one. Like our word "to fall" it has a number of special meanings including "to fall into a given class", "to prostrate", "to fall from power", "to perish", and so on. Here, it is in a non-standard form of a command or request.
on -- The word translated as "on" means "over", "upon", "against", "before", "after", "during", "by" or "on".
us-- "Us" is the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun. Jesus only uses this pronoun in seven verses, most often in the Lord's Prayer.
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 is can be translated as "not only...but also". After words implying sameness "as".
to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") than the English "the". See this article for more.
hills -- "To the hills" is a Greek noun used only by Jesus here that means "hill", "mound", "heap of stone", "clot of blood" and "altar".
Cover -- "Cover" is a word that means to "cover", "hide" and has the sense of to "cover with dishonor". It is a participle ("covering") in the past that is in the form that indicates something acting on itself, (has covered itself).
us -- "Us" is the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun. Jesus only uses this pronoun in seven verses, most often in the Lord's Prayer.
Then -- The Greek word for "then" means "at this time" or "then".
they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.
will -- This helping verb "will" indicates the verb is in the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
missing "be the first" -- (MW) The untranslated word "be the first" is from a verb in the form of an adjective that means "to be first," "to begin" and "to make a beginning", "to rule", "to govern" and "to command". The two meanings, "to start" and "to command" create different meanings when paired with the following verbs. The form is someone acting on themselves, so "make a start for yourself" or "command yourself". It is in the future tense. This word doesn't mean "begin" in this situation.
say -- (WF) The word translated as "say" is the most common word that means "to say" and "to speak", but it also means "to teach", which seems to be the way Christ uses it more frequently. It also has many ancillary meanings such as "to count" ("to number" or like we might say, "to recount" a story) or "to choose for yourself". The form is an infinitive.
to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") than the English "the". See this article for more.
mountains -- The word translated as "to the mountains" means "mountain" or "hill" but it could also be the word which means "mule". The word is in a form of an indirect object, which is where the "to" comes from. It is preceded by an article, "the".
Fall -- "Fall" is translated from a Greek word that means "to fall" and "to fall down". It is the root word for dozens of Greek terms involving moving from a higher state to a lower one. Like our word "to fall" it has a number of special meanings including "to fall into a given class", "to prostrate", "to fall from power", "to perish", and so on. Here, it is in a non-standard form of a command or request.
on -- The word translated as "on" means "on", "over", "upon", "against", "before", "after", "during", "by" or "on".
us-- "Us" is the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun. Jesus only uses this pronoun in seven verses, most often in the Lord's Prayer.
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 is can be translated as "not only...but also". After words implying sameness "as".
to -- This word "to" comes from the indirect object form of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the", which usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that", "these", "those") than the English "the". See this article for more.
hills -- "To the hills" is a Greek noun used only by Jesus here that means "hill", "mound", "heap of stone", "clot of blood" and "altar".
Cover -- "Cover" is a word that means to "cover", "hide" and has the sense of to "cover with dishonor". It is a participle ("covering") in the past that is in the form that indicates something acting on itself, (has covered itself).
us -- "Us" is the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun. Jesus only uses this pronoun in seven verses, most often in the Lord's Prayer.
τότε (adv) "Then" is tote, which means "at that time" and "then".
ἄρξονται (verb 3rd pl fut ind mid) "Shall they begin" is from archomai, which is a form of archô, which means "to be first", "to begin", "to make a beginning", "to rule", "to govern" and "to command".
“λέγειν ( verb pres inf act ) "To say" is lego, which means "to recount", "to tell over", "to say", "to speak", "to teach", "to mean", "boast of", "tell of", "recite", "nominate" and "command". It has a secondary meaning "pick out", "choose for oneself", "pick up", "gather", "count" and "recount". A less common word that is spelled the same means "to lay", "to lay asleep" and "to lull asleep".
τοῖς [821 verses](article pl neut dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".
ὄρεσιν (noun pl neut dat) "Mountains" is oros, which means "mountain", "hill", "canton" and "parish". In Egypt, it was also used to mean the "desert" and a place of burial. It's homonym moros means a "boundary", "landmark", "time limits", "decisions of judges", "memorial stones and pillars", "standard", "measure", "term" (in logic), "definition", "terms" and "conditions". Another, similar word, oreus, which matches oros in some forms means "mule", but not this form.
Πέσατε (verb pl aor imp 2nd act ) "Shall...fall" is the verb pipto, which means "to fall", "to fall down", "to be cast down", "fall upon", "intersect" (geometry), "meet", "pass through", "fall violently upon", "attack", "fall in battle", "sink"{in water), "fall short" i.e. fail, "fall out of", "lose a thing", "escape from", "fall asleep", "to be accessible to perception", "to fall" (between her feet, i.e. to be born), "to let fall"[dice), "turn out" and "fall under" (belong to a class).
ἐφ᾽ (prep) "On" is epi, which means "on", "over", "upon", "at", "by", "before", "across", "after" in position, "during" and "against".
ἡμᾶς, [7 verse](pron 1st pl masc/fem acc) "Us" is hemas, which is "us", the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun.
καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and" or "also". 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".
τοῖς [821 verses](article pl neut dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). It usually precedes a noun or changes the word it precedes (adjective, infinitive, participle, etc.) to act like a noun. When not preceding a word that can become a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones".
βουνοῖς [1 verse]( noun pl masc dat ) "To the hills" is bounos, which means "hill", "mound", "heap of stone", "clot of blood" and "altar".
Καλύψατε ( verb 2nd pl aor imperat act ) "Cover" is kalypto, which means to "cover", "protect" (of armor), "hide", "conceal", "cover with dishonor", "throw a cloud over" and "put over as a covering".
ἡμᾶς:” [7 verse](pron 1st pl masc/fem acc) "Us" is hemas, which is "us", the 1st person, plural, accusative pronoun.