Beatitudes Revisited

#beatitudes #greek #greeknewtestament #gospelogmatthew #biblestudy

Since I've reached the end of a chapter time for some review and visit to #Matthew Chapter 5 - Beatitudes 5: 3 - 10

My literal translation from the greek will be followed by a few notes

Blessed the poor (in implied by dative) spirit
that of/for them is the realm of the heavens

Poor in spirit = the depressed? those not spiritually gifts ? Both?!

blessed those who are mourning / sorrowful
that they will be comforted / supported

by the holy spirit is how many read this verse due to the verb used being related to the greek noun ParaKlete holy spirit as advocate / supporter

blessed the gentle/humble /meek
that they will inherit the earth

NOT the weak but those who have praus

blessed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
that they will be satisfied filled/ fed

blessed the merciful / compassionate
that they will receive mercy

blessed the pure in / of heart
that they the god will see

blessed the peacemakers
that they sons of god will be called

blessed those who are hunted for the sake / cause of righteousness/justice
that for them is the realm of the heavens

Note the contrast more obvious in Greek between Active and Passive

those who have or endure or practise certain conditions or virtues or both
are those who will receive or get a response and a blessing.

We had a federal election yesterday in australia and the votes are still being tallied.

Let us hope the winners are both politicians and ordinary people who may be feeling wretched or sad or humiliated right now but hopefully will be blessed for being seekers for justice and righteousness merciful and peacemakers?

Let us hope for blessings anyway!

House of Sand House of Rock

#Gospel #Biblestudy

Matthew Chapter 7 Verses 24 - 29

literal translation

everyone therefore whoever hears  my the words  these
(notice how greek uses both a definite article and a demonstrative for emphasis)
and does them I will liken (say compare in modern english for homoioosoo ) him
to a man prudent who built his home upon the rock.
(the origin of the rock of faith metaphor also claimed by catholics to be a reference to Peter )

and came down the rain
and came the rivers (ie like a  flash  flood )
and blew the winds falling upon that house
and not it fell
for it was founded on rock

Note the parallelism

and everyone who hears (pas means each or every  here) my the words these
parallelism again
and not doing them he shall / should be compared to a man foolish
who built the house his upon sand
and came down the rain
and came the rivers
andblew the winds
and striking that house
and it fell and was the fall of it great

Now a foolish person or a desperate farmer probably sometimes in low sandy valleys thinking it safe since floods and rain was rare but sensible people do not build on flood plains

what did his audience think of his preaching?

and it happened when had completely finished the  jesus the words those astonished the crowds at his teaching
he was for teaching them as power having and kai not as the scribes

remember your "crowd" or mob are not scribes or scholars but "everyman"

This is the end of my hopefully helpful notes on the Sermon on the Mount.

Next Year I'll start by repeating  some older grammar notes for beginners before moving onto a different section of the Gospels in Greek.

I did not know you!

#gospel #biblestudy #whatjesusaid #greeknewtestament

Matthew Chapter 7 21-23

Paraphrase and notes first

Not all who say to me Lord! Lord! will enter into the realm of the heavens

note eiseleusetai erkhomai future stem eleuso

but he who the will of the father mine in the heavens (will)

many will say ero future of lego to me in (during / on) that day Lord Lord
not in the your name / in your note did we not prophetize
and by / in your name demons cast out
and ny your name works of power many do ?

and then I will declare / state / to them

Never I knew you!

Get away from me
those working lawlessness

note not merely sinners but people who claim and think they are doing things in the name of the divine but actually work against divine law !

Anomia is the final word in greek and if there was such a word in english you could translate it as UNLAW ?

And what is the LAW ?

remember Jesus said the Law could be summed up as
Love the Divine and love your neighbour!

Active and Actions Matthew 7 7 - 12

#gospel Matthew Chapter 7 #bible study

This is one of those sections that some translators tend to makeover into English thats maybe a bit too modern. Why?


Read on and there's a lovely ethics zinger at the end.
A very famous verse.

Literal translation with notes inserted in brackets

verse 7

Ask and it will be given(Future passive to you
(Greek often uses passive  and future where English uses Active voice)
Seek and you will find
Knock and it will be opened (Another future passive)  to you.

verse 8

all for he who is asking receives
all pas and a participle makes more sense in Greek so it has to be changed !
The sense of each person who asks as an individual but there is no equivalent to everyone in Greek ... well no ACTUAL equivalent pas panta can be all or every.
and the one who is seeking finds
and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Some people think Jesus was being very Zen like and referring to enlightenment but this verse seems ot be just as much as prayers and answers?

Most importantly given the end of the passage about TAKING ACTION.

Verse 9

or what (Man / person) is of you (the group listening an appeal to both the group as a whole and individuals) if should ask the son his for bread  not a stone he will give to him (instead)?

Good practical necessities are asked for. Dont repay evil for good is a theme that appears elsewhere.

Verse 10

and if a fish he should ask for not a serpent will he give him?

Verse 11

if therefore you evil being know gifts good to give to the children of you
how much more the father who in heaven (is) will give good things to them asking him?

Now the closer or the zinger that ties it all together!

Verse 12

All things therefore whatever you wish  that people should be done to you
 likewise so and you do to them.

this for is the law and the prophets!

Note prophets as teachers not prophecies !

Do good things to others human or divine if you want good things to happen to you ... treat people right  do unto others as an older translation puts it

Spiritual grace and insight and pracitcla necessities can be sought and prayed for but acts of faith must be balance by ACTION "random acts of kindness" or foreplanned charity .... whatever but the right thing is to do good!

And keep on doing it!

The Beatitudes Verses have so much we can learn from!


Mid week back to the Labours of Heracles !


If you have just discovered Metousia.
Sundays I comment on the Greek New Testament.
Midweek on Classical Greek  culture.

Do visit and share some of my prior posts!

PIGS and PEARLS

#gospelofmatthew #bible study

Gospel of Matthew Ch 7 Verse 6

People tend to cite the middle of this verse and ignore the rest.

Literal translation

Not give (aor subj)  the holy to the dogs.
Nor throw (aor subj again) pearls yours in front of the the swine
lest they tread down  / trample katapateoo  upon them in the feet of them
and having turned around  strephomai aor part they rend (another aor subj) you.

note this verse is not just about pigs seen as unclean animals.

While the Jews didn't eat pork they may have farmed pigs for the bristles and leather from their hides or seen local Greek colonists farming pigs or had wild pigs coming down form the highlands and forests  wandering the area eating waste.

This verse isnt just about waste but about avoiding danger?

I wonder if Jesus was referring to some local recent event during which someone was silly enuff in Galilee to actually throw low grade pearls into a pig sty to demonstrate how pigs will eat anything and the pigs being intelligent animals got really offended.

Note the use of en as a dative agent ... the pearls were crushed  into the pigs "feet" which are very sensitive probably irritating them so enraged they turned on the human attacking them?

Perhaps we could also read this as not only  don't waste but do feed or offer people the correct food or don't try to test and fool people so they don't get angered by your extravagance and turn on you?

More on Matthew 6: 25 - 34 Body and Soul

#biblestudy #gospel #beatitudes

This is  a beautiful passage of powerful prose in in any language!

I'm going to do a loose paraphrase and break up the sentences to show you the parallelism in the greek text and shorten the lines so it works better for those of you using a phone app to read this?

First a note on psyche lie in verse 24  is psykhe not zoee probably to strengthen the parallelism yet contrast between spiritual and physical needs.

Causal marker dia
this I say to you
not be worried for the life of you
(about implied by dative)
what you eat and what you drink
nor for = in regard to the body what you put on / wear.

Not the life / soul more is
( than used in English cos its a comparision)
of the food and the body (more than) of the wearing?
(the clothes you wear)

Look at the birds of heaven
that they not sow  nor harvest nor gather into storage
and the father of you in heaven feeds them!

Not you much  different  are from them?

which and of you while worrying is able to add upon his stature / adult size and shape cubit one?

and about clothes why are you worrying?

observe / learn from the lilies of the field how they increase / grow

no they  toil nor they spin

I say then to you that
not Solomon in all the glory of him was clothed like one of them

if then the grass of the field today being
and tomorrow into an oven is thrown
the god so arranges
not many much more for you (do) little faith ones ?

not therefore be concerned saying
what shall we eat ?
or What shall we drink?
or What will we wear?

All for these things the nations / pagans seek after

knows for the father of you the heavenly
that you use / need od these thing all.

Seek then first the realm of god and the righteousness of him
and these things all shall be added / placed use provided ? to you

Not therefore worry into = about ? the next day
for the next day will be anxious about itself

(ironic personification?)

Sufficient / enough to the day the evil of it.

I help that breakdown shows you something about the syntax of the Greek?

Notice how you change to use different prepositions in English because a preposition can change meaning in Greek depending on what case the adjective and noun are!

Now go back and enjoy reading the whole passage in Greek or English!

Serving God and Mammon

Serving #God and #Mammon
#Gospel #biblestudy #Beatitudes

Matthew 6: 24 - 25

word for word translation

no-one is able 2 masters to serve

notes dative follows dunamai hence duo becomes dusi

either for the one s/he will hate
and the other will love

note the use of the future other is hetero -
miseoo hate source of miso-

or one s/he will hold fast to and the other despise

anthekhsetai is the future middle of antekhomai
this verb changed meaning in NT koine Greek

it is still anti so literally against hold but against the same way we may say in English I am going to hold a tissue up against to my face or lips

katephroneesei look down on think of with disdain despise

not you can be able to / for god serve and  mamon

a note on ma(m)on this is a loan word from Aramaic.

It means money wealth property

regardless of what some commentaries state there is no evidence for Mammon being a Semitic God or a demon. The personification here is rhetorical.

We have to chose which to serve and love God or Money.

Try not to mistake one for the other!

Where's your Treasure?

#Gospel of Matthew 6: 19 - 21.

Where's Your Treasure ?

Word for word translation

not make treasure for you plural treasures upon the earth
where moth and corrosion / rust "eating" spoil
and where thieves dig through and steal
make treasure and / but for you plural treasures in heaven
where neither moth nor rust spoil
and where thieves not dig through nor steal
where for is the treasure of you
there will be and / also the heart of you.

Why did I type make treasure ?
the greek verb has a izoo suffix  its theesaurizoo

note also what digging through means ... many of the people listening would have had homes made of sun dried brick or stucco or clay over a wooden frame or stone loosely packed

for them no gold just coins of metal that might tarnish or a valuable item might be a chest full of high quality linen or wool or an embroidered festival robe

again consider making treasure

we attribute value to various material objects  but we need to invest in spiritual treasures as well ?!

NO TRUMPETS!

No Trumpets! Matthew 6: 2 – 4 Jesus on How to give.

Literal translation

When(ever) therefor you make (aorist subjunctive in greek) almsgving,

not you will trumpeting before you, like the pretenders (actors) making

in the assemblies ( synagoogee means a place of meeting) and the streets,

so that they (aorist passive subjunctive) should be glorified by the people.

Truly I say to you they receive their reward (apoekhoo have back).

You conjunction while making almsgiving not (let) know (gnootoo is aorist imperative)

the left (hand) of you what makes the right (hand) of you.

So that it should be (aorist subjunctive) the almsgiving in the

kruptos means secret private hidden Greek uses a definite article

where we would not in English or use an adverb.

And the Father of you (who is) seeing (blepoon is a participle) in the secret

will payback / reward you.

This is one of those sections where Greek syntax varies from English though the meaning is straightforward.

Don't use Acts of Charity for Self Promo.

I think its okay if you mention you tithe or will be donating if you think that will encourage some one else to donate too or buy a product that does help a cause but even in that situation don't let the promotion become self promotion. Don't sound your trumpet!

A salipigs was more shaped more like a horn than a modern trumpet.

The word hupokritees originally meant actor or pretender.

Matthew 6:1 Justice and Giving

Matthew 6: 1 Justice and Giving.

This is one of those verses that really demonstrate why its important to think about the Greek version. Compare this verse and the following section also to Matthew 23:5

Here's the original version in Greek:

Προσέχετε τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὑμῶν μὴ ποιεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι αὐτοῖς.

εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

Beware or take heed Προσέχω the righteousness of yours not make before people to be seen Aorist Infinitive Passive of θεάομαι by them dative agent

if and / but not !!! reward not yours from the father of yours the one in the heavens

Now if you own more than one Bible or have access to them online or in a library compare the RSV to the NJV, the KJV or EV Rieu's 4 gospels, or the Douai translations.

EEK one says virtues another piety yet another charitable deeds an another alms.

Yet the Greek says righteousness and the Latin uses Attendite Iustitiam!

Now the next 3 verses talk about alms so how does righteousness of public actions go with alms giving? Almsgiving is an action what we would call donating to charity.

Righteous actions in front of others made to be seen could be things like say a politician who only visits a veterans' or other public or chairty hospital or clinic when an election is due or the media will be there and NEVER visits or donates at any OTHER time. Another example might be only donating to a charity because its popular or trendy or attending a charitable fund raiser and ignoring other charities also in need of help? A third example could be someone “volunteering” simply to get out of doing something at home or for a relative or to fulfil a business or welfare requirement and doing a half hearted barely adequate job.

Why do I offer those examples. Note which verb of seeing is used of the several used in Greek.

Θεάομαι the stem of this verb is also used to make words like theatre and spectacle or show.

Its not just being seen by others its making a show that draws attention for personal benefit?

When was the last time you saw a politician or celebrity sneak into say a soup kitchen the back way and beg people to turn off their phones so he or she could get on with cooking or cleaning without the media being aware. It does sometimes happen but not often?

Charity isn't about you being seen to do the right thing it's doing the right just thing.

Vows and Oaths

Oaths Vows and Promises Matthew 5: 33 – 37

Word for word …

“ Again you have heard that it was said to the ancients

Not you swear falsely / break an oath give back but / rather to the Lord (what you promised) the vows of you ….

(See Lev 19:12 Numbers 30:2 and Deut. 19:21 )

I but say to you (plural) not to swear / vow wholly (translate holoos as at all entirely completely neither (by what is ) in the heaven that the throne is of god nor by the earth that footstool is of the feet his nor (by what is in) Jerusalem that city is of great king nor by your head shall you swear that not being able one hair white or black to make let be but the word of yours Yes Yes (or) No No what but more (than) these things out of evil is.

Note in Greek the Dative Agent and the command not swear vows and sacred oaths by heaven earth the Holy City or your own head or self.

Hoti could and has been translated as because instead of that here is it is being used to link a string of clauses rather than indirect statements

To make an oath is to declare a contract to do something.

Better to simply say you will or will not do something.

Epiorkeeseis to break an oath horkos a masculine noun apodooseis give back pay return

note also two forms of the verb omnuoo promise vow swear aorist infinitive omosai and omoseeis

more here is not mallon but perisson which can have the sense of going OVER a limit.

Excuse me not typing the Greek but this blog is behind schedule due to me breaking my right arm and while I can type with one finger and my left hand I'm still getting some pain from the arm.

See the post before or after this How to support metousia !  

Matthew 5 righteousness

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 10

Blessed (are) those who are persecuted because of righteousness

for theirs is the realm of the heavens.

μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης,

ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.

Δεδιωγμένοι is unusual. Rather than the future passive verb form so frequent used in previous verses of the Beatitudes suddenly we have a Perfect passive participle! Not Aorist or future but perfect. Perfect passive … it is ...-ed … those who are in the past right now and the near future.

This perfect passive participle is of the verb Διωκω to hunt chase pursue persecute someone as if they were prey. A verb that came to be used not just about hunting but in a legal context.

Why do some governments and people treat the righteous as criminals?

Ἕνεκεν is a preposition used with the genitive. For, for the sake of, because of

Prophets and other people and not just Christians have been persecuted and indeed prosecuted in courts for the sake of righteousness. A cautionary note do not presume righteousness or a righteous cause justifies criminal activities. This should be a last resort if a civil law is unjust.

Remember the previous verse about peacemaking.

Negotiation and rational debate first please if possible?

It is uncivil rude and mean to harass people visiting a clinic those services may include abortions.

I recently read of a disturbing situation where women using a health clinic in the USA were harassed by so called Christians accusing them of being baby killers and sl*&s. Many of those women were using the clinic to get low cost contraceptives and medical and family planning advice they couldn't afford or get elsewhere in that particular state.

On the other side those are those who claim to be liberals or progressive who label everyone who seeks righteousness as part of following the divine as perverts prudes delusional or the allegation that one is trying to be superior?

Righteousness isn't just about who is right or wrong it's a process of seeking and supporting justice.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 9

Blessed (are) the peacemakers for they sons of God will be called.

μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ , ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται.

Note well that the verse says peace MAKERS not just keepers but makers!

Εἰρήνη PEACE and ποιοὶ makers from the verb ποιέω

The name Irene is derived from the word for peace.

I do wonder why huios was used rather than paidos. This is one of the signs that indicate Matthew's first language was Hebrew or Aramaic.

Κληθήσονται is the future passive of καλέω call summon name.

Why κλη as a stem in the passive. Greek has a feature called metathesis and an tendency to avoid triple consonant patterns especially involving aspirated consonants like th.

What can we do to create peace for ourselves and others? 

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 8

#Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 8

Blessed (are) the pure in (the) heart for they God will see.

μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται.

A simple straightforward verse expressing a beautiful idea.

The dative form of καρδία means no preposition ἐν is necessary in  Greek.

Ὄψονται is indeed the future form of horaoo ὁραω despite its p stem.

Its one of those irregular verbs you need to learn more details of so please consult your dictionary and grammar for full details.

Ὁραω is the present but in other tenses the stem is op – οπ – or heo when the augment is added leading to ἑόρακα. 

My next post for Christmas Eve will be about Luke Chapter 2 and the Angels

and there will a xmas ecard watch out for it !

Matthew chapter 5 verse 7 MERCY

(sorry this is late had computer problems ) 

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 7

Blessed (are) the merciful for they will receive mercy.

μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.

Read also Matthew 18: 33 and James 2:13

Quite straightforward but do note the link between showing and being shown mercy.

Ἔλεος the stem of ἐλεήμων merciful and the verb ἐλεέω be merciful show mercy is not just an attitude but an action ἐλεος is pity mercy and compassion or as James puts it faith AND works.

Read the parable in Matthew 18: 33

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6 hunger and thirst

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6

Blessed (are) those who hunger and those who thirst

for righteousness for they will be satisfied

μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην,

ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.

Luke 6:21 has those who thirst now you will be however it is a plural you so perhaps this minor difference could be explained by Luke's informant perhaps being someone standing further away from Jesus who didn't hear or remember all of the Sermon? 

πεινάω hunger and διψάω thirst two new contract verbs this time with A stems and yes διψάω is a present form not future.

The σύνη suffix is usually translated as – ness. Δικαιοσύνη comes from Δικαιος.

Χορτάζω to feed until full to be full to be satisfied.

Note the future passive.

Desire can be a good thing if focused on an ethical goal?

This has been your Sunday Bible Study Aid. Looking for something more secular?

Midweek I'm running a post series on the 3 Grace Classical theme and how its been used in Art over the centuries. 

Matthew 5 the meek will ...

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 5

Blessed for the meek for they will inherit the earth

μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν

πραΰς is a 3^rd declension adjective with a U stem if Masculine or Neuter but behaves if if it had an e stem if feminine or plural. Meek humble gentle of low rank.

Jesus was not just preaching to the elite or religious fanatics or cultists.

Verses like this are why the Gospel is described as inclusive.

They will inherit the earth. Κληρονομέω. They will receive a share not just of an estate or property but of the earth as a whole. Note that γῆ is used not KOSMOS.

When this will happen is … an exact time is not given.

I am not going to speculate on how thus relates to Revelations or various OT prophecies. Too many people have done that already.

I will say this the “little people” the poor are as important as the rich and the elite.

Remember what is recorded elsewhere about the rich and salvation.

Remember also if you're reading this at home and have easy access to a family computer or own one yourself however simple in many parts of the world that makes you well off and wealthy.

Work to be humble.

I've received no comments yet but I do hope these posts are of some use and help to those who don't know New Testament Greek or perhaps have just started studying it and can't afford commentaries or dictionaries of their own. I was blessed with receiving a Liddell and Scott lexicon as a gift many years ago so I have a print copy at home thankfully. Its getting harder and harder to find second hand copies so I hope these notes and other metousia blog posts are helping?

Matthew 5 verse 4 COMFORT and ew verbs

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 4

μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται

blessed those who are mourning for they will be comforted

noteworthy features

both verbs are εω verbs whose stems end in an e so they follow this contraction pattern ε + ω = ω ε + ει(ς) =εῖ(ς) ε + ο = οῦ etc.

πενθέω lament mourn grief here in 3^rd person plural participle form

παρακληθήσονται is the future passive 3^rd person plural of παρακαλέω

the same verb from which paraklete and para kleetos derive

summon call to help encourage exhort

however receiving help from the divine does not excuse us from our human obligations to try and help others so  remember what is written in James about faith and works.

Dative Spirit Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 3 some notes

DATIVE SPIRIT

MATTHEW Ch. 5 Verse 3

μακαριοι οἱ πτωχοι τῷ πνευματι

Blessed (are) the poor in spirit for theirs is the realm of the heavens

The parallel section in Luke 6. 20 – 23 omits pneumati

Now πνευματι is dative rather than genitive. Why?

Greek can use dative without a preposition.

This could be a dative of place, cause, means, or respect.

Matthew stresses poverty of spirit but the other kind of poverty is meant as well.

As a matter of style the use of the dative also contrasts with the genitive forms in the secondary subordinate clause.

Was Jesus bilingual in Greek? Could the minor differences between verses from Gospel to Gospel reflect jesus speaking first in Greek or Aramaic depending on his audience and then repeating himself in the other language?

However the primary message is the important one.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR

and it is a lovely example of the dative form too!