Jesus washes everyone's feet and puts on his clothes and tells them to learn what he has done for them.
John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John 13:17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
If you know these things, you are fortunate when you do them.
We are lucky to be able to do what we know.
The word translated as "know" primary means "to see," but in the past perfect tense. What we "have seen" is what we know. The "have seen" is particularly appropriate here because the Apostles have seen Jesus was their feet, which he has told them is a paradigm, a higher way of being. The word translated as "happy" and "blessed is the same word that is translated as "blessed" in the Beatitudes in Matthew. However, it doesn't mean "blessed by God" but "fortunate" and "lucky" and, therefore, "happy." The last phrase is not "if" you do them, but "when" you do them. Jesus assumes that sometimes people won't, but other times they will. When they do, they will feel lucky to have seen what they have seen.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the specific meaning of the word.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "blessed" means "blessed" primarily in the sense of "lucky" or "fortunate" without a sense of a "blessing."
If -- The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. When citing a fact with a declarative verb instead of one of possibility, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
know - The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.
these things,-- The "these things" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. It is often used in the neuter plural to refer to "these things" as it is here.
happy-- The word "happy" in Greek is an adjective a noun meaning "happy" or "fortunate" but with the sense of being favored by God. However, it does not refer to a religious blessing. It can also mean "wealthy" with the sense of "the wealthy" (men with a fortune). This is the word translated as "blessed" in the Beatitudes, but its meaning is closer to "happy."
are -- The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
if -- (CW) The Greek word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when." This is not the simple "if."
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
do -- The Greek word translated as "to do" 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. When it doesn't have an object, the verb is more clearly translated as "perform."
them. -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
Now that -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "now that" in the Greek source.
missing "uf" -- (MW) The untranslated word"if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. When citing a fact with a declarative verb instead of one of possibility, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
know - The word translated as "know" means primarily "to see" and is used to mean "know' as we use the word "see" to mean "know" in English. It is the past perfect tense so "have seen" but it is translated as the present tense of "know." What someone "has seen" is what they "know" in the present.
these things,-- The "these things" is a pronoun that can mean "this" or "that," the nearer or the further depending on usage. It is often used in the neuter plural to refer to "these things" as it is here.
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
will -- (WT) This helping verb "will" indicates the future tense, but the verb is not the future.
be -- The verb "be" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.
blessed -- (CW) The word "blessed " in Greek is an adjective a noun meaning "happy" or "fortunate" but with the sense of being favored by God. However, it does not refer to a religious blessing. It can also mean "wealthy" with the sense of "the wealthy" (men with a fortune). This is the word translated as "blessed" in the Beatitudes, but its meaning is closer to "happy."
if -- (CW) The Greek word meaning "when" indicates more of an expectation of something happening than "if" alone. This is how we use the word "when." This is not the simple "if."
you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
do -- The Greek word translated as "to do" 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. When it doesn't have an object, the verb is more clearly translated as "perform."
them. -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
εἰ [90 verses](conj) "If" is ei, which is the particle used to express conditions "if" (implying nothing about its fulfillment) or indirect questions, "whether." It also means "if ever," "in case," and "whenever." In citing a fact, it can mean "as sure as" or "since." It is combined with various conjunctions to create derivative conditions. When appearing as εἰ δὲ (literally, "if however") the sense is "if this...then that".-- The "if" here expresses a condition but it means nothing regarding whether that condition is met or not. It also means "if ever" and "whenever."
ταῦτα [96 verses](adj pl neut acc) "These things" 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."
οἴδατε, [38 verses](2nd pl perf ind act) "Know" is oida which has the sense of "to know." This listing is not a root word, but the past perfect tense of eido, which means "to see," "to examine," "to perceive," "to behold," "to know how to do," "to see with the mind's eye," and "to know." That which "has been seen" is that which is "known." This is a somewhat legalistic idea because the truth can only be established by eyewitnesses. -
μακάριοί [25 verses](adj pl masc nom ) "Happy" is makarios which means "blessed," "prosperous," "happy," "fortunate," and "blissful."
ἐστε [614 verses](3rd sg pres ind act) "Are ye" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen," and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." It can also mean "must" with a dative.
ἐὰν [162 verses](conj) "If" 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. This is how we use the word "when."
ποιῆτε [168 verses](verb 2nd pl pres subj act) "Ye do"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."
αὐτά. [720 verses](adj pl neut acc) "Them" 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." In the plural, "they," "them," and "their."