After the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles. Jesus talks about friends and caring.
John 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
NSRV John 15:14: You are my friends if you do what I command you.
You yourselves are friend. When you do what I myself command you myself...(see next verse)
We are all related.
The emphasis on the two subject pronouns is lost in translation. When a pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence, it repeats information in the verb. Here, Jesus says "You yourselves are" and "I myself command." The verb "command" is also in the middle voice which means "by myself" or "for myself."
Jesus doesn't also seem to be saying that to be his friend we need to do what he commands. Why not? Because the second part of this verse beginning with "when/if" makes more sense connected to the next verse. Jesus says, "You yourselves are my friends. When you do what I myself command you myself, no more do I call you servants."
The question in this verse is where does the phra beginnise "If you do what I command" belong? Does it go with the phrase "You are my friends" or with the next phase where Christ says, "Henceforth, you are not my servants."
While either is possible, Christ most commonly uses the "if" phrase (begun with the Greek ean) to introduce an idea not as an afterthought. More generally, the "if" phrase is much more commonly used in the introductory phrase in most languages with which I am familiar.
What makes the best sense, at least to me, is that Christ is saying, "If you obey me, you are not just my servants" i.e., that obedience doesn't equal servitude. The idea that obedience does equal friendship, which is the sense of the standard version, it is not as comfortable.
- MW -- Missing Word -- This subject pronoun duplicates information in the verb so it needs a "yourselves" after "you" for emphasis.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
- MW -- Missing Word -- This verb is a middle voice, which requires a "by/for myself."
- MW -- Missing Word -- This subject pronoun duplicates information in the verb so it needs a "yourselves" after "you" for emphasis.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
- MW -- Missing Word -- This verb is a middle voice, which requires a "by/for myself."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "you" is not shown in the English translation.
NSR Version Issues
- MW -- Missing Word -- This subject pronoun duplicates information in the verb so it needs a "yourselves" after "you" for emphasis.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- MW -- Missing Word -- The pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
- MW -- Missing Word -- This verb is a middle voice, which requires a "by/for myself."
Ye -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.
missing "yourselves" ---- (MW) The pronoun is used here explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since this information is already in the verb, the sense is repetitive as we say "you yourselves."
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.
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
friends, -- "Friends" is an adjective that means "loved," "beloved," "dear," "kith and kin," "nearest and dearest," "friends," and (of things) "welcome" and "pleasant." It is an adjective used as a noun. In English, we would say "loved one."
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. When it means It describes a productive action. In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.
whatsoever - The word translated as "whatsoever" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
I -- -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
command - "Command" is from a Greek verb that primarily means to give verbal commands or orders.
missing "by/for myself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to act on "yourself," "for yourself" or "by yourself." It could also be the passive voice, but then it would mean "I am commanded."
you. -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
You -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.
missing "yourselves" ---- (MW) The pronoun is used here explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since this information is already in the verb, the sense is repetitive as we say "you yourselves."
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.
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
friends, -- "Friends" is an adjective that means "loved," "beloved," "dear," "kith and kin," "nearest and dearest," "friends," and (of things) "welcome" and "pleasant." It is an adjective used as a noun. In English, we would say "loved one."
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. When it means It describes a productive action. In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.
what - The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
I -- -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
command - "Command" is from a Greek verb that primarily means to give verbal commands or orders.
missing "by/for myself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to act on "yourself," "for yourself" or "by yourself." It could also be the passive voice, but then it would mean "I am commanded."
missing "you" -- (MW) The untranslated word "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
NSR Version Analysis
You -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When it is already part of the verb, its use here creates emphasis on the "you" as we might say "you yourselves." It is plural.
missing "yourselves" ---- (MW) The pronoun is used here explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since this information is already in the verb, the sense is repetitive as we say "you yourselves."
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.
my -- "My" is the first-person possessive singular pronoun. This pronoun follows the noun so "of mine." As a genitive object of a preposition, as here, it means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
friends, -- "Friends" is an adjective that means "loved," "beloved," "dear," "kith and kin," "nearest and dearest," "friends," and (of things) "welcome" and "pleasant." It is an adjective used as a noun. In English, we would say "loved one."
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. When it means It describes a productive action. In English, "do" is also frequently a helper verb. This Greek word is not used as broadly.
what - The word translated as "what" is a demonstrative pronoun ("this" "that"), but it often acts as a pronoun "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.
I -- -- The pronoun "I" is used here. When it has no verb, the verb "is" or the previous verb is assumed. When the subject of the sentence is part of the verb, its explicit use accentuates who is speaking "I." Saying "I myself" captures this feeling in English.
missing "myself" -- (MW) The subject pronoun repeats the information in the verb so it should be repeated in English like "I myself."
command - "Command" is from a Greek verb that primarily means to give verbal commands or orders.
missing "by/for myself"-- (WV) A phrase is necessary because the form of the previous verb is a middle voice, which means that the subject is to act on "yourself," "for yourself" or "by yourself." It could also be the passive voice, but then it would mean "I am commanded."
you. -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc.
ὑμεῖς [92 verses](pron 2nd pl nom) "You" is hymeis (humeis), which is the plural nominative form of the second person, "you."
φίλοι [17 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Friends" is from philos, which as an adjective means "loved," "beloved," "dear," "kith and kin," "nearest and dearest," "friends," and (of things) "welcome" and "pleasant."
μου [239 verses](adj sg masc gen) "My" is from mou (emou), which means "me," and "mine." As a genitive object means movement away from something or a position away from something else.
ἐστε 614 verses](2nd pl pres ind act) "Are" 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](2nd pl pres ind act) "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." 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."
ὃ [294 verses](pron sg neut acc) Whatsoever" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings. -
ἐγὼ [162 verses](pron 1st sg masc nom) "I" is ego, which is the first-person singular pronoun meaning "I." It also means "I at least," "for my part," "indeed," and for myself.
ἐντέλλομαι [6 verses](verb 1st sg pres find mp) "Command" is entello, which means "to enjoin," "to command" especially verbally, "invest with legal powers," and "authorize to act."
ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this
John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants;