After the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles. After Jesus say they should care for one another.
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
As sure as the world order hates you, realize that me, earlier than you, it has hated.
None of us are the first to be hated.
The "if" that begins this verse does not mean something that "might" happen. Used with a declarative verb, its sense is more "since" and "as sure as." Though translated as "the world," the Greek word means something closer to "social order." Jesus specifically uses it to mean "society" or, more precisely, "the hierarchy of society." The verb translated as "know" and "keep in mind" has more the sense of "realizing" something. When Jesus describes the world hating him, he uses a verb form that means an action completed in the past. The phrase translated as "before you" and "first" mean something more like "earlier than you," literally, "first of you."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "hated" is the past tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have hated."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "before" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "it hated" doesn't exist in the source.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "you" is not the object of the verb, but a modifying word, "of you."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "keep in mind" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "hated" is the past tense, but Greek is in the past perfect, a completed action, "have hated."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "you" is not shown in the English translation.
If -- (CW) 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." However, when used in an "if" clause, the verb is the subjunctive form of possibility. When citing a fact with a declarative verb, like the one here, instead of one of possibility, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
hate -- "Hate" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.
you, -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
know -- "Know" is a verb that means "to know," "to recognize," "make known," "to know carnally," and "to learn." The idea of "realize" seems to capture most senses of this word better than "know," which is the meaning of "have seen.
that -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
hated - (WT) "Hated" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information. This verb is not the simple past, but the past perfect, "has hated."
me "-- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
before -- (CW) The word translated as "before" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. It means "before" referring to a place, not time. If it refers to time here, the sense is "earlier than you" but it could refer to Jesus as "the first of you." There are many prepositions that mean "before" in Greek, but Jesus specifically wanted to use the word "first" here.
it hated -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it hated" in the Greek source.
you. -- (WF) The word translated as "you" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. It is not the object of the verb, but it modifies the "first" adjective. So it could be "the first of you" or "earlier than you" because this form means "than" when used with a comparison.
If -- (CW) 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." However, when used in an "if" clause, the verb is the subjunctive form of possibility. When citing a fact with a declarative verb, like the one here, instead of one of possibility, the sense is more "since" or "as sure as."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article; without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
world -- Jesus uses the word translated as "the world" to mean "the world order," and "civilization," specifically its "rulers," or its organization. Today, we use the word "society" or "regime" in this sense. More about this word in this article about related words.
hates -- "Hates" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information.
you, -- The "you" here is the second-person, plural pronoun in the form of an object of the action or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
keep in mind -- (CW) "Keep in mind" is a verb that means "to know," "to recognize," "make known," "to know carnally," and "to learn." The idea of "realize" seems to capture most senses of this word better. This word does not have the sense of remembering that "keep in mind" implies.
that -- The word translated as "that" introduces a statement of fact or cause, "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.
hated - (WT) "Hated" is a Greek verb meaning "to hate." The word is not primarily an emotion as it is in English. Instead, it is a negative state, not being devoted to someone and not liking them. See this article on Greek concepts of love for more information. This verb is not the simple past, but the past perfect, "has hated."
me "-- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition. As the object of a preposition, an accusative object indicates movement towards something or a position reached as a result of that movement.
first -- The word translated as "before" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. It means "before" referring to a place, not time. If it refers to time here, the sense is "earlier than you" but it could refer to Jesus as "the first of you." There are many prepositions that mean "before" in Greek, but Jesus specifically wanted to use the word "first" here.
missing "word" -- (MW) The untranslated word "you" is a plural, second-person pronoun in the genitive case. It is not the object of the verb, but it modifies the "first" adjective. So it could be "the first of you" or "earlier than you" because this form means "than" when used with a comparison.
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 construction εἰ οὖν has the sense of "if so." However, it is also used to express a wish. After verbs of wonder, delight, indignation, disappointment, contentment, and similar emotions, the sense is "that" (hoti) with the indicative (not subjunctive).
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
κόσμος [63 verses](noun sg masc dat) "World" is kosmos, which mean "order," "good order," "ruler," "civilization," "world order," "universe," and "the world of men." It is a form of the is verb kosmeô, which means "to order," "to arrange," "to rule," "to adorn" (especially women), and "to equip." It especially means controlling and arranging an army.
ὑμᾶς [210 verses](pron 2nd pl acc) "You" is humas which is the plural objective form of the second-person pronoun, "you."
μισεῖ, [20 verses](verb 3rd sg pres/imperf ind act) "Hate" is miseo, which means "to hate" and in passive, "to be hated."
γινώσκετε [62 verses] (verb 2nd pl pres ind act or 2nd pl pres imperat) "You know," is ginosko which means "to learn to know," "to know by reflection or observation," and "to perceive."
ὅτι [332 verses](adv/conj) "That" is hoti, which introduces a statement of fact "with regard to the fact that," "seeing that," and acts as a causal adverb meaning "for what," "because," "since," and "wherefore."
ἐμὲ [49 verses](pron 1st sg masc acc) "Me" is eme, which is the objective first-person, objective, singular pronoun that means "me.
πρῶτον [41 verses](adj sg neut nom/acc or adj sg masc acc) "Before" is protos. In place, this means "before," "in front," and, as a noun, "the foremost." Of time, it means "former," "earlier," and, as a noun, "the initial." In order, it means "the first." In math, it means the prime numbers. Of rank or degree, it means "superior" or, as a noun, "the highest" or "the best."
ὑμῶν [168 verses](pron 2nd pl gen) "Your/you" is humon, the plural possessive form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you." It is either a possessive pronoun or the object of a preposition.
μεμίσηκεν. [20 verses](verb 3rd sg perf ind act ) "Hated" is miseo, which means "to hate" and in passive, "to be hated." -