John 15:3 Now you are clean through the word

Spoken to
Apostles

At the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles.  He just said that what matters is how much fruit the vine produces.

KJV

John 15:3 Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

NIV

John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

 

LISTENERS HEARD

By this time, you are cleaned because of the logic that I have relayed to you.

MY TAKE

The right thinking can purify the mind.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The Greek word translated as "clean," means free from that which corrupts or soils. Though translated here as "clean" and elsewhere as "pure," the idea is that corruption or dirt has been removed. It is the adjective form of the verb translated in the last verse as "purge" or "prune," but better translated as "to clean." 

The word translated as "word" is the root of our word "logic," and can be translated as "idea" and "concept." The word translated as "speak" actually has the sense of passing on from one person to another. This verse equates cleaning with clearing your mind of the wrong idea. 

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "now" is not the common word usually translated as "now."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "yourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "word" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "spoken" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
4
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "yourselves" is not shown in the English translation, but it is needed to capture the pronoun as well as the form of the verb.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "word" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "whichmissing "word"  -- (MW) The untranslated word" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "spoken" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
EACH WORD of KJV

Now -- (CW) "Now" is a Greek adverb meaning "by this time," "forthwith," "after," "immediately," and "now." It means proximity in time, but also place.

you  -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since 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.

clean -- The Greek word translated as "clean" means "physically clean," "spotless," "free of contamination," "clear of debt," "genuine," "pure of birth," "without blemish," and "sound."

through -- The preposition translated as "for...reason" means with the accusative used here, means "thanks to," "because of,"  "by reasons of," and "for the sake of."

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.

word -- (CW) "Word" is translated from a Greek word that means "calculation," or "reasoning," but it has many, many specific meanings from "deliberation" to "narrative."  It is the source of our word "logic" and is the root word for all the English words that end in "-ology." Most biblical translations translated it as "word" for somewhat poetic reasons. However, when applied to people, it means "repute" or "reputation." More about this word in this article. In English, we would say "idea" to describe it but it also means the communication of various types, so "message" often works better.

which -- The word translated as "which" 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 -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

have -- This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.

spoken -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "speak" is not the ordinary "to say," "to talk," "to tell," or "to speak" in Greek. This word means "idle chatter," "gossip," and "the proclamations of an oracle." Jesus uses it to capture the idea of "passing on." "conveying,"  or "relaying" information.  When there isn't an object, "transmit" captures the idea of being a conduit rather than a source of information.

unto to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

you.  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

EACH WORD of NIV

You are already clean the word I have spoken to you.

You  -- The pronoun "you" is used explicitly as the subject of the sentence. Since 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.

already --  "Already " is a Greek adverb meaning "by this time," "forthwith," "after," "immediately," and "now." It means proximity in time, but also place.

clean -- The Greek word translated as "clean" means "physically clean," "spotless," "free of contamination," "clear of debt," "genuine," "pure of birth," "without blemish," and "sound."

because of -- The preposition translated as "for...reason" means with the accusative used here, means "thanks to," "because of,"  "by reasons of," and "for the sake of."

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.

word -- (CW) "Word" is translated from a Greek word that means "calculation," or "reasoning," but it has many, many specific meanings from "deliberation" to "narrative."  It is the source of our word "logic" and is the root word for all the English words that end in "-ology." Most biblical translations translated it as "word" for somewhat poetic reasons. However, when applied to people, it means "repute" or "reputation." More about this word in this article. In English, we would say "idea" to describe it but it also means the communication of various types, so "message" often works better.

missing "which"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "which" 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 -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

have -- This helping verb "have" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.

spoken -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "speak" is not the ordinary "to say," "to talk," "to tell," or "to speak" in Greek. This word means "idle chatter," "gossip," and "the proclamations of an oracle." Jesus uses it to capture the idea of "passing on." "conveying,"  or "relaying" information.  When there isn't an object, "transmit" captures the idea of being a conduit rather than a source of information.

unto to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

you.  -- The Greek pronoun "you" here is plural and in the form of an indirect object, "to you," "for you," etc. As the object of a preposition, this form implies no movement, but in a fixed position or events occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

ἤδη [13 verses](adv) "Now" is ede, which means "already," "by this time," "forthwith," "after," "immediately," and "now." It means proximity in time, but also place.

ὑμεῖς [92 verses](pron 2nd pl nom) "You" is hymeis (humeis), which is the plural nominative form of the second person, "you."

καθαροί [5 verses](adj pl masc nom) "Clean" is katharos, which means "physically clean," "spotless," "clear," "pure (water)," "clear of objects," "free of contamination," "clear of debt," "genuine," "pure of birth," "without blemish," and "sound."

ἐστε [614 verses](verb 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.

διὰ  [88 verses](prep) "Through" is dia, which means with the genitive "through," "in the midst of," "in a line (movement)," "throughout (time)," "by (causal)," "for (causal)," "among," and "between." With the accusative, it can also be "thanks to," "because of,"  "by reasons of," and "for the sake of."

τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  

λόγον [80 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Word" is logos, which means "word," "computation," "relation," "explanation," "law," "rule of conduct," "continuous statement," "tradition," "discussion," "reckoning," "reputation" (when applied to people), and "value."

ὃν [294 verses](pron sg masc acc) "Which" is hos, which means "this," "that," "he," "she," "which," "what," "who," "whosoever," "where," "for which reason," and many similar meanings.

λελάληκα [49 verses] (1st sg perf ind act) "Have spoken" is laleo, which means "to talk," "to speak" "to prattle," "to chat," and [for oracles] "to proclaim." It also means "chatter" as the opposite of articulate speech. However, Jesus seems to use in in the sense of "relaying" information gained from another. 

ὑμῖν [289 verses](pron 2nd pl dat) "To you" is humin the plural form of su the pronoun of the second person, "you."

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