John 15:6 If a man abide not in me,

Spoken to
Apostles

At the Last Supper, Jesus gives his final message to the apostles.  He just said that they have to be connected with him to bear fruit.

KJV

John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

NIV

John 15:6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

LISTENERS HEARD

Unless someone remains within me, he is tossed outs, just like the branch, and he is dried out. And they gather them and into the fire they throw [them] and they are burned.

MY TAKE

If we are tossed out, we are dry out.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

This verse doesn't begin with an "if," but with an "unless." For years, I missed the specific meaning of this  Greek "if not" together, but all the verses with it are translated better as "unless" or "except."

The wordplay in the first verse is a simple connection between being "tossed out" and "dried out." The "dried out" equates a connection with Jesus as receiving a "juice." In the previous verses, the sense was that this connection gives power. So, this power is a "juice." This word, "juice," is symbolic of energy today as much as it was then. Notice however that this connection is remaining "in" Jesus, but this is in the sense of being "in a vine."

The verse ends with a punchline, by combining  the light-hearted word "tossed" with a more serious word, "burned." However, this reminded me that this light-hearted "toss" is used in half of Jesus's verses that reference fireseven out of fourteen. In most of the verses referencing fire, Jesus is using the idea of being "tossed into a fire" almost as a joke. That also seems to be the case here.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES
6
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "man" should be something more like "anyone."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" should be something more like "the."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "branch" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "men" doesn't exist in the source.
# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES
14
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "if" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "you" should be something more like "anyone."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "you" should be something more like "he."
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" should be something more like "the."
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "branch" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "that is" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WV - Wrong Voice - The verb "withers" here is translated as active but it is passive.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "men" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "branches" should be something more like "them."
  • WV - Wrong Voice - The verb here "picked" is translated as passive but it is active.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "gathers" does not capture the construction's specific meaning.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The prefix translated as "up" should be something more like "together."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation.
EACH WORD of KJV

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." However, with the negative below, it is part of a special construction that is best translated as "unless" or "except."

a man -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "a man" in the singular means "anyone," "someone,"  "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. It is not the word for "man."

abide -- The word translated as "abide" has the sense of to "stay," "stand fast," or "remain." Though often translated as "dwell", especially in the KJV, it does not mean to stay in a dwelling place.

not -- (CW) The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought. However, here it is part of a special construction, with the "when" above, that is best translated as "unless" or "except."

in-- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here. 

me, -- The "me" is in the indirect object form of the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me,""for me," and "by me." A dative object of a preposition implies no movement, but in a fixed position, events that occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

he -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

is -- This helping verb "is" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

cast -- The word translated as "cast" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky.

forth -- The word translated as "forth" means "out of a place" and "outside."

as  - The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words.

a -- (WW) The word translated as "a" 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. 

branch, - (CW) The Greek word translated as "branch" specifically can mean a "vine twig" or "cutting." This is the context here. Jesus only use it in the verses in this section of John about the vine. This is not the word used to refer, for example, the branches on fig trees.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

is -- This helping verb "is" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

withered; -- "Withered " is a verb that means "to become dry," "to become parched," and "to wither away." This verb is singular and passive so, "it is withered. "

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

men  -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "men" in the Greek source.

gather --The Greek word translated as "gather" means "to bring together." It has many different uses, but it does not specifically mean gathering in the crops. That is why that idea is provided specifically by the phrase that follows. Jesus most often uses this word to mean bringing people together. He only uses it to mean "gather" crops a handful of times.

them, -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

cast -- The word translated as "cast" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky.

them -- This English objective pronoun is added and not in the Greek source.   In Greek, pronoun objects are not repeated after each verb because they are implied by their first occurrence.

into -- The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.

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. 

fire, -- "Fire" is a noun that means "fire," "sacrificial fire," "funeral fire," and so on, but Christ only uses this word to describe the fire of a trash dump. He usually uses it with the word that is translated as "hell" but which was the name of the burning trash dump outside of Jerusalem.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

they -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb, but plural neuter nouns take a singular verb as a collection of things.

are  -- This helping verb "are" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

burned. -- The Greek term translated as "burned" means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery."

EACH WORD of NIV

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." However, with the negative below, it is part of a special construction that is best translated as "unless" or "except."

you  -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "a man" in the singular means "anyone," "someone,"  "something," and "anything." The same forms are used both for the masculine or feminine so "anyone" works best for a person. It is not the word for "man."

do -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek

not -- (CW) The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that "you don't want" or "think" something, not that it isn't done or thought. However, here it is part of a special construction, with the "when" above, that is best translated as "unless" or "except."

remain -- The word translated as "remain" has the sense of to "stay," "stand fast," or "remain." Though often translated as "dwell", especially in the KJV, it does not mean to stay in a dwelling place.

in-- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time),  or "among"  with a dative object as the one here. 

me, -- The "me" is in the indirect object form of the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me,""for me," and "by me." A dative object of a preposition implies no movement, but in a fixed position, events that occur at a specified time or while the action was being performed.

you -- (WW) This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

are -- This helping verb "are" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

like- The word translated as "like" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words.

a -- (WW) The word translated as "a" 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. 

branch, - (CW) The Greek word translated as "branch" specifically can mean a "vine twig" or "cutting." This is the context here. Jesus only use it in the verses in this section of John about the vine. This is not the word used to refer, for example, the branches on fig trees.

that is-- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "that is" in the Greek source.

thrown -- The word translated as "thrown" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky.

away -- The word translated as "away" means "out of a place" and "outside."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

withers; -- (WV) "Withers" is a verb that means "to become dry," "to become parched," and "to wither away." This verb is singular and passive so, "it is withered. "

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

such -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "such" in the Greek source.

branches--  (WW) The word translated as "branches" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English, in this case, "them.

are -- (WV) This helping verb makes the verb passive when it isn't.

picked -- (CW) The Greek word translated as "picked up" means "to bring together." It has many different uses, but it does not specifically mean gathering in the crops. That is why that idea is provided specifically by the phrase that follows. Jesus most often uses this word to mean bringing people together. He only uses it to mean "gather" crops a handful of times.

up - (WW) The verb's prefix means "together" not up.

missing "and"  -- (MW) The untranslated word"and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

thrown -- The word translated as "cast" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky.

into -- The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "as much as (of measure or limit)," "in regards to" a subject,"up to" limits in time and measure, and "for" a purpose or object.

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. 

fire, -- "Fire" is a noun that means "fire," "sacrificial fire," "funeral fire," and so on, but Christ only uses this word to describe the fire of a trash dump. He usually uses it with the word that is translated as "hell" but which was the name of the burning trash dump outside of Jerusalem.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

burned. -- The Greek term translated as "burned" means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV

ἐὰν μή [30 verses](conj particle) "If...not" is ean me, which literally means "when not," but it is special construction in Greek that is best translated as "except" or "unless" in English. "When" 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. "Not" is (me) is the negative used in when/if-clauses. -

τις [252 verses](pron sg masc/fem nom) "A man" is tis, which can mean "someone," "something," "any one," "everyone," "they [indefinite]," "many a one," "whoever," "anyone," "anything," "some sort," "some sort of," "each," "any," "the individual," "such," and so on. In a question, it can mean "who," "why," or "what." It has specific meanings with certain prepositions, \διὰ τί; for what reason? ἐκ τίνος; from what cause? ἐς τί; to what point?  to what end?

μένῃ [27 verses](verb verb 3rd sg pres subj act) "Abide" is meno, which, as a verb, it means "stand fast" (in battle), "stay at home," "stay," "tarry," "remain as one was," "abide," and (transitive) "await."

ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during,"  and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during." 

μοί, [96 verses](pron 1st sg masc/fem dat) "Me" is moi (emoi) , which can be the object of some prepositions and as the object of a verb means "to me" "for me," and "by me."

ἐβλήθη [54 verses](verb 3rd sg aor ind pass) "Cast" is ballo, which means "to throw," "to let fall," "to cast," "to put," "to pour," "to place money on deposit," "push forward or in front [of animals]," "to shed," "to place," "to pay,"to throw [of dice,]" "to be lucky," "to fall," "to lay as foundation," "to begin to form," "to dash oneself with water," and "to bathe."

ἔξω [21 verses](adv) "Forth" is exo, which means "out of a place," "outside," "external things," and "beyond a time."

ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus," "as," "how," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that." --

τὸ [821 verses](article sg neut nom)   "A" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

κλῆμα [4 verses](noun sg neut nom/acc)"Branch" is from klema, which means "twig," "branch," "vine twig," "cutting," "slip," and "cane." -

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

ἐξηράνθη [4 verses](3rd sg aor ind pass) "Is withered" is from xêrainô, which means "to become dry," "to become parched," and "to wither away."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

συνάγουσιν [20 verses] (3rd pl pres ind act) "Men gather" is synago, which means "bring together," "gather together," "pit [two warriors against each other]," "join in one," "unite," "make friends of," "lead with one," "receive," "reconcile," "draw together," "narrow," "contract," "conclude [from premises]," " infer," and "prove."

αὐτὰ [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." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it  means "just here" or "exactly there."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

εἰς [325 verses](prep) "Into" is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."

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

πῦρ [16 verses](noun sg neut acc) "Fire" is pyr (pur), which means "fire," "sacrificial fire," "funeral fire," "hearth-fire," "lightning," "the light of torches," and "heat of fever."

βάλλουσιν [54 verses](verb 3rd pl pres ind act) "Cast" is ballo, which means "to throw," "to let fall," "to cast," "to put," "to pour," "to place money on deposit," "push forward or in front [of animals]," "to shed," "to place," "to pay,"to throw [of dice,]" "to be lucky," "to fall," "to lay as foundation," "to begin to form," "to dash oneself with water," and "to bathe."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

καίεται. [4 verses](verb 3rd sg pres ind mp) "Burned" is kaio, which means "to kindle", "to set on fire", "to burn," and "to bake pottery."

Wordplay

Jesus contrasts the idea of "tossed out" with the one of "dried out." The adverb describing the tossing is the same as the prefix describing the drying. The word "and" is repeated here over and over in a humorous way. This could be translated as a series of "not only...but also statements."

 

Possible Symbolic Meaning
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